INTERVIEW: South Carolina Artist Kid The Kid

Kid The Kid is a 17 year-old artist from South Carolina. Though he is an artist the Kid also likes to help people in any way and take care of those who care for him. Helping could be delivering someone good vibes for 3 minutes during a song or giving them a relatable story, or even through one of his 6 business blueprints. It could also be via his fundraising non-profit he started or simply through a motivational post on social. He just wants to help in any way. Kid The Kid is a very versatile artist with different vibes of music. He currently has a mixtape out, as well as a few singles. He also working on an album right now and leading up to a new single release too.

1. Tell us something about how you got started making music?
   

Kid The Kid: I’ve always had a thing for music. Whether it be just banging on the table or actually trying to write music. I started making music around 8th grade, however I didn’t start taking it seriously until about 2 years ago.

2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences that you can remember?
   

Kid The Kid: Lil Wayne & Eminem were my 2 biggest influences when I first started. I used to write down Lil Wanye’s and Eminem’s lyrics then rap them to myself to learn how to flow.

3. If I was to turn on your media player right now, which five artists/songs would I see on your playlist?
   

Kid The Kid: Off rip you would see Kevin Gates, Da Baby, 50 Cent, Blu Rollin’ and Lil Tjay. Lil Tjay and Da baby just dropped some new projects that are hard but regardless of the drop, Kevin Gates and 50 will always be my favorites.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners?
   

Kid The Kid: I feel like I have a good way of mixing storytelling, real lyrics with the new sound of hitting beats and just “lit lyrics”. I feel like I balance it out well because I’m my opinion I’m very versatile.

5. What do you think mainly separates you from the massive crowd of artists emerging right now on platforms all over the web?
   

Kid The Kid: What I know makes me different is beyond the music. Yeah the music is cool but at the end of the day my main goal is to change lives. Whether it be giving you good vibes for a few minutes on a song, through a book or whatever. That’s what makes me different I feel like because I’m doing this for a good, positive and real reason. I’m not just pretending. A lot of artist do good things just to post it on social but helping others has always been a part of my DNA.

6. Do you ever write a song with current trends or pure listener satisfaction in mind, or do you only compose what comes from within your natural emotions and mindset?
   

Kid The Kid: Both. Like I have this song called “Missing The Bus” that I released like 3 years ago, it was my first song to get a buzz and that song was based off of a trend. However that was in my early stages, my music has definitely matured and gotten better as I have much room to grow but yeah, I’d say both. I like to make music that comes from my soul but also I’m not dumb, I know I also need to make music for the listener and make music people can move too as well as making music people can think and relate too.

7. What is your process when writing, recording and producing your music? Do you collaborate with others or outsource any of these tasks?
   

Kid The Kid: I freestyle all of my music. In studio, I just freestyle and record bar for bar. However when I’m not at the studio I record a freestyle on my phone then I just write down the bars that I wanna keep. But like if it’s a story telling song or something deep, of course I’m gonna write to it, I just freestyle the lit shit. When it comes to beats, I do what mostly every artist does, I go to my 3 to 5 preferred YouTube producers and I buy beats from them.

8. If someone has never heard your music, which keywords would you personally use to describe your overall sound and style?

Kid The Kid: I’d just have to say “Carolinas”. I feel like the Carolinas have our own vibe, sound and energy and I feel like I represent the South side fairly well. I feel like the “Carolina” sound is just on some versatile shit. Like without even looking at me, if you look at any other artist out of the Carolinas they’re all versatile, yet they have that one main vibe. That’s how I am, mainly I do that lit spittin’ shit but I can also can so many other ways.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your career or life so far, and how did you overcome the event?
   

Kid The Kid:  I could tell a thousand stories off top about struggling but I’d say one of my hardest struggles I’ve had to endure in my music career is just in the starting stages, dealing with not having much bread. It’s a terrible feeling when you can’t put money toward your “way out”. At least for me it is. I absolutely hate spending money on anything besides music. The hardest struggle I’ve faced in life in general though, would definitely be when my friend Kejaun got shot and killed across the street from me. It was mad wild because I didn’t even know it was him until I got home like 10 minutes after. That’s a deep pain and that’s the reason I’ll never give up, for him.

10. What would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your career so far?

Kid The Kid: Successful for me doesn’t mean a million dollars. I could care less about being rich, I just want to live comfortably and I want to change lives. A significant point in my career would be definitely signing to F.O.W.B. however I’m not fully signed yet because there are legal issues due to my current age so we got to wait until I’m 18.

11. Is there anything you would change one thing about how the music business works right now, or you completely happy with the current situation?

Kid The Kid: HELL NO I AINT HAPPY WITH HOW IT IS RIGHT NOW!! It’s not that serious but like come on, why does it gotta be the way it is. Why can’t people care about more things than just money and why can’t more people with real talent win. Like I don’t even care about whatever industry plants they got or whatever the industry got going on. My thing is just like, I don’t do that fake shit and the music industry is full of fake love. I don’t understand why it can’t all just be real. Why can’t you just show love or show nothing at all. I stand on a code and outside of that code, I can’t really understand why these people do half the things they do.

12. How do you handle criticism and/or haters in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
    

Kid The Kid: A lot of people only hear the good and ignore the bad. The thing about me is, I don’t hear the good and I don’t hear the bad. Of course I see the love and I appreciate it more than anything and of course I see the hate and I respectfully see where that person is coming from and if it’s good criticism, I follow by it. However I take it all with a grain of salt. I don’t pay much mind to the love or hate. All I pay attention to is right now I’m struggling and one day I know I won’t be. I focus on getting a better life. I’ll worry about the “haters” later.

13. Which aspects of being an independent artist excites you most and which aspects discourages you most?
    

Kid The Kid: The grind excites me the most. I love the journey. I love the challenges and all! With that being said, nothing much really discourages me. I have that fire inside me to where I can look at a completely negative picture and still tell you 100 positive things about it.

14. What is your relationship with visual media? Do you think videos are important for your music, and do have a video clip you would like to recommend that fans watch?

Kid The Kid: Visual Media is very important! If you study YouTube and how songs come to blow majority of songs that blow up have a music video along with it. Unfortunately I only have 2 music videos, only 1 released. But now that I’m starting to get money I’m planning to do 10 music videos in the future, one for each song on my upcoming album.

15. In general, do you consider Internet and all the social media platforms as fundamental in building a career in music today, and what is your personal relationship with the new technology at hand?

Kid The Kid: Social Media is absolutely the foundation. If you’re ignoring Social as an artist in 2019, then you’re approaching the game wrong. Look how good we have it, Biggie would probably have to stand on the block mad long just to get a few hundred people his CD. Nowadays we can get a few thousand people to see our stuff in a few clicks of a button, especially with Ads.

16. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of artistry and entertainment?
    

Kid The Kid: Yeah, I’m not too caught up in what others got going on. Of course I see it and I know but mainly, I’m purely interested in music as an expression of artistry.

17. Do you only create and work in a studio environment, or do you also find time to perform live? And which of these two do you ultimately prefer and why?
    

Kid The Kid: No, I create anywhere. I mostly create at home or while I’m out with my people. I usually come to the studio prepared just because as if right now I don’t have hella money to waste. And I haven’t had any shows yet because I’m waiting for this new album release so I can start touring locally.

18. Do you have a favorite track in your catalog that has a specific backstory and/or message and meaning very important to you?
    

Kid The Kid: My favorite music of mine is from this unreleased album I’m currently working on “Resurrection”. But my favorite song that’s out right now, I mean I gotta say it’s “Gravity”. RnB Kiaza and I came together on that track and spoke our hearts for real. I love that song because it’s a vibe and it’s real relatable, plus I feel like my verse on that showcases a different style of mine.

19. Could you tell us something about your latest project?
    

Kid The Kid:  My lasted project is a Mixtape I dropped last year around this time. It’s called “K.O.E.” It stands for “Kulture Over Everything” because “Kid Kulture” is going to be the name of my debut album I’m dropping once I gain a global buzz, plus it’s the name of the movement I’m doing as well as it holds importance with a few business blueprints I have. However when I dropped it I didn’t say what it stood for so people starting assuming it stood for “King Of Easley” because the city I’m from is Easley and I just ran with that. The crown on the cover art kinda made that make sense so I just ran with the “King Of Easley” title and now “K.O.E.” Does mean “King Of Easley” instead of “Kulture Over Everything”. My brand revolves around the “king” type of name. Hints to why I use the crown emoji a lot and also unto why my first album is called “resurrection” because I took a break from music but this album will be my come back and resurrection means the coming back of the king. But yeah, KOE is just a tape I dropped last year, its 7 songs with different vibes.

20. What do you find most rewarding about what you do? And do you have a specific vision or goal that you would like to achieve in the near future?

Kid The Kid: The most rewarding thing is the happiness I get from doing what I love and my plan for the future and near future all sums up to these two words, “changing lives”. I’m so set on helping people man, like struggling ain’t fun and I want to help people out of that. I want to let people know it’s cool to get bread, i want people to also know going to jail ain’t cool. All that means is you got caught. Taking care of your people, making money, doing investments, and making boss moves like that, that’s cool. I have a plan of breaking the music industry and changing the way it is as a whole and I’m looking forward to y’all holding me to my word.

OFFICIAL LINKS: INSTAGRAM – TWITTER – YOUTUBE – Snapchat: @iamKidTheKid

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