Taking influences from both their cultures and musical realms, Capo Corleone and Kuba Więcek’s collaborative EP ‘Thank Myself’ is the product of pushing boundaries and taking risks.

Stream: ‘Thank Myself’ – Capo Corleone & Kuba Więcek

‘Thank Myself’ is the human experience. We fall down, we get back up, we keep going.

What does it mean to be thankful; to be grateful; to be appreciative of this life, and our place in the world? Los Angeles based hip-hop artist Capo Corleone has teamed up with Polish Jazz musician Kuba Więcek on the release of their new collaborative EP, Thank Myself. The seven-track release is built around gratitude and encourages listeners to look back on their life, and to realize that despite the hurdles that are thrown at us, we have persisted and got to where we are today. And for that, we should be proud and grateful. Corleone describes this EP as his most honest and personal work to date, and is the result of hours of self-reflection.

Thank Myself - Capo Corleone & Kuba Więcek — Thank Myself – Capo Corleone & Kuba Więcek

Wake up in the morning and I thank myself
Always need me
But I don’t need no help
Mirror gettin’ clearer
It’s just me oh well
I’m just trying thank me
Myself

The songwriter, artist, producer and music executive shares, “Thank Myself is the human experience. We fall down, we get back up, we keep going. I want to encourage everybody to thank themselves for their scars, their pain, their rejection and show themselves gratitude for getting through it and having the will to keep going. That’s what Thank Myself is all about. Thanking yourself for the perseverance, the success and the trials and tribulations that got you to the point where you are now. Thank yourself before anyone else.”

Capo Corleone & Kuba Więcek © Anna Azarov Photography

Thankful for my yesterdays
Thankful says thankful
With a face full of them extra rays
Better days are in my present

The international collaboration was sparked over a conversation on Instagram during the lockdowns, where after sending beats back and forth to each other, they quickly realized the mutual desire to create art together. Connecting in an unorthodox way, the two then flew between Los Angeles and Warsaw after the restrictions were lifted. Initially described by Corleone as different, organic and outside of his comfort zone, the colliding of their two very polar worlds ultimately paid off, with the new EP resulting in something that is uniquely brilliant.

Starting off strong with the EP’s title track “Thank Myself,” the song sets the tone for the rest of the EP, both sonically and thematically. “Wake up in the morning and I thank myself, always need me but I don’t need no help,” Corleone repeats like a mantra. “Brakes” is about processing everyday life, navigating the rollercoaster ride and feeling like you are constantly running with no brakes.

Then there is “Fly,” which touches on the highs in life, where you feel like you are totally up in the air and nothing can bring you down. On the flip side is “Nostradamus,” a track that is more potently evident of Więcek’s European influences, with an added cultural depth. The song speaks of feeling bad about yourself but still trying to remain optimistic. Corleone sings, “I’ll always cherish how my life turned out.”

I can’t keep running away
So I’ll impart my
Knowledge of my existence
I’m insistent that you archive
All the hate that permeates your soul
And beeps through ya heart line
The rich poorer than you think
The strong weakest in the link
Idolized idols that made you suicidal
Cuz your self-image reeks
None of that is solace
Money power and fame
That’s a weak man’s prowess
See health is wealth
So when you wake up every morning
Thank yourself

Taking influences from both their cultures and musical realms, in which they excel in and bringing them together in a partnership, Thank Myself is the product of pushing boundaries and taking risks. In total, it took two and a half years to perfect the release with every beat, lyric, melody and rhythm being entirely deliberate. It’s fair to say that it was worth the wait, with Thank Myself not only being an incredible listening experience, but also provoking you to think deeply about yourself and your journey thus far.

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