Nate Smith views Kinfolk as a trilogy that traces his evolution as a musician. The first album explored his childhood in Chesapeake, Virginia, and the music he absorbed at home. Kinfolk 2 continues this narrative, offering an impressionistic portrait of his teenage years, when he decided to become a musician. During this time, he listened to a lot of music associated with the Black Rock Coalition, such as Living Colour, Fishbone, and 24-7 Spyz, as well as other pioneering bands like Bad Brains, King’s X, Prince, and Sting. Nate Smith also listened to a lot of hip-hop and the emerging neo-soul that flourished in the 1990s.