KK47 (aka Kayos) is an independent, versatile underground artist who currently resides in Panama City, FL. Though her wild past and run-ins with the law have shaped her music to some extent, at present her main priorities are her family, including two-year-old son, Rayden, as well as seeking enlightenment through wisdom and meditation, and utilizing music as a tool to reach others and spread knowledge throughout the collective culture of humanity.
She has many different types of songs to date – political songs, personal, storytelling songs, clever wordplay/punch line songs, and even some horrorcore or just plain fun songs! Due to her love of punk rock, she and her rap partner Krysis are in the process of completing a project titled Untapped Demographic, which combines punk rock, rap, screamo, and other elements of different genres. Her influences include, but certainly are not limited to, Houston rapper K Rino, Alyssa Marie, Immortal Technique, Lauryn Hill, The Fugees, HED P.E., Outkast, (especially Big Boi), Killer Mike, Goodie Mob, Scarface, Nas, BOB, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, Triple Six Mafia, Gangsta Boo, La Chat, OTEP, Kitty, Macklemore, and many other talented (mostly underground) artists. Because she has received such great, indescribable feelings from listening to her favorite artists’ music throughout the years, her main goal and reason for doing music is to give those feelings back to others as much as possible.
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
KK47: About a month ago, I decided to join the 21st century and made myself a Twitter, where I found Exposed Vocals. I noticed the content of Exposed Vocals was intriguing and worthwhile, so I followed immediately. Then when I was offered the opportunity to do this interview, I was all for it!
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
KK47: I grew up in the Spring Break Capitol of the World: Panama City Beach, Florida, or rather about twenty minutes away from the beach down a road we call BUFU, where we could shoot our guns as much as our hearts desired and wander the dimly populated area with no supervision. When I was five years old, our family moved to Fort Lauderdale, in a small inner city apartment for a year in order for my mother to pursue her education. Unfortunately, during this time, I was molested on a regular basis by an older kid who lived in the same complex. I had another experience with inappropriate sexual conduct at age nine. These situations affected me tremendously, and you’ll probably hear about them in a song of mine at some point, although I never told anyone until I was over 18 and very drunk. I was very academically advanced in middle school, and even had to skip a grade to even things out scholastically. Also, I was a gymnast for ten years of my life (from age 3 to 13), earning two national titles and injuries leading to a surgery that left me temporarily in a wheelchair. I quit gymnastics in the ninth grade, around the time my mother moved out of our house. I started partying heavily at age 14 or 15, but still made great grades in high school worthy of the two scholarships I was awarded. Consequently, I got paid to go to college. At 16, I began selling cocaine, which is how I met my first “real” boyfriend, Jacob. (If you’re a drug dealer, remember that it’s never a good idea to date your clientele!) I moved to Tampa to attend USF while living in the dorms, where I was the designated “blunt roller,” because the kids I lived in those dorms with had never really partied like I had. I thought it was cool at first, until I started getting woken up during the night for my “services.” Slinging on campus was some of the easiest and most profitable dealings that had ever ensued for me. The dorms were a blast, but after a few months my boyfriend, Jacob, moved down south to be with me, so I moved into an apartment with him. Shortly thereafter, we both developed a serious addiction to opiates. Even so, I held down two jobs (managing a real estate company and teaching tennis at a prestigious country club, where I met Derek Jeter – that’s another story) while simultaneously maintaining a full class schedule at USF, making A/B honor roll. After my sophomore year, Jacob and I were arrested on drug related charges, prompting us both to move back to Panama City, where I continued my studies in business at FSU PC. We broke up, but my addiction still remained, and I continued to profit off of selling drugs. I was wild; while taking a hooker to turn a trick that I was profiting from, I was arrested on multiple felony charges for guns and drugs. I was dating the man who I now have a child with (met him at the studio actually), and he encouraged me to get sober and stop selling drugs, even though I loved to spoil him with that dirty money. Then he got me pregnant, and I mostly straightened out from there. Now music is my drug. I’ve also been highly proactive politically, endorsing freedom through libertarianism. I co-founded a non-connected PAC (Political Action Committee) to support the cause in 2012. However, I soon realized that people like to listen to music more than political propaganda. Therefore, I began putting my views into some of my songs and pursuing less government intrusion while attempting to educate people esoterically, choosing to try to modify the culture to move toward intelligence and awareness through music. Regarding the decision to become an artist, I don’t believe that I chose to do music; it was much more like music chose to do me, or we chose to do each other. It really doesn’t feel like it was my decision. But really though, I’ve loved music my whole life, then I just happened upon studios and people who rapped. I joined in just for fun, for a hobby. Now, I take it a little more seriously, because of the positive responses I’ve received and how much I’ve realized I enjoy doing it. Even though I have a college degree, I would much rather be an independent artist living within my means. The fulfillment I’ve gotten from music and from my two-year-old son is untouchable by anything else I’ve ever experienced.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
KK47: It was given to me by male inmates in the D dorm of Bay County Jail. Funny story actually; I used to always ride around with my favorite AK in the back of my trunk (for all you gun enthusiasts, it is an Arsenal SLR95 with 30 round mag, and I also attached a red dot/laser sight to it as well). So my friends and clientele began referring to me as “KK wit da AK.” However, I wasn’t too thrilled when one of my boys, fresh out of jail, told me that inside there was a lot of mention of “KK wit da AK” in the D dorm. Not soon after, I was arrested on felony gun and drug charges. When I got out, I modified the previous nickname I was given to KK47 and started hopping on other peoples’ tracks (at their request).
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
KK47: Absolutely. At the early stage I’m in, it’s essential that my music is heard. It’s all free right now, but I do hope that I can make a humble amount of money off of my work at some point in the future. As of right now, I’ve made money off of shows, but that’s about it. I believe that music sharing is beneficial to hip hop and music in general, because it allows talented artists to be heard who wouldn’t have otherwise been heard.
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?
KK47: First, humble yourself. Next, chase every connection you have. Network! Twitter has been instrumental in me getting myself out there. Contact venues and ask if they’re interested in performances by bands or artists like yourself. Social media is key in getting recognized. I’m still a little behind, but I would suggest making an artist page on every social media site that exists. This gives your fans options on how to connect with you, and everyone likes options. After you have a decent amount of material to be promoted, set aside a budget for promotion. I’d also advise to stay gainfully employed in an area besides music while chasing your dreams, because the music industry is so volatile, unreliable, and cutthroat.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
KK47: The main thing is to keep going. If it’s something small, chances are most people won’t even notice. For example, at my last show, it was very hot, so there was a fan on stage that kept blowing my hair into my mouth and down my throat. I tried to discreetly adjust and move around to a place on stage where that wouldn’t happen, but those damn fans were everywhere! I tried to incorporate a few little hair flips as “choreography,” but I still ended up performing a good portion of the show with my hair down my throat. I tried to ignore it and gracefully keep going, and apparently that worked to an extent, because only a few people seemed to notice. Even those people who noticed gave me respect for just keeping on and not letting it affect my performance. It’s practically unrecognizable in the videos of the live show, so that’s good.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
KK47: I have not yet toured, although I do local shows and plan on expanding my area of performance locale. I’m looking forward to that! I will be bringing my toddler on tour if that does happen, so that should be interesting.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
KK47: I think of words in my brain, then I write them down. Truthfully, it varies. A lot of times I’ll think of clever phrases or statements, put them in notes in my IPhone, then add to that until I have a verse or two, at which point I pick a beat that fits and make a hook. At other times, I’ll hear a beat and just start writing to it. Sometimes, I have a concept or idea that I want to try so I’ll usually grab a beat from my beat maker or have him make one for me, and then implement said concept. It really just depends. There have been many times when other artists, especially my partner Krysis, will come to me with an idea or a song that needs a verse, and I’ll just fill that in. In other instances, I have been the one bringing the ideas to the table. I really employ a diverse variety of methods when making songs, but usually I just go with the flow.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
KK47: Currently, I use Facebook (facebook.com/kk473), Reverb (reverbnation.com/kk473), and Twitter (@kaylasayswhatup, and a little bit of Instragram (also @kaylasayswhatup). I’m expanding continuously, so hopefully soon I’ll be on SnapChat and whatever else is popular with the populous these days.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
KK47: I don’t really get embarrassed about the music I listen to, because I obviously have the best taste in music ever! Just joking; I don’t get embarrassed because you can’t really help the kind of music you like, so to me it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If your favorite rapper is Vanilla Ice, I’m not hatin’ that’s you and your taste. Who am I to say that my taste is better? Now if we’re talking about songs I’m super embarrassed to have made and recorded, then that’s a completely different story for another time!
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
KK47: Definitely with my family! I would take my son, Rayden, to places like Disney World, go on amazing cruises with my family, and definitely take a trip to the rainforest and embark on an ayahuasca journey. I’m interested in traveling through the divine mysteries of that strange place between my ears. I would also certainly donate to worthy causes and help others toward self-actualization as much as possible.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
KK47: I use my home studio, which at present consists of a Lenovo touchscreen laptop equipped with Studio One 2 with some plug ins, Presonus M Audio Box usb, MXL990 Condenser Mic with Shockmount. Eventually, if all continues to go well, it’ll be upgraded to a bigger interface, sound booth, blue mic, a mixing board, maybe a Mac with Logic Pro 11 and ProTools II, and a beat machine by BKE technologies known as that “beat thang.”
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
KK47: So far, Twitter has really been the most effective. I gained 10.2K followers in a month and was even able to reach out to one of my favorite artists for a soon-to-be-released song. I took a class on internet marketing when I was studying business, so I have some knowledge on how to work different types of online marketing. My Facebook and Reverb are growing almost exponentially, and I’ve done a lot of things to try to make that happen, so I’m not really sure which have worked. However, there are many articles online that explain the best ways to grow any page organically, so research has been my best friend as usual.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
KK47: I would definitely want to perform with my favorite rapper, Houston hip hop artist K Rino. I have never looked up to an artist so much as I do him. His mind is just genius. His ideas are the most original and intelligent I’ve ever heard. Everything he says in his spiritual and political songs I agree with, and he says these things in amazing ways. His punch line songs are just off the charts, with no competition from anyone. His most well-known song, Grand Deception, has over 10 million views on YouTube. He won an award for his ingenious role play, story-type song Antagonistic Radio. He’s constantly “seeking higher wisdom to enlighten himself,” is always kicking relevant knowledge to his listeners, and is the humblest artist I know. He admits he doesn’t even know or care what a Maybach looks like, and I’m on that very same page. Forget materialism and all that meaningless ramblings on the radio; this guy is REAL hip hop, and one of my biggest influences. I was lucky enough to get him on an intro to one of mine and a great rapper named Drastiko’s songs, and I totally psyched myself out and didn’t go as hard as usual on the verse. But hey, you live and you learn.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
KK47: I have an interesting project in the works with my rap partner, Krysis. It’s an eclectic mix of punk rock, rock, rap, and screamo, titled Untapped Demographic. We just recorded our first venture into this unknown, multi-genre, magical area of composition, with a song entitled “R3VOLUTION (stand and fight), which can be found on reverbnation.com/krysishasrisen, or on any of my pages.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
KK47: I’ve worked in many fields, including editing grants, freelance writing, real estate, real estate management, the restaurant business as a server, hostess, and general manager, and taught tennis as a certified instructor. Not to mention my ten years of being a street pharmacist (sometimes on the side as a supplement to my income from other sources, sometimes as my main gig). However, my most rewarding, favorite job of all time is being a mother. So I suppose I would be doing that exclusively right now while he’s young, then eventually re-enter the job market when the timing is right. I would probably work in the restaurant business. I always liked the fast paced craziness and interesting characters.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
KK47: I do remember. Excitement was running through my whole body; I could barely contain myself! I got the first Spice Girls CD when I was a child and ran next door where my best friend lived to show it off. Not very long after, I tricked my dad into ordering me my next CD, Jay Z Hard Knock Life Vol. 2. When he saw the parental advisory, he hid it from me until I was 16, but that didn’t stop me from listening to Twista, who was my favorite rapper since about age nine, when he was with the Speedknot Mobstas and Do or Die. I mean come on, I had the internet, I could listen to whatever I wanted, so after the early Spice Girls phase, it was all Twista, Eminem, and Lil Wyte. Ha! No wonder I turned out to be a drug dealer/addict…And best believe the day I turned 16 I was all over my dad for that Jay Z CD and obtained it that day, then bumped it for weeks!
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
KK47: Honestly, that’s been the absolute hardest part of my musical journey. I pray for balance in my life, and always remember to keep my son as my first priority. I make it a point to play with him before doing music, or if at all possible, including him in the process. He loves our music and requests it every car ride, so no matter what, I’ve always got my most important little fan, and I try my hardest to keep him first.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
KK47: Fans can look forward to a ton of new and exciting concepts, regularly scheduled live performances, the Untapped Demographic project/CD with Krysis, plus I’ll be implementing some never-before-heard song concepts, and I’ve also got some cool collabs scheduled for release in the coming months. 2016 is going to be wild for my fans musically, and I can’t wait to show everyone what Krysis and I are doing, as well as many solo songs to be released that capture my struggles, my personality, and my testament song to the life I’ve lived, which is difficult to write, but will be well worth it. So stay tuned, because 2016 is going to be mind-blowingly live for KK47, Krysis, and our collective project, Untapped Demographic!
Facebook.com/kk473
Twitter: @kaylasayswhatup
Reverbnation.com/kk473
Booking Inquiries: Email [email protected]
Song links:
‘Too much ft. Krysis (full version)’ by KK47
http://rvrb.fm/1NvCwMZ
‘Dark Place of Heartache’ by KK47
http://rvrb.fm/1YUQlsb
‘Kingpen & KK47- Make it out’ (I’m second verse on this dynamic collab)
http://rvrb.fm/1IKvQ85
‘Deja Vu ft. Krysis’ (Love song – I’m third verse)
http://rvrb.fm/1NiayG2
‘Words as weapons ft. Krysis’ by KK47
http://rvrb.fm/1H1VZnN