Project Description
Snapshot interview with
CKING
.
Sorry Ft KUDZAI is available on iTunes or to stream on Spotify !
Mix and Mastered by Black Ace Studio
.
.
Hey CKING, how are you?
Hey Amnplify! I’m great, thanks for having me!
.
You’ve recently released your recent single ‘Sorry’, congrats! What does the track mean to you?
I had recently just gotten out of another toxic relationship so it was perfect timing really.
.
What does ‘Sorry’ reflect about your personal experiences?
The whole video and song was basically a fabricated reenactment of a situation that happened in my life with a relationship, touching on trust issues and perspective overall.
.
You’re only in your early 20s and have 2 albums and several tracks under your belt. How did you career in music start?
When I was 16 I started recording music with the day one homie Brandon James, it all started from there. The journey has been a unique and amazing experience thus far.
.
With the release of ‘Sorry’ can fans expect a tour or any Australian shows in the near future?
I don’t have any shows coming up as of yet however with the release of Party and Sorry Ft Kudzai, that was just me saying that I’m back after a good year of not releasing music. I’ve been working. There is much more to come.
.
.
I love your sound, it’s this cool blend of hip-hop, R&B and trap. What do you think has influenced the music you make and the sounds your create?
Hey thank you so much! Honestly I’ve taken influence from a lot of places. From people I work with and the music that they create will have a big influence on me, I love learning about different styles and techniques that’ll take effect on how the track will sound overall, to what I’m jamming on my Spotify Playlist!
.
‘Save Me’ was massive success for you in 2016, can you tell readers what this track was about and why you dedicated it to the issue of Domestic Violence?
‘Save Me’ will forever be a personal favourite for me. Unfortunately when I was younger, I went through it with Mum and one of her now, ex boyfriends. It went on for years. It broke mum and I feel that I needed to speak up for her and other victims of Domestic Violence since It was such a taboo topic. The song and video was and still is a massive success. White Ribbon got on board sharing the video and the Government hit me up to perform and share my message to Men rehabilitating in Wacol Prison.
.
Do you find it is cathartic to utilize your music to share your views and beliefs with the world?
I find it soothing when people relate to the music that I’m making.
.
Can we expect a full album anytime soon?
When I feel like I’m big enough of an artist for the amount of work that I’d put in to an album to be worth it, then I’d definitely consider making a full Album. However I do have a new project titled ‘Overtime’ on the way with a release date TBA by the end of the year.
.
What is on the agenda for the rest of 2018 as far as your music?
More visuals, more music, hopefully more shows and other exciting announcements.
.
.
Can you tell me more about the creative process behind the music video for ‘Sorry’?
I had recently just gone through yet another breakup, that same girl had tried to come back multiple times and only started to make contact after I had certain tour/show announcements like Futuristic or Tpain. I caught on that she just wanted and liked the attention so I thought up a concept surrounding this and pitched it to Kudzai.
From there once the song was Mastered, it was time to think about how we were going to create the visuals for this.
I then took the song and idea to a my good friend Adrian Goleby of the Band – ‘Caligula’s Horse’ who is an extremely talented visionary who helped me create this Music Video. Well, after I organised the Location/Extras/Actors etc
.
Who is your favourite new up and coming artist?
I don’t have a singular favourite! There’s a lot of talent on the rise, I’m blessed to be able to say I’ve worked with artists such as Brandon James, Kudzai, Chevy Levett, Francois, Bmike, Ursa 13, iiiconic, Doz & HayZe to name in the least.
.
What is your opinion on the Aussie hip-hop scene currently?
I feel it’s very divided, everybody has their own cliques they work with. Within those circles are some serious talent though.
.
What do you think you would be doing if not creating music?
Probably just working the regular 9-5 job, working towards some other goal. Thankfully Music is where my head is at.
.
What has been the highlight of your music career so far?
I’ve honestly been blessed with some incredible highlights in my short career thus far. Opening and touring for Futuristic & Tpain thanks to previous management were huge points in my career. Other than that, performing twice in Wacol Prison was another thing that not many people can say that they’ve had the opportunity to do thanks to my song ‘Save Me Ft Erin Reus’ from the band Stateside.
.
.
What has been your favourite gig this year you’ve performed?
I had a headline show in Melbourne earlier this year! That whole experience was fun, I had people travel from all over to see that show.
.
What is the last live gig you attended as a punter?
I had the opportunity to do Media for a Local Rap show called District 4000. Before then I got to see Post Malone when he was here last!
.
When you have a crowd that may not know your music well how do you engage them?
Vibes, good music will always catch the ear of someone that resonates with the track.
.
When and how did you learn to rap and write music?
I wrote my first ‘rap song’ when I was 13-14, before then I was just rewriting other artists lyrics to try and understand how everything was laid out! I would always try and freestyle on the way to school. Someone told me at some point that if I was frustrated that the best way to deal with it would be to engage in music. I took that literally and wrote all of my issues down and from there that’s where I feel the emotional status of my music stems from.
.
What would be your advice to someone considering a career in the music industry?
Make sure you have an income. Nobody is gonna support your passion like you will. Nobody is gonna believe in yourself more than you do because in the end that’s all that matters. Be open to learning, observe other people that you may consider to be more knowledgeable than you at a certain something and take constructive criticism and learn from it. I could go on, these are all just things I wish I could’ve said to myself at an earlier stage haha
.
Sorry Ft KUDZAI is available on iTunes or to stream on Spotify !
Mix and Mastered by Black Ace Studio
.
Follow CKING
Triple J Unearthed Facebook Twitter Instagram
.
