Tama Gucci Finds Comfort on the Dance Floor in Almost Blue (After Hours Deluxe)

Since 2014, Tama Gucci has managed to perfectly cultivate his fanbase, style, and music to reflect who he is as an artist. Born Kymani Floyd, Gucci started his music career in a classroom. As a kid, he was introduced to writing music through a school project that would later give him the idea to pursue R&B as an artist. He looks back at that time with fondness, crediting his music teacher for setting him up for success.

"I feel like what made her so special is she never tried to change how I sing," he explains. "She always tried to give me the tools to amplify what I was bringing to the table already and tried to make it better, like breathing techniques. She never once told me that I needed to sound a specific way, which was very inspiring for me."

While currently based in New York City, Gucci credits Miami, specifically the queer music scene, for shaping his sound. Around 2018, the singer started attending warehouse parties around the city, which introduced him to new and unexpected sounds.

"I was hearing music that I've never heard before, just [because] of the DJs that were playing like DJ Get Face and [Ultrathem]," he says. "They were bringing new sounds to my ears that I'd never experienced, but that's just because they've been there. They've been booking talent to come to these spaces, so they were familiar with the music, and that definitely helped me broaden my horizons and the music that I wanted to make."

His time in the club scene also has directly influenced his latest work, Almost Blue (After Hours Deluxe). The EP delivers a new take on his successful 2021's Almost Blue, featuring remixes from Swami Sound, Peter Fonda, Sonikku, and others, as well as a cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic."

"I learned from two amazing DJs who lived in the same building as me," he says. "They taught me the skill side of it, so I started going out to these parties and also DJing. I realized a lot of my music is beautiful but slow, and they can still be beautiful but just a different take for the dance floor. I really wanted [the EP] to be something that I can make for the club and for the DJs to spin because they're the shifters of music."
So far, Gucci has seen Almost Blue and the remix EP get a warm reception from listeners, but the singer still notes his work has not had the same support as his peers.

"I've seen people who are white or not dark skin shoot up the roster, and it's like the only type of resistance that I've experienced, just because it's like, 'Oh, your music is good, but we're not pushing it as much,'" he says.

While Gucci has been speaking up about the racial disparity in the music industry for a while now, he's still frustrated by the lack of action to rectify it.

"I remember speaking out about it early on because I was just noticing little things," he notes. "[The response] was like, 'Oh, yeah, we can give you a platform to talk about that.' But it's like, I'm already talking about it on my social media platform. That's not what I want. I want actually for you to support the same music, but just not the faces that you're used to seeing making it."

Regardless of any pushback, Tama Gucci is still winning. With an upcoming performance at III Points on Saturday, October 22  — his third appearance at the festival — the singer has a lot to look forward to.

"I'm definitely excited to perform," he says. "I'm also excited to perform a track of mine called 'Online' and maybe like a demo of something new."

When crafting a setlist, Gucci is very intentional. When explaining the reason for performing demos, he puts it simply: "I want to do something new and not fully finished but finished enough that I can actually perform it and see how it's perceived."

Tama Gucci at III Points 2022. 7 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 22, at Sector 3 stage at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; iiipoints.com. Tickets cost $119 to $499 via iiipoints.frontgatetickets.com.