There are few truisms in life but one that withstands is the ideology that there is nothing new under the sun. After all, history repeats itself constantly, some of us have déjà vu and we all share a common ground if we manage to dig deep enough. So hearing the typical story of an artist making it big no longer impresses us but sometimes we come across one that manages to spark an interest.
Kero One’s rise to fame is as distinctive as the musical sound he’s created. As a resident of the bay area, Kero’s determination and ability is a true tell tale of turning your dreams into a reality. This emcee, producer, web designer and DJ used his personal credit card and his own recording equipment to put together his first project that he marketed and distributed across the world. The record became an instant hit in Japan and Kero was on his way to conquering the music world. He went on to release his impressive debut, Windmills of the Soul in which he handled all the business as well as artistically constructing the album.
Now, after the success of his debut, he has dropped his equally impressive sophomore release Early Believers to astounding reviews. KevinNottingham.com was granted the opportunity to speak to this jack of all trades who filled us in on his new album, record label and why he would work at Whole Foods if he weren’t doing music.
I had a chance to read your bio and you are like a one stop shop when it comes to jump starting your career. Was this by choice?
Kero: It’s kind one of those things where I didn’t have a choice because I was at the point where there was no stopping. I knew what had to be done and I couldn’t give up. With all the musicians out there right now, you have to step your game up and make a way. I started the label and got into production but before that, I was djing and emceeing. With the first album, it was a learning experience so with everything I know now; I could have gotten more people to hear it. It got out there but it was on the underground. So, I learned from that and kept going at it and I kept making music.
Did you create your label because you weren’t getting any responses from majors or did you just want to have your own label anyway?
Kero: Well it was more the fact that I didn’t get any responses but more importantly, I didn’t have the connections. With majors, I didn’t really try to send anything there. I knew if I sent it to the demo room, it would just go in the trash because you have to have those connections. I sent it to one or two Indie labels but they weren’t jumping on it, so I did it myself. I got some licensing deals and it did well in certain areas. After I put it out, I was in LA and had this guy come up form Warner Bros and he said he loved the album and that was kind of crazy. So, it’s something that I am glad I did.
Did you have moments where you wanted to walk away?
Kero: Well, I would say as far as the label these days, I’ve been wanting to pull back because the music career has been pushing forward at a really fast pace and there are a lot of opportunities that have been coming to me. There are a lot of duties with the label but my heart is with the music. I love the business side but if I had to choose it would be the music.
When did you first discover that you wanted to create music?
Kero: When I heard a freestyle battle on the Wake Up Show. They had this huge battle and it was a big deal in the bay. The two crews that were holding it down was Hieroglyphics and Hobo Junction and they set off this huge battle. They had the most listeners ever that night and it really inspired me; it was one of those things that made you want to do it. I’ve always enjoyed Hip Hop and music but never had any urge to do until that point. That’s what got me into emceeing. After that, I wanted to get into production. And being a DJ already made me want my own 12-inch so that is kind of where it started.
So are you self-taught?
Kero: There wasn’t a luxury of taking a class like now. I didn’t have any formal training. I just learned from others watching VHS tapes or friends. …I am showing my age (laughing). But I just learned like that because there was no YouTube so getting your hands on that material was few and far between.
I remember those days of watching YO! MTV Raps and recording all the videos so I feel you!
Kero: Yeah those were the simple days.
For sure. Now, I must admit, I am completely obsessed with your album and listen to it a lot so I noticed there are a lot of elements of jazz, funk, soul and Hip Hop. Are those your major musical influences and background?
Kero: It’s literally everything. When I was younger, I was forced into piano classes so that is kind where it started with the musical training. It was something I didn’t like but my parents made me do it. But now it’s I listen to everything. As a DJ, I play different types of genres so I will do anything from an occasional top 40 joint to Brazilian Latin music to house, electro, Hip Hop, jazz, soul or anything that has rhythm or soul. And with this new album, I was able to let lose with the inspirations I’ve had beyond Hip Hop and jazz. Being able to get into arranging with different soul singers and messing with Latin rhythms was fun.
Who have been your biggest inspirations?
Kero: It’s really hard to pinpoint because I listen to so many artists from the seventies but in the modern day, I’ve listened to Justus, Lupe Fiasco, Amy Winehouse, those are the ones that pop out.
Would you consider yourself a Hip Hop artist?
Kero: The more I think about it, especially with the press that’s been coming back about the new album, I don’t know that others would label me as a Hip Hop artist. For me, I would say that I just want to make music that embodies all these types of genres but can still be labeled as Hip Hop. To me that is exciting. I’ve been following Hip Hop since the late eighties so this is the direction that I wanted to take because that is what I like. I am sure that there are people that would appreciate that.
I think these labels are a way for some consumers to identify what they are looking for. But If I had to label you it would be progressive but it still takes away from you to label you anything. Hip Hop is everything because it pulls from everywhere and that is what you are doing.
Kero: Yeah because for me, I’ve heard people say it’s not really Hip Hop in some ways but they’ve called it jazzy Hip Hop but it can appeal to pop so for me its good. Not from a marketing perspective because if the Hip Hop audience can’t identify with it then they may not support it. But at the same time, someone that listens to Coldplay may like the album. I am not trying to limit who my music should be appreciated by.
How would you say you’ve grown from Windmills… to Early Believers?
Kero: For me, I definitely learned a lot about recording techniques, engineering, arranging songs, composing, cord progressions and vocals. I feel a lot more comfortable with my own style. Before I was still experimenting.
My ear is trained enough to now know when I hear one of your songs on the radio or at a club because it is a distinct sound despite music sounding the same. So, when did you discover your unique sound?
Kero: Cool, that’s cool. Yeah, with Windmills, I was happy but I felt like I needed at least twenty tracks and another year to let everything out on that album. Actually a track or two that’s on this new album was developed back then. I started “A Song For Sabrina” when I was working on the Windmills tracks. Some people didn’t know I was messing with up-tempo BPM’s because I didn’t put it on that album. So I feel like it was a starting point for me. Getting to this point, I feel like I have let it all out. With things that I wanted to put on Windmills and new things that I discovered I wanted to put down on audio. In a lot of ways this is where I’m at and what I like to make and listen to. At the same time, I am always trying to experiment. About a year ago, I recorded a song that’s going to be coming out on our next released with a producer named Green Tea and its kind of like an electro pace rock, up-tempo, disco track and that isn’t a style I did too much
Since we’ve both shared our age…you know where Hip hop has come from obviously. Where do you see your music fitting under the Hip Hop umbrella?
Kero: I hope it fits in somewhere (laughing). I am definitely not against mainstream stuff at all. But I don’t sacrifice my message and content for mass appeal. With that, it makes it more difficult to appeal to a broader audience. I think a good amount of people want to hear about topics that we all hear about all the time which is the club and not necessarily the things I am talking about. That may not make me fit under that umbrella but at the same time I’ve seen people that listen to Coldplay or Common that love this album so we really have to see.
What goes into your creative process when you are getting ready to construct your music?
Kero: It varies. It could start with an instrument but it usually starts with the production first. The music has to inspire a certain emotion to make me want to write about a certain topic. Like “Goodbye Forever,” which is one of my favorites on the album. When I made that beat, I didn’t now what it was going to be about when I heard it but it reminded me of something personable. Almost like a thinking beat where you would reminisce about something deep or serious and that was the situation. I was going though and it fit the bill so that is how it worked out.
It seems as though you’ve mastered a lot of things…like a jack of all trades. What is one thing you would like to get better at?
Kero: I can do a lot of things but not all things very well (laughing). It goes back to the fact that my focus is music and I love sampling and that is how I started out. I will never abandon that art form but playing instruments and creating music from scratch is very respectable. And to be able to do that and have someone sample you is even more of a cooler thing so I would love to learn how to play more instruments. That would be dope.
What can you play besides the piano?
Kero: I play the bass, some percussion and turntables; I scratch as well.
Tell me about PLUGLABEL.
Kero: We have a group we signed last year called The Tone. One is a producer and one is a singer. They released an album called Dreamtalk. It’s a pretty phenomenal Hip Hop album. I think it really would appeal more towards hardcore Hip Hop fans. We also have Green Tea and DJ King Most who is a producer who has other emcees and singers on his project like Black Spade and Blu. We have a few other artists and we are planning to release about six albums this year. The Green Tea album is a bit more on the electronic tip. It takes the whole Hip Hop approach and mixes it with up-tempo, house and electronic beats. It’s pretty cool. It will be an exciting release.
Do you handle their production?
Kero: No, I don’t actually. I haven’t done any production on any of their albums.
Any collabos?
Kero: I am featured on a song on the Green Tea album. I collaborated on a few songs with King Most. Some of the releases, I mixed and engineered so that is what I did the most in terms of production.
If you could have a jam session with five artists who would they be?
Kero: I’d say, Stevie Wonder, Kanye, Amy Winehouse, The Roots…that’s like six people there but I will count them as one. (Laughing). Also, Leroy Hudson, James Brown and any of the jazz musicians on the Black Jazz label would be cool There are so many but those would be dope. (Laughing).
Who is on your radar to work with right now?
Kero: Well, I’ve been in contact with Will. I. Am. He expressed interest in remixing and producing some stuff for me and I never expected that. I’m also working with this group called Epic High. And as much as everyone hates Kanye, he has been one of the most influential Hip Hop artists and he has done so much so it would be dope to work with him. At some point, if you could just split the personality of an artist with the music to some extent you could really find so much you can get out of it. If we judged music based on everyone’s personality and how they are in there private lives, things would be different.
Desert island…what one CD would you wan to have if you were stranded on a desert island?
Kero: I would say Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. I know I am taking it back right there but if I am on a desert island I won’t be laughing! (Laughing). I can’t think of too many albums that would make me laugh in a good way and that album to me is groundbreaking. You can’t not have a good time with that one. And its funny you see the VH1 Hip Hop Honors and they aren’t making it to that list and they definitely should be.
I agree. I scream at the TV when I watch that so I feel you. So are you working on any new material?
Kero: Things are a bit too fresh for me to start working on something else. I just really want to collect myself and see what I want to do. I don’t want to do the exact same thing.
If music weren’t in your life, what would you be doing?
Kero: I would probably be working a corporate job doing web stuff. That’s what I was doing before I did music full time. I did web stuff at a school. It wasn’t bad. (Laughing). Something I would like would be like a cashier at Whole Foods or something. I‘ve realized I don’t like being in front of the computer all day. I’d like to interact with the people.
What is a Kero One live experience like?
Kero: I have a musician that backs me up. He plays everything from the keyboards, guitar to scratching. He is pretty phenomenal. I also have a female singer that sings a lot of the hooks. We’ve worked on it for a while and we want to engage the audience and let them have a fun time so you wont see an unorganized set that’s for sure.
What is the music scene like in the bay area?
Kero: It’s pretty diverse. You could find something for anyone out there. It’s very open-minded and there is a scene for everything. I would say its pretty good out here. I’ve definitely been depressed about music scenes in a lot of other cities.
Do you think the election of President Obama will bring more responsibility in the music?
Kero: That’s a good question. I hope so. I just feel like there is a lot going on in the world and in our lives that we cant take just talking about anymore. I always realize when I go outside the country that there is so much else in the world than my little bubble. You just can’t ignore it so I hope it inspires me in a lot of ways.
If you were to encounter a fan of yours that was deaf that asked you to describe your music through color, what would those colors be?
Kero: I think the reason why we went with the colors we did on this album was they represented a new fresh angle from where I am trying to make my music. The first album was warm and earthy. This one had warmth but had some pop with the blue, magenta, black and yellow. I think the magenta and blue brings that refreshing feeling and that was my goal.
Well, it’s been awesome talking to you. I will talk to you all day if you let me but all of us with KN wish you much success.
Kero: Likewise, I would keep talking to you too! Hopefully we will run into each other in Chicago.
For sure and everyone with KN will keep you in the know about new music coming out since you aren’t able to keep up with your schedule being so crazy!
Kero: Thank you! I appreciate that. (Laughing).
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great interview!
do ya thang son
Wow…….