Gerald LaFayette Grant II known as KIING is an American R & B Pop singer, dancer, songwriter, and actor. He got his start in music at an early age of two when he danced and sang along to the radio and TV. While attending a church conference at the age of six he was inspired to perform inspirational mime dances in his church teaching the youth as well. He later became part of the duo Young G and Lil B who performed for several events and opened for national acts such as Bow Wow, Mario, Snoop Dog, Ludacris, and many more.
KIING got the attention of Willie Anderson of Think Big Entertainment and industry veterans like Rico Lumpkins who had a production hand in such superstar acts as OutKast and TLC. This partnership included a single with Bobby Valentino and Joe Gutta called “Spotlight”. In the meantime Grant graduated from Atlanta Institute with honors, recorded over 100 songs, performed 15 days on “The Price of Fame” tour with Chris Brown, Bow Wow, Crime Mob, Plies, and other well-known artists.
KIING played TI’s double in “Big Things Popping” video and the rude boy in Asia Cruise’s “Selfish” video. You can find him most recently in videos like Quintino “Devotion”, Red Foo “Where the sun goes”, and Nicki Minaj’s “Hey Mama”. Discovered by Shan Dexter, and introduced to E. Bohannon, KIING is now represented through BangVillage, You can expect to see many great things from him and his dedicated team as he moves to the next level. Including the new EP called “Kiing Of Hearts Vol. I”.
With lyrics ranging from overtly sexual to intimately heartfelt, KIING is very transparent in his feelings about his encounters with both love and lust. In fact he kicks off the EP with a daring track entitled “Lust vs. Love”. It seems to be a very obvious reflection of a tumultuous relationship with KIING expressing all the angles of the theme’s opposing concepts.
“Talk Too Much” highlights his strong vocals and range that goes the full distance. Musically, the album embodies soul, pop, and classic R&B. These are all styles which we may have heard mixed a thousand times before, but you can tell with this record that KIING and his production team were intent in creating music that not only would be accepted commercially, but able to drive the emotion of the EP forward. “Fade X Kevin Celik” is a prime example of this musical blend and infusion of hot-wired emotion. This sexually powered track is totally off the hook, in both the verses and the stunning hook.
On “Ketta (AKA)”, KIING continues to reign as a maker of music that challenges musical convention and speaks his personal truth, as he does some serious name-dropping. If you’re on an R&B recording, the first thing you’re waiting for is the slow jam. KIING trickily keeps us waiting until track five, when he decides to drop “Bang Bang”.
He proves to one of the strongest and underrated creative forces in R&B today, a sexual idealist who can make a heartfelt love song and still write the rawest lyrics possible. KIING has kept a low profile, dramatically minimizing his public exposure and only emerging to quietly release this eight-song EP. And he scores a winner.
The EP is layered with references to carnal insatiability, and an untamed approach to romantic love and hedonism spelled out in both explicit and sultry sweet talk. It’s that spirit that makes KIING a seismic force. His voice melts into syrupy falsettos as the soundscapes burn.
His tales of adrenaline-pumping lust dominate his verses. As do moments of occasional introspection, like the existential manifestos “Don’t You Know” and “Married”. “Kiing Of Hearts Vol. I” is all of one piece, the product of a clear artistic vision. It proves that KIING is a formidable artistic force in his own right, and in a completely new musical orbit.
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