Genre-Defying Artist Kidd G Shares His ‘Summer In A Small Town’ Bucket List

In a single-stoplight Georgia community, there was once an aspiring musician tirelessly penning music, carefully crafting beats, and learning how to freestyle in a makeshift bedroom recording studio – this small town teenager is now known as Kidd G in the entertainment industry. 

Long before Jonathan Gabriel Horne became “Kidd G,” he pulled inspiration from trailblazers within the hip-hop genre, such as Chance the Rapper, Juice WRLD, Rae Stremmurd, and Young Thug to generate laid-back melodies that will perform well on SoundCloud and TikTok. 

The 18-year-old quickly built a loyal fan base with his emotional-driven rap tunes on the powerful social networking platform. However, it was his ability to pivot and return to his southern Georgia roots with single “Dirt Road” that scored him high placement on the Billboard Hot Country Chart in October of 2020, surpassing 18 million YouTube views on the official music video. 

Although Kidd G quickly found success by intertwining his love for old-school country songwriting, he told Country Now that he often struggles with labeling his sound and identifying the specific genre of music his tunes classify as. “I really can’t describe the sound,” says Kidd G. “I can personally do any genre. I’m just explaining my life. However it comes out sounding, is just how it’s going to come out.” 

Within the last few years, several artists have come out of the woodworks to push the boundaries of mainstream country music. In 2019, Lil Nas X made waves with the record-breaking track “Old Town Road,” Kane Brown called in Nelly to bring a fresh approach to “Cool Again,” Breland incorporated rich beats behind platinum-selling single “My Truck,”and Sam Hunt frequently implements hip-hop musical elements into his ballads, in order to introduce the ordinary honky-tonk folk to a new side of country music. 

Similar to the risk-takers that have come before him, Kidd G has entered the business being his true authentic self by producing work that represents who he is at his very core. “I’m just adding my touch to it, and hopefully people accept it,” shares the young  singer and songwriter. “I know that most people aren’t open to new things, but I’m just having fun at the end of the day.”

Following the release of his debut EP, Teenage Dream – the breakthrough star released a new summer-inspired anthem that gives a friendly nod to the tiny town that built him into the crossover musician he is today. 

“‘Summer In a Small Town’ was a fun track to write. It just gives me the feeling of where I’m actually from,” says the Georgia-bred artist. “We didn’t have much to do growing up…it was always like fishing, hunting, and sports and stuff. We only have one stoplight in my hometown, just to give you an idea. So, we had to come up with stuff and find activities to do. So, that track was special to me because it felt like my hometown, and then watching how the music video came out, it was like ‘wow, they really captured our lives.’”

The Gen-Z leader confessed that he wants his debut country radio track “Summer In A Small Town” to teach young children to remove themselves from technology and enjoy their community. “This track is different because it really shows what kids could do today, if they just get off their phones!” 

Kidd G and his supportive team from Rebel Music/ Geffen Records brought the lyrics to life by giving fans a taste of summer and creative ideas on what to do during the warmer months. Throughout the three-minute-long clip, the singer and his close friends are seen riding in the back of a pick-up truck, boating, jet skiing, and dancing under a sky lit up by fireworks. 

“It was 4th of July, and I didn’t want to make things weird because then the video would have turned out weird. I wanted the music video to be all-natural, just like the track. So, I wanted my friends to forget that the cameras were there,” he shares about the production process. 

The high-energy performer captured in the sun-kissed music video will be embarking on his much-anticipated Down Home Boy Tour with country artist Spencer Crandall this fall. The chart-topping hitmaker will be singing tunes from his debut full-length album Teenage Dream: 1000 Miles from Georgia. 

Before you see Kidd G dominate the stage live and in-person, check out his summer bucket list below. 

“Summer In A Small Town” Bucket List:

☑️ They say there’s “nothing to do in a small town” but sometimes just hitting the dirt road and going for a drive is all you need

☑️ Go mudding! It’s always best after it rains.

☑️ Spend time with family fishing at the lake

☑️ When I think Summer I think hitting the lake wake surfing on the Malibu or riding jet skis

☑️ Throwing some deer backstrap on the grill

☑️ Start a bonfire with friends

☑️ The best part of Summer is making memories every night with your closest friends