The Heat Index: Kaicrewsade • Chickenscratch! - Live

The Heat Index is These Days’ hip-hop column showcasing a hot new record we can’t stop playing.

I love a good Chicago love song, and “Chickenscratch!” is a great one. It captures the essence and thrill of a budding romance —that delicate balance of wanting to play it cool while experiencing the euphoria of discovering shared interests, like a favorite artist.

Our protagonist, Kaicrewsade, is a young up-and-coming emcee molded partly by the 2010s Chicago rap class that proactively incorporated jazzy and neo-soul elements into their music.

In the song, he and his partner bond over Noname, and what ensues is a blissful adventure revolving around doing nothing but just hanging in the city. The accompanying video sees Kai posted outside a 7-Eleven, a local park, and cruising in his car.

It’s really fun to hear Kai glide through the jazzy live instrumentation, giving us a tour of the city and brimming with the promise of a relationship in its early stages. "Chickenscratch!" is part of a two-pack release, which also included "Untitled," offering a sneak peek into Kai's upcoming debut studio mixed project, which has undoubtedly secured a spot as one of our most anticipated of the year.