Atlanta, GA based artist Joseph Seriale Smith, aka Coca-Kazi, was born in Little Rock, AR and was raised in Camden, AR. With a mother from Louisiana and a considerably large amount of family living in Texas, Coca spent most of his childhood frequenting these places making his lingo, accent, and mindframe different than most of the kids he grew up with. At the age of nine (9), he wrote his first rap after moving to The Trackside Neighborhood located on the Eastside of Camden. There he met the future members of his rap group, K.O.D.

After purchasing a basic studio set up at the age of fifteen (15), Kazi recorded a demo with K.O.D. His older brother heard the project and decided to invest in K.O.D. by purchasing them studio time at one of the only professional studios in Southern Arkansas. The collective recorded what would be the first hip-hop album ever released from artists residing in Camden, AR.  After selling numerous copies of the CD, Coca-Kazi invested his money in purchasing his own professional studio equipment which he used to record several solo and group projects that were received with critical acclaim.

Upon graduating high school, Coca-Kazi attended Grambling State University where he joined forces with long time family associate and Camden, AR native DJ Ferno Boudreaux and enhanced his lyrical and business skills. Kazi and the K.O.D. branded themselves by putting their lifestyles and skills on the line in the Ark-La-Tex and other surrounding areas.  After gaining experience in the streets, the studio, and the industry, they moved their brand to Atlanta, GA where Coca-Kazi’s oldest brother Pimp Game of Shawty Lo’s D4L welcomed them with open arms.  Within six (6) months, Coca signed an artist/production deal with platinum selling, Grammy Award winning, producer Wonder Arillo (T.I., 2 chains, Raekwon, etc). His music translated well with Wonder’s production, and his buzz in the street of Atlanta solidified his spot as one of the top free agents that was “next up” for his shot in the lime light.

During an unfortunate stint in jail, Kazi was released from his contract and was once again a free agent.  In jail he connected with HUNNAFIED RECORDS and, upon release, traveled to New York to begin working with members of French Montana’s Coke Boys and members of Waka Flacka’s BrickSqaud. He then partnered with his long time producer and childhood friend Thrilla Beats to release an album, mixtapes, and several videos including the very popular “GOD Ble$$ The Grind” mixtape series and now “Johnny Meth” With partnerships with GoodLyfe Mobile, Hunnafied Records, and longtime engineer and studio owner Brandon B.P. Parks still in place Coca-Kazi is set to display his Designer Gang Culture to the WORLD… Long Live Johnny Meth #GODBlessTheGrind yea dat!

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

I was born in Little Rock Arkansas, raised in Camden Arkansauce my whole family from Houston Texas or Opelousas Louisiana so I spent summers and a year or 2 in school in Louisiana and Texas growing up I felt like all 3 is my home. Master P, UGK and Project Pat made me rap I felt like damn they talking bout the shit i see everyday. I grew up on east coast rap heavy my whole life I loved they lyrics shit amazed me and bone thugs in harmony big influence on me, my cuzin introduced me to southern rap that made me realize I could do it to. Tela, 8 ball and mjg, juvenile showed me u can be from the south and spit bars the south got sauce the east got bars so i mix it up like dem Cali niggas did sauce and bars…

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

everyone Across the tracks called me Kamikaze kuz I was wild a nigga just dive in head 1st, gave zero fucks, crash Dummy, T.T.G. trained to go u know niggas shorten everything so by highschool they called me Kazi,  in 2007 Wonder Arillo signed me and got me a deal the record company said there was a famous African artist named Kazi Shaka zula from DTP dad  said “It means Hard Work in Swahili” dude wanted me to pay 10 thousand to use that shit. The label wanted me to pay for it out my advance or add lil big or young I said fuck no!! That’s generic lol Wonder said well what? I said … idk he said well what made u famous cocaina Coca so it’s Coca Kazi cocaine Kamikaze I got on trafficking cocaine that’s shits over tho… The Patriot Act lol
https://youtu.be/d1Atqt21Cz0

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

yea Dat! Livemixtapes.comdatpiff.com they got me where I’m at and made lots of Niggas rich and famous. They get u the believers and my mixtapez & spinrilla it’s so many mixtape sites on the come up…. and Of course streaming is the future most the new cars ain’t got cd players the cd going extinct. U still printing cds for the hood but niggas gotta stay Trapping out the Bandwidth… put Dat shit out free for the streets and for sell to encode it and get dem numbers streams vevo Spotify tidal all Dat shit is $$$ for free streams but datpiff.comLivemixtapes.com get u believers free and $$$ is the new business structure for music give it away ad get paid it’s a offer u can’t refuse they broke the matrix figured out the DaVinci code it’s still $$$ in music.
https://youtu.be/SptemkG-70E

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

 Grind Grind Grind Original Originality Self Motivate Sacrifice Invest in yo self believe in something bigger than u and believe in yo self  and don’t burn bridges build strong relationships with small and important people research do something towards yo goal at least 8 hours a day.

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Shit living life I can’t make shit up like some niggas I ain’t saying I don’t add a lil sauce or I never  exaggerated but all my flava I kick is what I did doing done or what I’m around daily… I don’t ever force shit or just make shit up every song is just how I’m feeling at that moment… I just make it entertaining as possible. I really don’t need to add no fluff kuz my life is actually some what entertaining lol like a movie lol #facts
Listen to #Facts by Coca Kazi #np on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/coca-kazi/facts

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

@cocakazi on ig & twitter
My music is everywhere
But please check me out
Spotify fasho and Vevo
Livemixtapes.com and datpiff.com
Soundcloud
Listen to Behind The Music  (No Regrets) by Coca Kazi #np on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/coca-kazi/behind-the-music-no-regrets

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

 I would get my lil brother thrillabeats he produces like 95% of my music we like a group and my homie Marcotiks & Sam Freeze  in a studio for that whole year wit all da drugs and hit up a few boutiques designer up as usual buy some jewels shoot a bunch of videos film a low budget film in the bronx and bounty hunter Watts and come back and make history lol shout out Wrongkind Records Empire Distribution
https://youtu.be/SptemkG-70E

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Most definitely thru trial and error by myself and with different labels when I got with Hunnafied Records K-Dog and his experience dealing with Droop Pop Red McFly AND Coke Boy Brock from the Coke Boys, Mitchy Slick and Wrongkind Records most def Hunnafied Records K-Dog and AJ got me with different DJS Blogs and more over the years we just kept opening doors building relationships networking grinding.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

of course we always working my album #Rich_Dummy_inc available everywhere… I got hit Records on it no flex… Love Don’t Leave!
My mixtape
#JohnnyMeth2 available everywhere I swear it’s the best street shit out. They both available free and for sale
We just promoting shooting more videos for those 2 projects.
And my next mixtape comin soon #O-P-M (Others People’s Money)
Shit is jamming ground breaking

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

a Super Villian lol prolly
Trapping, Locked up, or Dead on hunnaz  BH-I-P Big FlipSide if it wasn’t for him I would have Gave up.  Thank God I didn’t…
https://youtu.be/_Q3sd0V3pXg

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

multitask pray stay humble stay focused music is my life tho this ain’t no character this me this ain’t no persona I’m trying to sell I’m #JohnnyMeth so it’s not hard to juggle it most people in my life involved in music life also all my shit flows together naturally my music just enhance my other ventures and it don’t clash with any part of my life. #GodBlessTheGrind kuz a lot of people ain’t as blessed they fighting the odds they family and friends they job to make music.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

Lots more videos Lots more shows lots more promo promo promo The internet been fucking with me but now my shit finally getting real momentum. Please go listen to
#JohnnyMeth 2 and
#Rich_Dummy_inc these ain’t no shits u just listen to for a day or a week we making ground breaking shit and I’m finna drop #O-P-M! Soon and make more hits yea Dat! Arkansauce to everywhere! Hunnafied Records Wrongkind Records A-Team inc Empire Distribution I love yall thanks. ..
Listen to Martin Shkreli by Coca Kazi #np on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/coca-kazi/martin-shkreli