Aloha OTDHipHop ohana!
This month continues to be filled with a bunch of different shows and shenanigans going down. This week I had the pleasure of choppin' it up with a young artist by the name of KILLAH K. He is only 17 years old and still in high school, but has amazing love and appreciation for music and representing where he's from. Check out his full interview below:
1. What is your artist name?
Hey I'm Kala'i Santos and my artist name is "Killah K". 2. What city/state/country are you reppin’? I'm from Puna, Hawaii and I rep the Big Island. I was born in Hilo, and was raised in Puna district. 3. How old are you? I'm 17 years old but I turn 18 this year. 4. How long have you been creating or making music? When did you start? I started writing my own music when I was 9th grade freshman year, when I was attending Keaau High School, and I've been rapping and writing music ever since. 5. What song/video/project are you currently promoting? Right now I'm working on an upcoming project, and I wanna promote my latest EP - The78Code.
6. What and/or who inspires you to write/create?
Well, I gotta say when I started rapping I had no idea I could rap. So I just started watching TV and Straight Outta Compton was a new movie at the time and when watching it I just had the thought of what if I was a rapper and make choke money for just dropping a song? So I started doing 2Pac & Eminem covers, since that's all I ever listened to when I was a freshman, and that's my parents’ kine songs that they listened to as young kids. Also, my only two favorite Hip Hop/Rap artists are Tupac Shakur and Eminem because both are so powerful with words and how they inspire other artists to keep their heads up and keep on with your lives; also how poetic Tupac can be and how Slim uses his lyrics so perfectly with metaphors, it's just genius! 7. What is your creative process like? I just kinda freestyle my lyrics and I use em with my old Instagram covers. But it's still in progress and I just think of new ideas everyday to add on in my lyrics journal I carry on me everyday. 8. How often do you perform live? Please state any upcoming performances you have. I actually never performed on a stage but I did perform for my whole ohana and one time at Uncle Robert’s Market at night in front of random people LOL. It was fun hopping in on a freestyle song. But looking forward to doing an actual live performance, that would be dope.
9. When did you start taking your music career seriously, and why?
I started taking it seriously when I started to have haters I guess. And my friends kept on pushing me to never stop and keep my dreams alive, no matter who talk shit ‘bout my jams. Straight up. And imma keep pushing forward until I reach that goal I set. 10. What do you want people to remember you for? I want people to remember me as KillahK and let all them peeps in the mainland know where I came from. And where I was raised! And what point of view I had as a young keiki. Keep my name living. 11. What is your message? My message is to just try and give my new music a listen and tell me what y'all think of the EP! Right now I'm working on a new project album and it's gonna be a banger more heat than my previous one. Just you watch.
12. How can people find you?
Instagram: @KillahKalai Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuNkKCxJWnX2ojlHj7SgWg Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kalaisantos-930608567
SHOUT OUT KILLAH K FOR BOOKING AN INTERVIEW WITH US!
ARTISTS WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC HERE OR EMAIL US AT [email protected] THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OTDHIPHOP! MAKE A DONATION HERE.
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Welcome to another Track Tuesday segment here on OTDHipHop! Yesterday we featured 2 artists: AjGod and Toriyama, reppin’ Kurse Krew from Oakland, CA. We reviewed their latest joint album Krew Entertainment, and checked out their 2 newest videos for the singles “Water” and “Hunger Speech” from the album. Today we’re featuring them again, and showcasing their 2 videos even more.
Overall, I really dig both songs and visuals. First off, I dig the beat choice for “Water.” The ongoing “I do this shit like water” mantra is catchy, and gives off a vibe of confidence to the listener. This track and visual showcases Toriyama’s intricate but almost chill lyricism. He also pays homage to his crew, through different metaphors and flow. I also appreciate the cartoon edits on, which add a fun visual element to the HD video production. “Hunger Speech” is dope too, and actually features more of the crew and city. Props to the videographers for both videos! I look forward to more content coming from Kurse Krew and their individual artists. It’s also nice to see the collaboration at work!
SHOUT OUT TORIYAMA FOR BOOKING A REVIEW WITH US!
ARTISTS WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC HERE OR EMAIL US AT [email protected] THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OTDHIPHOP! MAKE A DONATION HERE.
Aloha everybody! Things are getting crazy, but please do your best to stay home and be safe during this pandemic time. On a positive note, hopefully we can all utilize this time to refocus, maybe even spend more time with family, and work on projects, especially for us fellow artists, producers, and entrepreneurs. We will pretty much stick to our regular weekly schedule, along with a PODCAST launching next month! Today, we got to review an album called Krew Entertainment, by AjGod and Toriyama. AjGod (producer) and Toriyama (emcee/artist) are members of Kurse Krew, an independent music collective based in Oakland, CA. Krew Entertainment was released last year on all music streaming platforms, along with 2 music videos from the album,
which were released over the past 5 months.
Krew Entertainment gives me hardcore underground vibes, featuring a variety of beats and raps. All beats were produced by AjGod, and the songs/lyrics were written and performed by Toriyama. I think that the overall sound and audio quality could be improved to be honest. Some of the tracks were skippable because I couldn’t really vibe. However, I did find the “Cattin Off” (interlude) skit entertaining. I also really like the track “Water,” along with its dope video. I’m not really sure what the message or purpose behind the Krew Entertainment album is, but I’m glad that the Kurse Krew came together to create it, and to showcase their skills and sound. I’m sure they will continue to improve as they grow.
As I mentioned, Kurse Krew released 2 music videos from the album, “Water” and “Hunger Speech.” The videos are pretty cool and high definition, highlighting different artists on the crew and their local environment, and largely showcases Toriyama’s talent and flow. I dig the hook and melody on “Hunger Speech,” as well as the message of hustling and staying focused. I would say that the 2 videos are also my 2 favorite songs from the album. I also liked the concept for “Uncle Snoop,” as an ode to California’s influence and OG’s in hip hop. Overall, I think there’s a lot of room for improvement for the project as a whole, but with new videos and music already coming out from Kurse Krew, I’ll be on the lookout for more Krew Entertainment. They are currently based in Oakland, CA and definitely embody the “grind” and “DIY” culture of the Bay Area.
For more on Kurse Krew, subscribe to their Youtube channel or follow any of their members on Instagram (@KREW_TORIYAMA).
SHOUT OUT TORIYAMA FOR BOOKING A REVIEW WITH US!
ARTISTS WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC HERE OR EMAIL US AT [email protected] THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OTDHIPHOP! MAKE A DONATION HERE.
Aloha OTDHipHop fam!
Thanks for rocking with us. We got another special Friday Feature this week, my dawg ShaneBoyMusic (aka Vandezo). Although he's been a long-time supporter of underground music and is fairly new to the local music scene, his positive energy and aloha is contagious. He's also pretty comfortable and easy to watch/listen to when he performs, especially for an artist just starting out. He participated in the #otdcypher2020 back in January, and was nominated "Most Unique Entry." Check out his full interview below:
1. What is your artist name?
Aloha! My MC name is Shane Boy / Vandezo (alter ego). 2. What city/state/country are you reppin’? I represent Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744! 3. How old are you? I’m 25 years young. 4. How long have you been creating or making music? When did you start? I’ve felt a special connection with music at a very young age. I used to dance popping routines when I was around 7; in front of my entire family. I remember receiving the feeling of pure joy when I entertained the crowd. When I was about 16 and I was listening to a beat, I wrote a 16 bar verse. That’s sparked my love for becoming a creator of lyrics.
5. What song/video/project are you currently promoting?
Right now I’m still working on recording more, but I do have some songs/remixes/covers on my Soundcloud. I also post freestyles and other stuff on my Instagram (@SHANEBOYMUSIC). 6. What and/or who inspires you to write/create? What inspires me to create is the feeling of expressing myself through my lyrics. I like to listen to beats randomly and see where my mind takes me. I also get inspired by the legends who did it and the ones who still are. When I hear a song and it hits me in a certain way/makes me feel an emotion it inspires me to make an impact like that when I make music. 7. What is your creative process like? My creative process is pretty straight forward. I either create a beat, use someone’s else’s beat, use a YouTube beat/older song beat. I grab a pencil/notebook and I start to write. I been performing in front of my family for years.
8. How often do you perform live? Any upcoming performances?
I recently got into performing live at venues as fill in/practice, joining open mics and cyphers. I had my first official performance this past February 14th Valentines Day at Hawaiian Brian’s titled “ A Journey of Love.” 9. When did you start taking your music career seriously, and why? I started taking my music career seriously this past year 2019. The main reason is I started to believe in myself and I have a circle of friends around me with like-minded aspirations who really helped me to just do it. 10. What do you want people to remember you for? I want people to remember me as a positive person, who spreads Aloha. 11. What is your message? My message is to always believe in yourself and do what you love. 12. How can people find you? Please provide links to all of your social media.
SHOUT OUT SHANEBOYMUSIC FOR BOOKING AN INTERVIEW WITH US!
ARTISTS WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC HERE OR EMAIL US AT [email protected] THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OTDHIPHOP! MAKE A DONATION HERE.
Aloha OTDHipHop fam,
Thank you always for supporting our artists and platform. As I mentioned previously, February was a packed month for the local hip hop scene in Honolulu, and an especially big month for the Kurbside Worldwide team, led by Astreaux Guillotine. Since about 2016, Astreaux has been steadily making waves in the local nightlife, and spent much of 2019 building his huge squad. Back in January, along with the release of Kurbside Worldwide’s Liquid Smoke album, Astreaux dropped his 4th studio album - Leo Season.
I’ve been excited for this album in particular because I met Astreaux during the process of his earlier albums, and even reviewed a few of them on the old OTDHipHop blog (originally hosted on jehzanexclusive.com). I’ve been a fan and colleague of Astreaux for a few years now, but I really believe that Leo Season is his most comprehensive body of work. I think that his lyrics, storytelling, and overall production are top-notch on this album, and I speculate that it simply has to do with his general growth, development, and confidence as an artist and leader. The album starts off with “Leo Season,” (same name as the album) which includes a voice snippet from his father, and is a great introduction to Astreaux the artist, and the man behind the music. A number of tracks on the album features voicemail-styled snippets from his family and friends, that I believe were sent to him during his time in prison.
The album has 3 main “BOPS” - James Harden, Mentos ft. Jahn Lion, and Slappers ft. Mattthompson910. Of course though, there’s always more where those came from. My favorite track is Mentos because I like the contrast between the smooth vibes on the hook, with Astreaux’s witty punchlines and cocky comedic flow. The production on Mentos with the guitar is also very different to Astreaux's usual hype sound. I also really dig Cedric Clinton’s feature on Astreauxphysics, which is honestly an interesting collaboration because of the different background and styles that the 2 artists come from. Shout out to Prayz as well. Furthermore, the album makes numerous odes to concepts mentioned on his prior projects along with the unique Hawaiian lifestyle. Overall, I’m very proud of Astreaux on Leo Season. I know he has more up his sleeve, and can’t wait to continue to witness his growth. Leo Season is available on all music streaming platforms, along with Kurbside Worldwide’s Liquid Smoke album. The Liquid Smoke and Leo Season album release party, held this past Saturday, Febuary 29th, at Hawaiian Brian’s was lit! Back-to-back live performances of the variety of songs on both albums, as well as 6’s Iridescence EP.
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ON THE DAILY HIP HOPBlog / Podcast / Network ABOUT THE HOSTJehzan Exclusive is a hip hop artist, educator, and entrepreneur from Honolulu, HI. She founded OTDHipHop in 2015. For more, follow her on social media @jehzanexclusive. Archives
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