What is your background? tell us where you grew up and some information about your upbringing/experiences as a youth: I grew up on the east side of Greensboro. I was raised by my mom. She used to work 12 hour night shifts at a textile plant. I just remember seeing her come home from work, dead tired… but barely having enough money to make the ends meet. It really motivated me to make something of myself.
At what moment did you know that music was part of your life and what feelings did you have towards making an active impact with your music? It started off as a joke honestly. I was in a group in middle school. We would re-do all of the Jackson 5’s songs and make them funny. We had the whole group, Michael, Tito, Jermaine… But I was the reject Jackson of the group. My name was “PO Jackson”. We would do little shows at school and everyone loved it. I just kept going. It went from just cracking jokes to seriously pursuing it.
What artists inspired/influences you and if you could collaborate with any artist (alive or passed) who would it be and why? My favorite artist right now is most defintely Uncle Reece. I’ve had the opportunity to open for him a few times, and got to sit down and chop it up with him. He makes dope music, but also his live performances are CRAZY! I like Trip Lee, and Lecrae too.
What do you think about the current state of hip hop/mainstream music? I think every generation has a particular sound. This generation isn’t as worried about lyrics, which is ok. “Mumble rap” is getting bigger with artists like Lil Uzi and Lil Yacthy. But you still have artists like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole to keep some balance in the game. It’s cool. It’s also different in terms of how artists are marketed, and how they blow up. You can literally record yourself doing something random now and go viral. It’s an exciting time for hip hop.
Currently, what projects do you have in the works that you are most excited about? I’m working on a new album called “Small Victories”. It’s a celebration of all the small things that we tend to overlook. Having money to put gas in the car; moving out of your mama’s house and getting your own crib; hopping off the bus stop and having the money to buy a hoopty. Those are victories
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What are your short term career goals within the next 6-10 months? Within the next 6-10 months I can see myself generating enough momentum to garner label interest and to have a song in regular rotation nationally.
What are your long term career goals within the next 2-5 years? Good question. I’m just anxious to see what God has for me man. I know I’ll still be doing music and some touring. I can see myself doing some mentoring programs for the youth and some community outreach. I want to use my platform to reach back out to the youth.
If you had one song out of the catalogue you have created to show a person what song would it be and why? It would be “Rebirth: Hardest Man Alive”. That song is just… pure. I took a different approach on it. You hear a lot of artist speak about how Jesus died for us, but I wanted to take a scientific approach. I wanted to know what bones compromised, what he physically went through and how painful it truly was. The hook on the song is catchy, the beat (produced by Tips Beats) is super dope and it’s scripturally accurate.
To the person who had never heard of you what is it about your music and story that you would tell them to entice them to be a supporter? I’m just the average Joe, making music for Average folks. Maybe you can’t relate to the rapper speaking out blowing money and having tons of women. Maybe you would prefer hearing someone speak about how they found $5 in the couch and are happy because they can buy lunch now instead of being hungry. That’s more of my market. I’m touching real life people with real life problems.
If your music could be described in five words what would those five words be? Hmmmm… ok let’s say… 1) Genuine 2) Creative 3) Bold 4) Captivating 5) Joyful
What do you bring to the game that is unique and different? I’m just different. I don’t care about being cool. Man, I shop at Goodwill and ain’t scared to admit it lol. I don’t care about flashy things. I like tomato sandwiches with mayo and I hack my fans snapchat accounts at concerts. I always have a smile on my face. I’m not Hollywood. I’m just Kayo. And in a game where many people try to hard to fit in, I think me being me is a little refreshing.
To the aspiring artist who is considering a career as a musician what lessons or advice would you give them to inspire them or to uplift them in the journey? Roll with the punches. This game has a lot of ups and downs. But if it something that is truly meant for you, you’ll get there. 2 Chainz didn’t really blow up until he was well into his 30s. Sometimes things take a little longer to manifest. Just continue to put God first, maintain faith and keep grinding. Things will fall into place.
What are your social media profiles and where can people purchase/download your music? Twitter, snapchat, insta- Kayobracey. Website- www.kayobracey.com.
What are your final words you would like to say to people that you have left out? Two words: “God’s Dope”. Drops Mic. (Picks Mic back up) Shoutout to Linda Greenwood and all the DJ’s/blogsites/radio stations that have been rocking with me. God bless yall!
