Exposed Vocals interviews ‘Its K.I.’
Born on the west side of Chicago, K.I. was the second child to mother Tracie Shaw. With two younger sisters and one older brother, K.I. was not only looked up to, but also had someone to look up to himself. Even though his father was around, his childhood and some of his teenage life, K.I. says their relationship was never that of a father and son but more of a lack of being there when it mattered most in his life. With that being said, K.I. lived a troubled teen life from ditching school and eventually dropping out in the 11th grade, to dealing with gangs and being incarcerated at a young age. Through it all, music seems to keep him grounded and on the right path to success. With influences to the likes of Jay Z, Andre 3000, Method Man, And Eminem to name a few, K.I. has adapted his style of flow into true meaning. “I Want Every Word, Every Bar, Every Metaphor, To Have A Meaning And Make People Think About Every Possible Scenario Life Will Or May Throw At You”, says K.I. “That Way More People Can Not Only Relate But Understand Where Other People Pick Up Their Demeanor From.” K.I. has inspiration coming in from every angle. What keeps him striving to be the best every minute of everyday, is his two kids Isaiah and Avery. “Without Them I Don’t Know Where I Would Be In Life Right Now. They Keep Me Grounded And On The Right Track”. With goals in motion, K.I. is banking on music being a way to not only give back and teach, but also build an empire from nothing and reap the benefits when it all pays off.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Its K.I.- I was born on the west side of Chicago, Il. I spent my entire childhood in Chicago. Eventually my family moved to the south side of Chicago and from there I’ve lived everywhere in the Chicagoland area. Growing up with parents who listened to all kinds of music, it was something I naturally adapted to myself. I loved everything from old school Motown and R&B, to Jazz, Hip Hop, And Rap. Music was my life. I wasn’t too much into T.V. so it only seemed right that I would end up being A artist myself.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Its K.I.- I get asked about how I got my name A lot. When i was younger, everyone use to call me Kidd. I used the double d’s as a way to be unique rather than just Kid. As I got older though, I got tired of everyone calling me Kidd and wanted to be called something with a little more respect in a sense of being older. So I decided to drop the D’s. I just wanted to be called K.I. When I came around and people would say “What up Kidd” I’d simply say “Nah, Its K.I.” One day when i saw an old friend who I hadn’t seen in about a year, he came up to me and called me Kidd. One of my other friends told him, “Nah ITS K.I.” and that’s how the Its came into play. I would always have to tell people “I’m not Kidd Anymore, Its K.I.” That’s How I took on the name Its K.I.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Its K.I.- I love sharing music. Especially as an upcoming artist when people don’t really know who you are. No one really wants to pay for A no name artist. When I’m on the road I don’t go with a set amount. I leave it to the people. I ask them what would They be willing to pay? Rather than me saying $10 a cd, people tend to walk away because they don’t know you as A artist and give their money to something unfamiliar. Sometimes I give them away for free but hold a conversation a on personal level so they can have a better idea of who I am as a person. I do this for two reasons. One, people tend to take interest in something more if they pay for it. If you pay for it u want to know what you invested your money into. second, sometimes the exposure is worth more than the money itself. One person could pay for my cd and really like it and pass the info on to their friends and family. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to get known.
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?
Its K.I.- Never quit. You never know how close you are to reaching your goal. It’s not easy by any means. You’ll receive many no’s, but all it takes sometimes is that one yes. It’s all apart of the process. You’ll have A lot of downs before you come up. Stay motivated and inspired. Most of all, believe in yourself until the very end. After that, go harder.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Its K.I.- I get inspiration from my surroundings. The things that go on in my life. My feelings play a huge role. If something is bothering me, whether it makes me mad, happy, or depressed, I tell my producer to let me hear some beats and I find something to match that feeling. I’ll write to it and record that same day. I cant write something and record it another day because that emotion isn’t the same. If i’m mad and want to rage out in my song writing, I may not be mad the next day, or the day I record. It has to be in the moment. If I write it in a certain mood I want that mood to be expressed in the same track the way I wrote it.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Its K.I.- Yes, I use A lot Of Platforms.mostly all my work can be found on SoundCloud at www.soundcloud.com/ki2121 So be sure to visit and leave some comments and feedback. It would be greatly appreciated.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Its K.I.- Well, music is my life so I wouldn’t stop by any means. I would take a portion of that half a million and invest it into myself to build my brand. Come up with A plan to turn that half a million into a full million. I’d probably start off with a tour and merchandise. I would invest into a well known PR firm to help my overall brand. I would also build a strong team of people outside of my original team. Maybe even find A younger driven artist to invest in as well. The rest of the money I would save. No need in spending a whole half a million dollars. That would be overkill.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Its K.I.- Facebook and Twitter ad campaigns do a great number. I don’t solely rely on social media though. I try to reach out to independent Magazines, bloggers and radio as well. The good old cd’s out of the trunk does work as well. I do A lot of shows also. Like I said before, word of mouth gives you A great chance to be heard fast. so what better way than live performances? People love watching live original music. It’s a great way to showcase your brand and get rid of merchandise as well.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Its K.I.- Well, I just finished a mixtape titled “Rap God” back in May. It’s available for free download via datpiff. Now I’m currently working on A 6 track E.P. self titled “ITS K.I.” which should be dropping in October or early November. My team is also working to get me on more out of state shows so I can reach a wider audience. We’re also working on putting together a few videos to give people visuals to go along with the music. So I’m never not working. Nothings perfect so you have to continuously work to get close to being perfect.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Its K.I.- Music is my life so it’s hard imagining myself not involved with music in some kind of way. I shoot music videos as well as engineer music. So it would probably be along the lines of that.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Its K.I- It’s Hard. I’m A father before anything. That’s what gives me A lot of inspiration to keep pushing Forward and following my dream. I preach to my sons about never giving up at what they want to do in life. Besides being a father, I work steady on my brand and craft. I Have goals set so I don’t waste A lot of time seeing how we only get 24 hours in a day. Those two things keep me busy enough.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Its K.I.- More Music. More videos. More interviews. More radio play. More touring to cities across the country. Don’t be surprised if you see me pop up in your hometown because that’s the plan. I want to reach as many people as possible in the near future. So be on the lookout for the Its K.I. name and brand
