Kee Nola Tells His Life Story (Full Interview)

what genre of music do you consider yourself that's a great question I mean culturally you could say I'm a hip-hop artist but I'm basically do every type of genre except except reggae I'll make reggae yet not yet but I'm gonna start making some reggae shit yeah I just been experimenting with different sounds but really mainly like rock trap shit right now now when it comes to the rap side of things yeah what is your opinion on ad libs in a song I feel like some songs don't need ad libs but ad libs I feel like ad libs are just like to feel like the dead spaces like you could say like a bar and like if the bar like short some shit and they got like some space in it you could just put an extra right there you know now because your music sounds like it's genre fluid here if there was a circle chart of a hundred percent what percentage would you say songs of yours have ad libs versus no ad libs now do you have a strategy at all when it comes to implementing those ad libs obviously you said you know ad libs are used to fill in dead space things of that nature but is there any other strategy you have in particular just for yourself yeah when I go to record ad libs I just do it one take through the whole song and like I'll probably ask the engineer like if I'm recording myself I'll probably just take out the ones that sound like you don't need to be there now be that as it may do you have a signature ad live by any chance now when it comes to any of these ad libs here is there a meaning when you implement now of these three that you mentioned is there one you use more than the rest or is it evenly balanced between the three god damn it's like now were you the first recording artists to do this as an ad lib now does he know that just curious there and speaking of famous Dex was there a song that you really enjoyed of his back then or a project song old man got there took off to Japan like Roselle what was it about that song that resonated with you back now when it comes to collaborating with other recording artists have you ever your added excuse me have you ever added your ad libs to another artist verse on the same song no I feel like that's some shit you gotta ask them it's like I don't know it's like an unspoken rule type shit now has an artist ever asked you to do that and you just denied it or felt like it wasn't right for the song in particular you just haven't been asked yet I ain't been asked well I've been asked but like I would probably say yeah go because half of the time when I do features it's the other person's song so now okay just for clarification you've been asked but you haven't done it yeah I have done it okay so you have done it okay got it now what are your thoughts on songs with this twist here okay sounds similar but just a little bit different what are your thoughts on songs with another artist's ad libs on it but no hook or verse from them on that song it's just their ad libs sprinkled throughout the song I ain't gonna lie sometimes that shit be tough like when Travis Scott have uh Shaq West doing that shit that shit hot as hell and Cardi shit when he had uh recently he just had Kendrick Lamar do some shit now have you been excuse me asked for something of this nature just your ad libs sprinkled throughout a song no hook or verse from you yet or is that something you'd be open to that that'd be something cool to do if it's like a big-ass artist but I wouldn't do it if it's you know it gotta make sense now ask you a variety of uh questions here just about the subject of ad libs is there anything else on this topic before we move on to the next when you want to mention um just have fun with ad libs if you're already watching this just have fun though you don't gotta overthink it now when it comes to songs when it comes to music diving a little bit deeper here what's been your biggest song so far in your catalog uh party girl has been my biggest song for like the last three four months uh I recorded that song in like 15 minutes bro at like four in the morning bro I was I was about to go to bed I was about to go to sleep I had recorded four songs that night and I was like damn bro why not record another song bro so I got out the bed and I had this melody in my head I'm like let me try you know so I played around with the melody until I got it exactly how I wanted to get it and then I put the drums on it took it out of FL put it in the pro tools I recorded them I recorded my verse first and I'm like man this verse is hard as hell but then I started to record the hook and it took me you know I said probably the hook took me the longest to record because I I kept like cycling through ideas and shit and I finally got uh I gave my heart to a party girl and I was like damn that's shit probably you know way too repetitive but I was like you know I said so I finished the song I sat on it for a minute played it for a couple people they said it was hard so I started uh posting it on tiktok the videos was getting like 100k 200k you know I said then I swam you know I said put it on the album shit now we're here now just to dissect some of these items a little bit further when you say 100k 200k what platform are you referencing tiktok and just for those in the audience getting to know you here for the very first time here to share your screen name on that platform just to make sure it's not a scammy page out there of you fraud page things that nature my tiktok is now you mentioned this song was created 4 a.m in the morning took you 15 minutes was this unique or was this something typical do you typically record a song in 15 minutes you typically record at that time of night or this was just an odd event for lack of recording process like me actually recording the song took me 15 minutes but like creating the whole song probably took me like an hour just for clarification but okay so let's switch up the question here the recording time that 15 minutes was just an odd event for lack of a better word recording process was that like a minute mark that you estimate is that typical for you on other songs for sure okay okay so nothing out of the ordinary there what about the 4 a.m time slot was that extraordinary for you during that time it wasn't because i ain't had no job or nothing so i was just making use of that shit and what got you to literally get out of bed and do that extra song because you know when people are done for the day for lack of a better phrase they're already tucked in for lack of a better phrase it's over the day is done the work has been completed i felt like it was another artist recording the song bro i'm like i'm not about to let nobody out work get up and i'm recording this shit even though i don't feel i love doing it when i don't feel like doing it though like i sometimes i don't even be recording i mean i don't even feel like recording and i take care for hey bro you trying to cook up i don't even be gonna make a song bro but i gotta do it bro because of the uh popularity of this song and you saw the outcome of it and things of that nature i'm just saying like in general yeah i'm just saying in general like even when i don't feel like recording that's when i really want to record when i don't feel like it and it may sound like an obvious question here but why do you consider this song to be your biggest at this point is it just merely the statistics of it uh yeah it's the statistics and also people just love the song bro like i don't know what it is about the song that people love about it so much people love that shit bro now let's dive a little bit deeper with this song are there any unknown facts or stories in regards to it that's never been publicly mentioned before could be in regards to creating it recording it or releasing it aside from what you've said already and if you have said everything then that suffices this answer shit i made that bitch about my girl because she was at a party that's what inspired it and are you still together with the same girl today and care to share this person's name in your life caleb now do you inform her that this song is about her or inspired her or things of that nature does she assume it or i used to say it was about my you ex but then i was like i'm like i'm not about to just keep lying i'm like this is about my girl because i i won't look crazy in front of the camera talking about oh be a heartbreak so about your girl yeah nigga i made a heartbreak song about my girl and uh what was her response when you finally come clean about it she was i mean she think all my songs about her so she automatically just thought it now anything else in regards to this song as far as unknown facts or stories are there any other hidden facts fun facts about this song easter eggs for lack of a better phrase things of that nature in regards to anything that hasn't been mentioned publicly before now was there any ai technology used in the creation of this song no ai used no song up against ai though you are yeah and why do you feel strongly or passionate about that perspective because bro it's i don't really that shit weird as hell like you could make anything sound like anybody though that shit weird well it doesn't have to just merely be a vocal thing too uh ai technology could be used in the writing process or even maybe like the tools in software recording software or something like that but it doesn't have to just merely be a vocal software and things of that nature i ain't gonna lie i've seen some producers use ai to get sounds and that's cool i ain't gonna lie that's cool but for songwriting and all that other shit it take away the like the authenticity of it what about ai used in like mixing and mastering and things of that nature what's your opinion on that like ai tools to help with that process nah can't do that it gotta be a human behind the machine though for sure now did you know when you were creating recording or releasing this song that it was going to be your biggest at this point bro hell no i just any other song i made i'm like shit this bitch a good song bro at what point does realization set in that this is different um when that motherfucker hit a million million streams damn this shit really was some shit that shit probably hit 22 and what do you think specifically i know you've already mentioned this description that it was just like any other song but what do you think led this song to be one of your biggest at this point is there any rhyme or reason here no pun intended that you can think of that may have gotten this song over the hump compared to other songs you thought that this song could have been as big as you know really why it really blow up because people thought people thought it was a um people thought it was an unreleased juice world song it was like bro what is this song bro i'm like bro the song y'all saying this shit i like i stole from like it's not it don't even exist bro like crazy now you have been asked a lot about uh juice world comparisons and things of that nature uh what do you want to say once and for all to that topic there uh juice world shit the juice world community bro juice world was also my inspiration i didn't look up to juice world as like a rapper you know i'm saying like i looked up to juice world because mentally i was him bro like high school that shit like i felt like an outcast and that's what he talked about he he said like he was an outcast and i watched him fucking become the biggest artist in the world so i'm like bro this nigga did this shit and he's saying that i could do it too so i'm gonna try this shit now when you created recorded this song and you listened to its final final outcome of it before the world got you know wind of it and things that nature did you feel like a comparison yourself like this sounds a little juice worldly or was it just the people that made this assumption or this similarity or so on and so forth the people when i show when i show my music to people it's like oh you sound like juice world so i made a post on it or a tiktok i'm like i'm not juice world yeah that drove people fucking insane bro now you mentioned that uh you know he was an inspiration yeah uh did you ever get a chance to meet him at all when he was alive never went to a show night i just seen what i seen on the internet watched the interviews as a kid and shit yeah and uh anything else you want to mention about this song other than what's been said thus far um um thank you to everybody who ever listened to it and as big as this song has been for you so far are there any flaws in it whenever you listen to it again uh i think it's repetitive as hell but that's what people like do you wish you would have gone back and maybe took something out to be less repetitive or no i think it's i mean it's perfect the way it is but that's just my opinion and when it comes to uh other songs in your catalog that aren't as big as this song has there been a song of yours you thought excuse me you thought would be as massive that never quite got there the first song on the official album that party girl is on a song that's called no good the album is called it's not you it's me um i thought that that song was gonna be the one that song really inspired like the production of party girl crazy i made that song like two days or three days before i made party girl and why don't you think that song got as successful as this one i don't know bro i don't know that's a good question bro i don't know i felt like that so is it safe to say here with your own thinking uh that uh you know songs you thought would be a hit weren't and songs maybe you didn't think would be a hit are yeah i mean that's just how i go that's how i go bro but i'm usually always right though usually okay now moving a little bit forward here i do want to take a little uh dive here into you uh your personal life and getting to know you a little bit uh on the solo side of things now for those in the audience getting to know you here for the very first time care to share where you were born new orleans louisiana i was born 17th ward holly grove that's where i was born at when katrina hit i moved to dallas texas or houston one of those i remember but i lived there for until i was five years old then i moved back to new orleans and i've been i've been living in the seventh ward of new orleans ever since so that's what i read seven so when y'all see me throw up sevens seven figures that's what that means and still reside in new orleans today yeah i still well i moved to you know a different city in louisiana but i still live in louisiana and what age were you when you left new orleans for the second time uh what you mean so i went to college i went to college i was uh i was 17 when i left new orleans to go to college and carter shared the name of the school he attended vermilion college it's a community college bro that shit that shit felt like jail i was playing football i went to you call that shit felt like jail bro that shit really made me who i am today and how far did you end up getting with that sport there not that far bro but any any man bro you got a man like if you play football as a kid bro it comes to a point bro everybody don't make it to the league bro a lot of that's a hard pill to swallow for a lot of niggas at what point does that sort of realization set in for you shit once i once i felt like man i'm not about to keep fucking my body up though it is There's a million ways out here to make money. So just to be clarifying here, was it freshman year you stopped, sophomore year? I stopped in the middle of it, like right before the playoffs. I turned my equipment. Didn't even get a chance to experience the playoffs. Freshman year. Freshman year. Now, why not at least finish out the season? I don't know. I was about to at first, but mentally I was already done. Now, do you keep furthering your education even though you were done with the sport at that point, or you totally quit everything? I was done with that shit, though. But I might go back to college, you know, after I feel like I got where I wanted to be with music. I might go back. Now, what was your parents' reaction to this decision-making? Moms knew I was done with that shit. Like, I already told her, like, way before. So once I came home, she was like, I already knew this, but you was done with it. Now, do you inform her and then make that decision? Do you make that decision behind her back, so to speak, and then inform her? She do. I told her. And what about your teammates, your coach, things of that nature? What was their reaction to this? My coach was like, he was like, just finish the season. He told me finish the season. I mean, I understand that. I was like, you know, I take something like a long-ass paragraph. I don't remember what I was saying, but I was like, I'm done with this shit. Now, with your success on the music side of things, what have been the feedback from that coach or those teammates or people that saw you in those JUCO days now? I don't even think they know. They ain't never hit me up a day. I don't even think they give a fuck. Just curious there. But before we move off the subject of sports, I do want to just get the backstory to football a little bit further. What position did you play back then? I played, when I was in high school, I played tight end and I played defensive end. Once I got to college, I played outside linebacker and defensive end. And did you have a main jersey number overall? In high school, I wore 24. In college, I wore 56. And were these numbers you were given or something you got a chance to choose? I got a chance to choose 24, but I chose 56 too. I did choose that. Was there any meaning behind either of those numbers back then? 24, I got that because Kobe died last year. So I wore 24. And 56? 56, that was just like one of the numbers that was available for my position. You could choose through these. I was like, all right. And did you play any other organizational leagues aside from high school football back then? Nah. No. Played Pop Warner. Twinkie, bro. But in high school, like on the varsity side of things, were you a starter? Yeah, I started. I went to the, I was in a band first. Yeah, I was in a band first. I forget I was in a band. Marching band or just the band? Marching band. I played the snare drum. Marching band. Marching band. Marching band. I was a snare drum. I was a section leader on a snare drum. But I did that from my freshman year to my sophomore year. And my junior year and my senior year, I played football. And I started my senior year. Now, for the first two years of your high school experience, you were on the football field as a percussionist. Yeah. And then you get a chance the last two years of your high school experience to experience it as a percussionist. As an athlete. Yeah. Can you give those, because, you know, there's stereotypes about bandmates and then there's stereotypes about athletes and things of that nature. With you seeing the perspective of both sides, what do you make of that experience there? That shit ain't for everybody, bro. Like, if you in the band, stay in the band, bro. Don't do that shit. Now, when it came to the college side of things, you mentioned JUCO. Here, were you looked at by any other schools from any other leagues, like D1, D2, D3, things of that nature? You know how I got to go? Because my brother, my brother was, like, a real good tackle. My twin brother had a twin brother. And he got the offer. And he was like, I can come if y'all, you know, look at my brother, too. So, that's how I ended up going there. So, you and your brother went to the same school? Yep. And just between you two, who's the oldest? By how much? Like, five minutes. And is that something that gets joked about or talked about between you two throughout the years? Sometimes. Sometimes. Like, my mom would be like, she would call him, like, your little baby brother. And when it came to the college side of things, did you get a chance to start freshman year? I was from. When I got there, I was the starter. But, like, when it came to, like, workouts and shit, and, like, shit, like, to do with the team, I was a real distant person. I didn't want to do nothing with the team and shit. And I wasn't. I'm going to be honest. I wasn't giving it 100% during workouts. But when we would do, like, practice and scrimmages and shit, I always make plays. And the coach was like. He felt. I guess he felt like I was, you know, saying fucking to him or some shit. So he was like, man, this nigga's not starting. I don't give a fuck how good he is. Do you think that had anything to do with you quitting? Yeah, it played a big part. Okay. Yeah, for sure. Now, even in your high school days, did you have the opportunity to play with or compete against anybody that ended up becoming well-known or famous themselves? Hell yeah. Kyron Lacey. I played against Kyron Lacey in high school. Rest in peace, Kyron Lacey. I played against Trevor Etienne who played for Panthers. Now, that's my favorite team. It's crazy. I played against him, a couple guys. A couple guys I just can't think right now. But I played against a lot of guys. Now, can you explain that to the audience that you're from New Orleans, but you claim the Carolina Panthers as your favorite football team? Yeah, I know. It's crazy. My parents cursed me when I was, like, seven. They bought me a. a Carolina Panthers costume. And I was like, you know what? It's my favorite team. And then, after that, they drafted Cam Newton. So I was like, as a kid, seeing Cam Newton, he's Superman, giving kids balls and shit. I was like, man, this nigga's tough. So, Cam Newton's still my favorite football player to this day, too. And haven't had a chance to interview with him yet. Hell nah. That'd be tough, though. That'd be hard. Cam, if you see this, it'd be all your shit. And some of these players you had a chance to play against in football back then, did you see any of their NFL-ness, for lack of a better phrase, back then? Trevor Etienne? Nah, but his brother was already good, so that played a big role. But. Kyron Lacey? I do what's it say, bro. Was there any video footage of any of these instances of you with these other players that ended up making a name for themselves? When we played against them, I didn't start that year. My senior year. My senior year, I didn't really play against nobody that. Like, my senior year, they still in college now, so. So, just to be clarifying here, was it just your team versus their team, or did you actually get on the field with these guys? My junior year, it was just them versus, you know, that team. I played in some games my junior year. I didn't play in most of the games. But what about when it came to some of these names? Nah, I didn't play against those guys. I was ass. I was ass, bro. Have you kept up with any of them as their rise continued? Like, watched them and, like, supported them? Or maybe even communicate? Was there, like, I didn't communicate with them. Just curious there. Now, aside from just the athletic side of things, what about other classmates or schoolmates of yours? Did any. Excuse me. Did anyone else end up becoming well-known or famous? Non-athletic. From your schools that you've attended over the years? Oh, for God. I think if I could. Kind of saw it with Travis Scott, bro. I think he's a legend. He do all this stuff. He a legend, period, to me. Yeah. He played a big role of inspiration for me, bro. Like, I've seen this nigga in the hallway. Like, not this nigga fucking superstar, bro. You remember him in those hallway days? In the hallways, bro. Was he rapping back then? I don't even think so. I don't think so. He was a senior when I was a freshman, so I wasn't really talking to him and shit. But I, uh, like, right before I blew up, bro, I went to this studio session, and he was there, And I was like, bro, we went to the same school. He was like, what? I was like, yeah, bro. I was like, I remember you and shit. Keep going. You really play a big inspiration on me. He was like, yeah. And I'm like, shit, I'm blowing up and shit right now. He was like, I don't think he really cared to hear that shit, though. But I see them at one of his shows recently, a show I love. So shout out to Rob. And what was the name of this school that you both attended back then? McDonough 35 High School. And, you know, as far as he's gotten in the music industry and as far as he's climbed on that success ladder, does any of that surprise you when you saw him in those hallway days? Oh, I know you didn't get a chance to really hear his music or see him do music back then. But does that surprise you that just from seeing a kid like this, just passing through the hallways and to see where he's become now? Does that surprise, you at all? I feel like that'll surprise anybody, bro. That's just crazy. Like, he's a superstar. Now, was football or music a dream of yours at all back then? Both of them. When I was younger, I always wanted to go to the NFL. But once I started, like, playing music and shit, and my dad was already in the band. Like, my dad had, like, guitars and keyboards everywhere around, like, the room and, like, around the room and shit. And I'm like, damn, bro, why this got all this shit around the house, bro? And now I grew up, bro, and I got guitars and shit around my room, bro. And I'm like, damn, bro, that's crazy. Crazy, bro. Now, when it comes to your father, how far did he get on the music side of things? He played, like, a couple gigs and shit. You know what I'm saying? He had a couple, he had, you know, played a couple shows and shit. But I don't really know, because that was, like, way before I was born and shit. Does he play any sort of role with your music career at this point? Like, any particular position? Or, you know, like, sometimes people will include their family members as certain roles in their music and things of that nature? Nah, he's sick right now. Like, right before, right before I came home from college, he caught a stroke. So, like, we haven't had, like, a back-and-forth conversation ever since 2022. Yeah. 2021. Now, when it comes to the music side of things, I do want to ask you this. Obviously, you described your father as already doing music himself. Would that be the answer to this question if I were to ask you why or how did you get into music initially? No, that's not the reason why. Take the audience back to that reasoning there. Why or how did you get into music? I was 14. And I was talking to this girl over the summertime. And when school came back in, she had to go back to Texas. I was so heartbroken, bro. I was crying and shit, bro. I was like, "Damn, let me try to make a song." So, I made the song and shit. And that shit was so bad. But once I made the song, it was, I didn't make a song after that until, like, probably, like, four months later. I'm like, "Let me try to make this shit, like, for real type shit." So, I just kept working at it, working at it, working at it. I was just getting better and better every day. I would try to make a song a day. Because around that time, I used to write my songs. And I used to write the hook, the verse, and then the hook. Then I'd press record and do the whole song in one take. So, it'll take me, like, fucking hours to finish one song. Because I'll fuck up a word and I'll be like, "Oh, I gotta do this over again." Not knowing that I could just fucking, fucking stop the shit and just push it back in. But that shit turned me to a workhorse, though. Now, the song about this girl that you recorded, did you release it publicly? No, hell no. Never. I knew it was ass when I made it. But what got you over the hump to actually record your own vocals? Because, you know, it's one thing for people to listen to music, especially at that age, and just consume it. It's another to step behind the microphone and actually record themselves. I was recording on the phone at that point. I wasn't really taking music serious. I really started to take music serious in 2022 once I got a job. First thing I bought when I got the job was my studio setup. I bought, like, this, uh, probably, like, a $60 microphone. I had, like, a $100 fucking, uh, interface. And I had, like, a MacBook. I still got-- I still use the same MacBook. Uh, so I learned how to record myself, mix and master, taught myself how to make beats and all that shit. So I just kept working on that and made "Party Girl." Now, this self-taughtness, was this just off of, like, YouTube University, for lack of a better phrase? Were you learning off of actual people in person? How did that-- how did you do that? A little bit of both. Uh, one of my great friends, bro, his name Kevon, uh, he was making beats with his dad when he was, like, a little kid in Texas. So when he moved back to New Orleans, he like, "Damn, bro, I want to start making beats again." So he had-- he bought a laptop and shit, and he was making beats. And through the whole while, when he making the beat, I'm watching him making the beat. He not even knowing that, like, he's teaching me how to make beats. I'm like, "Bro, how to do this, how to do that, how to do that, how to do that." He's showing me. I'm like, "I ain't that." And one day, he just, like, he started leaving his laptop at my house. 'Cause we stayed, like, we stayed in the apartments. He stayed, like, down that, uh, side of the driveway, and I stayed on this side. So he started leaving his shit over there. I started making beats. And after I started making beats, we started making shit together, type shit. And that's really what started me making beats, bro. And I wanted to rewind to the girl once again, too, that, uh, you were writing this song. As heartbroken as you were, did you send-- I know you-- you didn't publicly release this song, but did you at least send the song to her? Did she know you had made a song about the whole ordeal? Nah, we lost contact. 'Cause it wasn't like-- it wasn't like I'm calling her type shit relationship. It was like, I see her outside. Because, like, when one watches, like, old television shows or movies, sometimes, you know, males will use music as a way after, you know, to kind of get the female, the significant other, kind of, like, back in good graces. They try to, you know, go outside their balcony and sing them a song on a guitar or something like that, right? That did-- something like that did happen to me, though. When I was 16, I made a song about a girl. And I sent it to her, and she hadn't said shit or talked to me before. I made the song and sent it, and then she was like, "I like the song," and she started talking to me again. So, it's safe to say that sort of thing can work still. Yeah, it should work. Try it. Now, because you are genre-fluid, uh, do you recall the first genre of music you encountered way back when? Not even on-- to create a record, but, like, just what did your brain or mentality-- what was seeping in around you in your environment first? Uh, hip-hop, for sure. Wayne. Lil Wayne. I ain't gonna lie. Been from New Orleans. Lil Wayne, like, fuckin' God, though. Like, you can't tell nobody from New Orleans Lil Wayne not the best rapper to ever do this shit. Lil Wayne, fuckin'. Hot Boys and shit. Man, he fresh. He was a mild bird, man, and shit. And then, okay, so, you start off with the hip-hop side of things, but how does one get, like, nirvana to seep into their system, or Green Day, or Weezer, or things of that nature? I bet, as a kid, still to this day, I'm a big-ass wrestling fan, bro. So, hearing the theme songs and shit, I'm a nerdy-ass kid, so I'm really-- I'm going back and listening to this shit. Like, these songs are really hard as fuck, and I'm in middle school and fuckin' elementary school listening to this shit, so. I'm like, "Damn, let me try to find these bands." So, that's how I learned about Papa Roach and shit like that. So, I'm like, "Damn, let me try to find these bands." So, that's how I learned about Papa Roach and shit like that. And saliva and shit. And once I got to high school, that's really when I started, like, really listening to, like, Bleak 182 and Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and shit. Yeah. And really, recently, I've been put onto a lot of shit. Because there were kid folk, my producer, Edgidere, his roommate. Is in the van car seven hours after violet and he like big and like the better world and they older than me So they see you should I see so when I went over there, I know who corn was, bro They like corn is so he sure be core this shit and rancid and all this shit I'm like, oh this shit tough. So they really been educated And just for transparency kinfolk is in this room off-camera to the side of you And do you recall how you two met for the very first time When party guy was blowing up I was in DMs from every fucking body, bro And I wasn't opening them bitches. I don't know what made me open this nigga DM, bro He was like I'm in LA, bro I got a studio you should pull up. I was like, man I think I was planning to go to LA. Like I said, I'm being in LA in like two weeks or some shit and Then once I got to LA Locked in bro made like four or five songs And how many of those songs public Available publicly available at this point between you two We released our first song like a month ago or two Can't get enough that was our first song but that that really ain't shit compared to the shit we got How many unreleased at this point between you two? Yeah, this nigga got like a hundred songs. Probably like 105, 110 or some shit. I don't know. Now for those in the audience that are familiar with him, but haven't had a chance to meet him yet. What is he really like? Kinfolk? Yes. Kinfolk, man. Kinfolk cool, bro. He down to earth, bro. I've been staying at this nigga crib for a month. So Everybody don't let you lay your head at they crib, bro. So I respect that nigga for that. And What's the best advice you received from him or most important thing you learned being around him so far? Really I just I just asked him like I asked him shit. Like he don't even know and I be trying to get advice from him. But I asked him because he used to work with Lil Xan So I asked him, you know how Xan dealt with this situation and he'll tell me how Xan dealt with the situation. And I know Kinfolk you're not mic'd up, but you can still speak up if you'd like. Is there anything you want to fact-check on what Key just said about you? Nah, that's basically it right there. Yeah, I found Key on, I think it was on my 4U page or Mike's Floor page on Insta. And what I heard was dope. I didn't know that he was having some traction with Party Girl yet. I just heard what I heard and I just, I like what I heard so I DM'd him. I was like, yeah, I'm gonna be out there in two weeks and in that time period of those two weeks, I kind of started seeing like the virality and the progress in him. And so once we linked up, it was a rap from then. A hundred and fifty-five songs later in like two months. So, he works really hard. Now, you also are an artist yourself, not just a producer, so when it comes to a hundred and five songs, how many, how much of these songs is like you, you know, recording on them versus you producing them, that sort of thing? With Key, with Key he's one of those rare artists that doesn't really need any help vocally. He doesn't need really any advice or vocal, like, um, like, insight. He, he works really hard. He works really quick and he knows exactly what he wants to do. So, he, he doesn't really need too much input vocally. So, I mainly just detail the production and the mixing and the engineering, which is also something he's good at. So, he helps with the production and the engineering as well. And who's actually better at, uh, recording or mixing or mastering here between you two? He got it. He got it, bro. I don't know. He's pretty tough too. A little, a little fact about, uh, his production and his mixing is that he uses, like, all stock plug-ins and VSTs. So, like, the hits that he's dropped, like "Party Girl" and all that, uh, that's like all stock plug-ins and VSTs for the beats and the mixing. No excuses. Y'all niggas ain't got no excuses, bro. And what about you, Kinfolk, while you're here? Was that all self-taught or did you go to some sort of school and things of that nature for, you know, recording and mixing, that sort of thing? It was mainly self-taught. I did go to L.A. recording school for three, four months when I was younger, just to have an excuse to move to L.A. But I was already doing my thing, uh, and I was just blessed to be around really good mixing engineers. I happened to be close friends early on in my career. They helped me get my, I would take templates and insert in VSTs and plug-ins from people and make my own sound out of it. Now, reverting back to you here, Key. Yeah. What led music to become a career path for you? Because for some, it's just a hobby. You mentioned, you know, at one point you get a job, you fund yourself to start getting some gear and things of that nature. But even on that level, let's be honest, some people, it just stays, you know, kind of tucked in their bedroom. It's something they do, extra time off from work. They put their heart and soul into that. But it never really leaves that. It just kind of stays in that realm. What got you to pursue this full time at this point? Shit, I couldn't keep a job, bro. Like, I couldn't keep a job. Shit, I got fired from every job I ever had. Dude, I got fired. I walked out that day. So. And, uh, do you want to share any of those, uh, jobs you once held? Last job I had, I worked at AutoZone for like a month in November of 2024. Yeah. That recently. So. And what was your gig there? What was your job description for lack of a better phrase? I was a cashier. I used to get the parts and shit for people. I changed their batteries. I learned how to change the battery at AutoZone. Now, okay, any other memories of your humble beginnings with music here before I ask you some other questions about it? Uh, it was funny. The day I graduated high school, like, you know Calvin is like a big rapper from the city. But the day I graduated high school, my big cousin, he took me, uh, to go get some, you know, designer shoes because we made it there. I'm like, bro, when I graduate, you gotta get some, you gotta get some shoes. So. You gotta get some shit. And I'm in Saxon. I see this nigga. I'm like, bro, can I get a picture, bro? He was cool. So. Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, have you two, uh, done any music together? No. I don't, I don't, I don't talk to my man like that. Like, we don't have no relationship or nothing. I support him from a distance. And this cousin that you're referencing, mother's side or father's side here? Uh, mother's side. Now, I did want to rewind to something you said. You mentioned something to the effect of, uh, when you started, you were writing. Is that still the case today, or have you changed your ways? Uh, nah. I can't write no more. I tried to do it, but I always just, 'cause I, I come up with the best ideas when I'm just in the moment, so it makes sense for me to write. So, you strictly at this point freestyle and punch in, for lack of a better phrase? Yep. And what got you to transition into that? Because there are some writers, that's all they do is write. Yeah. They don't even freestyle and punch in. Yeah. They don't even play with it, but it's just not for them. Uh, what got you to, uh, even experiment with that? Uh, once I dropped out of college and I made my first home, when I got back home, I was like, fuck it, I'm not writing this shit. So, I did that shit. And I was, and you know, this, that's, that's something, like, you gotta get better over time, but, like, nobody can't just go in there and just come up with shit out of their head. And I learned that from watching niggas record, bro. Like, some niggas be, like, taking long as fuck. Like, bro, this shit not that hard, but I gotta remember that it is that hard, bro. Bro. Different strokes for different folks. Right. But, um, for you, uh, just for clarification here, was it just natural experimentation to freestyle and punch in? Yeah. Were you inspired by anybody in particular to try your hand at that? Uh, I wasn't really inspired by anybody, I mean, because, like, I do, like, the people who I looked up to didn't fucking write, but that didn't make, that didn't make, like, me want to not write. And we've talked about your biggest song to date at this point in your music catalog, and a previous segment was "Party Girl." Uh, for clarification on that song, was that freestyle then punched in in its entirety? Yes, sir. And. I like how you say freestyle and punch in, because a lot of niggas think when somebody say they freestyle or something, they do that shit one take. That's not the case. Now, okay, uh, just to rewind even further, okay, just on your history of, uh, you've growing up and your upbringing and things of that nature, we kind of dived into some specific factions of it, like, you know, the sports and the music. But just to rewind overall speaking here. Okay, so you mentioned that you don't live in New Orleans, you live, you still live in Louisiana, just a different city. Do you want to mention that city at all? No. I'll respect that. And curious here, when it comes to your upbringing, you mentioned that, you know, the first time you left New Orleans was because of Hurricane Katrina. Do you have any memories of that ordeal in and of itself? No, I was two years old, but I remember, I remember watching my parents watch the news a lot. That's all I remember. And, you know, now that you are older, you know, sometimes people, when they get older, they ask those questions and things of that nature about the history of their family and their whereabouts and things of that nature. Is that something you ever kind of did a deep dive on to see, you know, was your family renting or owning a property back then? Did it get damaged and obliterated? Or did you get into the weeds of any of that sort of thing? Oh, yeah. My aunt. She lives in Atlanta now, but she had a house in New Orleans during the time. And my aunt was like, "We don't got to leave. Y'all can just stay here." That's what my mom telling me. That's what my aunt said. And my mom was like, "No, we got to go. We got to go. We got to go." And my mom said, when they went back after Katrina, after all of the damage, the fucking, you could see like where the water level was inside of the house. We got to go. And she was like, "If we would have stayed in that house, we would have died." It's crazy. Your aunt has survived that ordeal. Yeah, she didn't stay. Oh, so she left herself. It was just something that was talked about back then. And did you end up losing any of your family members because of that natural disaster back then? Oh, nah. I think everybody left. Luckily. Not too many people can say that. But your aunt's house, she had to rebuild and things of that nature? Yeah, everybody had to start over, basically, from scratch. And because you have no recollection of Hurricane Katrina, but obviously you've seen the news clippings and the headlines of what happened. But obviously you've seen the news clippings and the headlines of what happened. my mom my mom told me when she was younger and she was growing up like when she was around my age people say when she sung she used to sound exactly like tina marie so people would pay her money to sing like tina marie song crazy now as far as you've gotten on the music side of things and climb that uh success ladder there do you think any of this would surprise her hypothetically speaking of course this side of you this career path do you think any of this would surprise her my grandmother my mother your grandmother uh hell yeah because if memory serves me right here i don't think she saw any of the musical side of you at all because i think that started like 14 and up right so her passing at 11 i mean maybe she i mean i guess musically you could say you know watching the five heartbeats was something musical there a connection there but she didn't see you you know vocally doing anything or writing or anything of that nature she never even saw you wanting to do any of that stuff either i never showed no shades of that i was straight football now speaking musically here uh have you mentioned her in your music at all yeah a couple songs i mentioned uh ever created a song just dedicated to her specifically or about her specifically or no i should though it's a great idea just curious there um and uh finally wrapping up the questions just about your grandmother here what was the uh best advice you recall receiving from her or most important thing you learned being around her like you like you can like just be strong bro like it wasn't really too like it wasn't really too much verbal things that i remember her telling me it was just like watching her like dealing with a lot of and what did her passing teach you what did you take away from that anything else you want to mention about grandma or question you weren't asked people want to know about her um while we're on that subject okay now when it comes to new orleans how were you able to survive that upbringing because there are some who don't make it yeah bro zooming out here what do you how'd you what's the what's the key what's the secret on surviving that area mind your business that's all gotta do bro like i was quiet growing up i didn't really have you know too many friends and if i didn't play football and be in the van i would have no friends i was quiet growing up i didn't really have you know too many friends and if i didn't play football and be in the van i would have no friends and being with the wrong people small bro you just gotta be smart bro like so many people i know that's locked up i like dead shit like that shit depressing like damn bro you was just at my crib like you about to fucking like you about to do 100 years bro um there are some people who say things like um there are some people who say things like um there are some people who say things like don't know if i'll make it to see the age of 18. maybe 21 for example did you have any of these thoughts yourself growing up in that environment um nah i never really had those thoughts but i never really had those thoughts because like i was i was an inside kid like i didn't go outside i wasn't in the street so i always felt like i was gonna live 200 years old but um you know just to clarify here even an inside kid can suffer from things even if they're not outside no for sure yeah things can be going on in the household so on and so forth and recently before i moved bro uh yeah i was fucking i can't say what i was doing but i was with my girl in the crib and i was at gunshots i go in the room like my gun she's like yeah can i hear it again like i'm gonna move you out this month i told my mom and care to share what age you were when you were able to do that shit i just did it i did it on mother's day on mother's day this year bro i was 21. and you know you mentioned that she said she was proud of you is that something she says to you even before the mother's day gift yeah for sure my mom been telling like any accomplishment i had now be that as it may hypothetically speaking here what would you what would you have said to your younger self back then back then back then if anything you know who 42 ceo is you know who 42 ceo is you know who 42 ceo is why you sound like him bro why you sound like him bro why you sound like him bro but like but like but like if uh if uh if uh one thing i said about younger self is to one thing i said about younger self is to one thing i said about younger self is to like like like just to keep going bro and like don't let just to keep going bro and like don't let just to keep going bro and like don't let don't let nothing like distract you from don't let don't let nothing like distract you from the main goal all right all right all right i do want to rewind to something you just i do want to rewind to something you just i do want to rewind to something you just said though and that is the uh word said though and that is the uh word said though and that is the uh word depressing depressing depressing uh when you say you know uh when you say you know uh when you say you know people going to uh prison and people people going to uh prison and people people going to uh prison and people passing away and things of that nature passing away and things of that nature passing away and things of that nature happening in your life you know that can happening in your life you know that can happening in your life you know that can give you a feeling of give you a feeling of give you a feeling of of depression and things of that nature of depression and things of that nature was that just merely like you know was that just merely like you know was that just merely like you know using that phrase was that just something using that phrase was that just something using that phrase was that just something you know um you know um you know um self-described here or have you ever been self-described here or have you ever been self-described here or have you ever been evaluated evaluated evaluated yeah i've been evaluated i got evaluated yeah i've been evaluated i got evaluated yeah i've been evaluated i got evaluated for depression when i was 16 for depression when i was 16 for depression when i was 16 and i was diagnosed with depression and and i was diagnosed with depression and and i was diagnosed with depression and anxiety anxiety anxiety and they gave me a and they gave me a and they gave me a antidepressants that i took for like antidepressants that i took for like antidepressants that i took for like two days two days two days i'm like this i'm like this i'm like this i ain't like i made me feel like i'll i ain't like i made me feel like i'll i ain't like i made me feel like i'll take this take this take this i did i caught myself one day i was just i did i caught myself one day i was just i did i caught myself one day i was just looking at the tv just staring at that i was looking at the tv just staring at that i was looking at the tv just staring at that i was like bro why the do i feel i was like bro why the do i feel i was like bro why the do i feel like nothing though like nothing though like nothing though it was weird as hell crazy it was weird as hell crazy it was weird as hell crazy is this something that uh you still is this something that uh you still is this something that uh you still battle with today or is this something battle with today or is this something battle with today or is this something you've actually overcome at this point you've actually overcome at this point you've actually overcome at this point i'm always depressed bro i'm always depressed bro i'm always depressed bro it's like bro you can't i can't really it's like bro you can't i can't really it's like bro you can't i can't really dwell on that bro dwell on that bro dwell on that bro like when people even like i'm human like when people even like i'm human like when people even like i'm human when people it's it's easy to say oh man when people it's it's easy to say oh man when people it's it's easy to say oh man i don't worry about what people say i don't worry about what people say i don't worry about what people say but like that should be killing me bro but like that should be killing me bro but like that should be killing me bro like you really feel like this about me like you really feel like this about me like you really feel like this about me bro bro bro that's like damn that should be catching that's like damn that should be catching that's like damn that should be catching me sometimes me sometimes me sometimes but you know what i'm saying it's good but you know what i'm saying it's good but you know what i'm saying it's good even with like that happening even with like that happening even with like that happening that is still behind me that is still behind me that is still behind me diagnosis uh what do you want to say to diagnosis uh what do you want to say to diagnosis uh what do you want to say to those in the audience those in the audience those in the audience um um um about those people so okay there's some about those people so okay there's some about those people so okay there's some in the audience that don't suffer from in the audience that don't suffer from in the audience that don't suffer from depression or anxiety but they hear you depression or anxiety but they hear you depression or anxiety but they hear you know through something of this nature know through something of this nature know through something of this nature like this interview that hey here's like this interview that hey here's like this interview that hey here's another person that's been diagnosed another person that's been diagnosed another person that's been diagnosed with that what do you want to say to with that what do you want to say to with that what do you want to say to happiest person you probably know is happiest person you probably know is happiest person you probably know is dying inside bro dying inside bro dying inside bro real bro like real bro like real bro like could be smiling could be smiling could be smiling having a joyful ass day and he on the having a joyful ass day and he on the having a joyful ass day and he on the news for suicide news for suicide news for suicide that's like that's like that's like you know what i'm saying that's how you know what i'm saying that's how you know what i'm saying that's how that go bro like you you never know that go bro like you you never know that go bro like you you never know what somebody going to like you ain't what somebody going to like you ain't what somebody going to like you you never supposed to judge somebody never supposed to judge somebody never supposed to judge somebody that is that is that is i hate i hate judging people i hate i hate judging people i hate i hate judging people and when it comes to your battle with and when it comes to your battle with and when it comes to your battle with both of these uh facets here is this both of these uh facets here is this both of these uh facets here is this something that you're open about in your something that you're open about in your something that you're open about in your music hell yeah music hell yeah music hell yeah that's like the number one thing i talk that's like the number one thing i talk that's like the number one thing i talk about about about what's been the response to that topic what's been the response to that topic what's been the response to that topic there people saying i saved their life people saying i saved their life people saying i saved their life it's like damn bro y'all don't even know it's like damn bro y'all don't even know it's like damn bro y'all don't even know y'all saving minds bro y'all saving minds bro y'all saving minds bro i rap about suicide and they're like i rap about suicide and they're like i rap about suicide and they're like oh this is dark in my head i'm thinking oh this is dark in my head i'm thinking oh this is dark in my head i'm thinking bro it's better said than done bro how many people have actually said that how many people have actually said that how many people have actually said that to you that you've to you that you've to you that you've or your music has saved them. Bro, so many people, bro. that's why every picture every autograph I do it I get off the stage I probably go to the green room for like five minutes come back out and take pictures with everybody who won a picture I really appreciate every one of them and anything else here you want to mention in regards to your upbringing or question you weren't asked people want to know just about that subject asked you a lot of questions about it but is there anything else you wanted to chime in or mention here that was not asked just in regards to that don't let your sadness kill you try to find something that just takes your mind off it I mean I don't obviously you can't tell somebody stop being sad just do something that takes you away from it like even if it's not drugs though please no drugs but like even if it's temporary something like like working out with a fucking if you have kids talking to your kids and some shit you know what I'm saying it's small shit - And you know speaking on that note I do want to rewind to something else you said here and you know I was suicide you mentioned you know something to the effect of you know I'd rather talk about it publicly than actually commit something of that nature there right but for you just on the suicidal topic there has this just been merely thoughts that you've encountered or was there ever a moment in your life when you actually got to the point of experimenting with that - Um I came close to it when I was in college like I was really depressed in college I was really on the verge of doing it I never told nobody this shit either I was really on the verge of doing that shit um but thoughts I mean I think about that shit everyday like what if I do it but not like saying I'ma do it type shit but just saying like - But this one time in those college days like how close are we talking here - Like I bro I was like having like a panic attack like I was shaking and shit like I was just so anxious and so ready to just leave bro like I don't know where I wanted to go but I was like fuck I don't wanna be here like I wanna go that's just how I felt - Okay that's a feeling but was there something like close in proximity to you that you could have - Nah - Okay but that was probably one of your deepest or closest thoughts to it - Yeah - As in versus something maybe just passive that comes across your head - Yeah - And what do you think ultimately stopped you from pursuing that at that point - 'Cause bro I was fucking - 'Cause one thing to think about it but it's another to actually get closer to doing it versus - For sure bro - Was there something holding you back - Bro it was just like it's not worth it bro like it takes a strong individual to be like to even like think about those things when you having a mental breakdown like it takes a strong person to think like oh this shit not even why am I doing this like shit was like I was 18 bro I'm like fuck like it's not worth it like it's not worth it bro like it takes a strong individual to be like to even like think about those things when you in the I'm like fuck like there's so much to live for bro - And you know you mentioned you've listened to Nirvana Kurt Cobain passed away from suicide things that do you take any does that do any of those news headlines any of those biographies ever enter your mind and things of that nature - Uh yeah bro - Cause some of these people you were inspired by have gone - I have a song talking about that shit it's called "Idols" and I was saying like basically all my idols are dead and I don't wanna you know turn out like my idols type shit I have a song about that - Publicly available on all DSPs - Nah it's not out yet - Oh I thought you said it was out - Nah it's not out it ain't out yet - Will it? Will it? Are there plans for this song to see the light of day? - Uh hopefully I make so much fucking music bro - And speaking of that how many songs do you think you have unreleased at this point? - Over a thousand songs well over a thousand songs it's probably like 11, 1200 - Now can you explain that to the audience why okay - You're not the only artist that has a thousand songs unreleased but artists release songs differently there's some artists that release more music than others so for example if you have a thousand songs someone in the audience might say why aren't you releasing an album once a month why does an artist like yourself release an album once or twice a year if that with all this music are you withholding this music on purpose? is this music just not ready? is it just not what's the hold up? - Some songs I mean as an artist bro every song you make not gonna be releasable you know what I'm saying there's songs that I make that I don't like so that's really what it is like if I don't like that bitch I'm not gonna drop it - But has there ever been a song that you released that you didn't like that people love? - Party Girl didn't like Party Girl though so is it safe to say Party Girl your biggest song in your collection at this point almost never saw the light of day - That's the scariest thing bro cause it's like I got so many songs like any one of these bitches could be a fucking banger crazy bro so crazy I make like I make 50 to 100 songs a month it's only 30 days bro - Now I do wanna ask you this question and this is a serious topic a dark topic still in regards to music because we have been discussing like death and things of that nature so I do wanna pose this question to you and not trying to forecast anything for you or foreshadow anything or jinx or whatever I just wanna speak about this openly and honestly - For sure - But obviously there's artists that have passed away and sometimes their estate will continue to release their music and sometimes they don't - Yeah - Has that ever been a thought for you in the event you end up passing away - I think about that everyday bro - Because you know some of these artists did not have a chance to speak for themselves - Yeah - Their family members their people close around them might say something of this nature right - Yeah - Okay so and so didn't leave a will didn't mention what they wanted to do about music but because I was so close to them I know this artist whoever it may be wants their music out and still be heard so let's continue to put it out but sometimes an artist may have plans it may actually there may be an artist with a will and say hey keep putting out my music let those funds support my family and friends and things of that nature - Yeah sure - But didn't know if this was a conscious thing that artists like yourself ever think about you know in the event I pass with a thousand songs or this unreleased music this is what I want to happen to it - Can't fucking put my shit out for you Can't fucking release my music I trust you bro - Now I don't know if you're joking here - Sure you are - Okay but for all intents and purposes in the event you do pass away if there is unreleased music you still want music to come out? - Yeah hell yeah - Now what do you - So just like when you reach a certain level of success and people don't meet you all they have is the music like they don't know you like you only dead to like your family and the people that you know but like the fans and shit they gonna listen to the music forever bro like so if you keep releasing music bro you just gonna live forever bro - Well what's your opinion on this then? You know sometimes in an artist's estate that has passed their estate will let the new generation of producers or artists tinker and touch and remix their unreleased music and put that out would you want your stuff tinkered and toyed with and you know and I'm saying all this respectfully of course would you want you know or do you want it as is as you left it? - If my brother or like my sister or like if I have a son if he wanna make music and shit you know I'm saying and asking these questions because you know we've seen all this before we've seen you know an artist music is 20 years old but they put the new generation or producers and artists and kind of you know help stabilize the music make that 20 year old music kind of sound relative and then we've seen recording artists that have passed away in their estates will put their music out as is you know of course they might mix it and master it you know to today's standards and formats but it is for all intents and purposes as is so just curious if artists like yourself consciously think about this or you know they just make music till they die for lack of a better phrase and then whatever happens it's left up to chance i've been thinking like bro what if i died how the fuck am i gonna get all my music to the people like the like to the people who gotta release it right , well you know i'm not an expert at this sort of thing and i'm not trying to give you any advice here but for those in the audience that that also do music that are recording artists or producers so on and so forth you know some people do work on their wills and have life insurance and things of that nature and have a plan in the event the unexpected happens and then there's some that don't so maybe that is something you may want to research into and and have a plan well in that same note there are some of that age range that will not do a will because they feel that sort of thing but you know then there are some that do because they feel a sense of responsibility and things of that nature for their family and friends so there is a plan because again we've all seen those news stories of so-and-so passes away and their family is fighting mother side father side fighting over this and that because there was no will because there was no plan and then case in point we've seen uh other recording artists and notable people pass away and there's not a peep of any of that stuff because it's already been planned and written in advance so just something to think about thank you guys Thank you.