This afternoon I had the pleasure of sitting down with King Kun, of From The Ground Up Records, for a short Q&A based on questions I had, and questions from other fans of his on Twitter (HEY GIRLS!). Alongside label-mates such as Mullage, Navaro and Panama Black, FGUR has produced some of the most well known artists in the South, and King Kun is no exception. Producer, writer, rapper, performer, he’s the total package, and still manages to be one of the most down-to-earth artists in the industry. His new mix tape, titled “Rise of the King”, is scheduled for release this summer and the first single, “So Cold”, is already tearing up radio stations all over the country. Here’s your chance to find out what King Kun is all about. It won’t be long before he’s everywhere.Angelique: As far as artists go, who are your musical inspirations?
King Kun: My musical inspirations are Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix. Pac and Biggie, I like both of them. NWA, Scarface. I've got a real mixed bag of tricks; I listen to a lot of music.
Angelique: Is that where you draw your inspiration from, when coming up with new music?
King Kun: No, no. The inspiration for new music comes from within. It's just like, all that's been filtered through me, through time. So you might get a hint of one of those artists in my music. There may have been something they've done at that time that inspired me. You might hear a hint of another artist, but the real inspiration comes from inside.
Angelique: How did you get signed on to From the Ground up Records?
King Kun: Well, I'm a producer, too. They [FGUR] had an artist who actually brought more artists from the label to me, for tracks. The CEO's, the bosses, they recognized the talent in me, heard me spittin', knew the tracks were certified. They offered me a position with the label and the rest is history.
Angelique: This next question is from a fan of yours on Twitter; she asked how it feels to hear your music played on the radio or in the clubs.
King Kun: It feels good! It lets me know that all of my hard work is being rewarded. It lets me know that I'm doing something right, because it's being played in the clubs, and people are requesting it. It's a real good feeling. I want her to see this especially, make sure you hit the request lines!
Angelique: Alright, let's talk about your current mix tape. Will you be releasing any other songs off of it to be played on the radio or in the clubs?
King Kun: Oh yeah, we're doing it in segments. I'm pushing "So Cold" right now off of the mix tape [Rise of the King], and I'm probably going to drop another song mid-June, and then maybe again in August or September.
Angelique: Another question from a Twitter fan; where do you see yourself as a musician in the next five years?
King Kun: I see myself continuing to tour; continuing to hit the streets, tear up the radio stations. Continuing to filter good music through my record label, From the Ground up Records. I’ll be bringing quality artists to you all. I'm just going to keep doing what I do, until the wheels fall off. For the next 5, 10, 15, even 20 years, we're just going to be bringing you hits.
Angelique: Is there anyone you would like to work with, or are planning to work with in the near future?
King Kun: Yeah, I would like to work with Andre 3000. I've been following the Outkast movement. I don't know why I didn't list them as influences; I grew up on them boys, so I would like to work with 3000. I wouldn't mind working with the boy, Young Dro. I grew up on 8Ball and MJG, so I wouldn't mind working with 8Ball. Snoop, I like Snoop Dogg.
Angelique: Are you working on any projects outside of your mix tape right now?
King Kun: Actually, I'm working on three mix tapes. That's what the holdup is on The Rise of the King. There's another one called Tippin' and Trappin', which is coming out for the West coast. Arizona, California, watch for that. There's another one by my homie, DJ Cloud Presents, that's getting ready to drop, we're working on that together. And I've got a couple other mix tapes that I'm doing with a few DJ's that support me, so I support them. We all do a little work together. But ya'll just stay tuned. I've got a lot of work coming.
Angelique: Is there anything else you wanted to say about the mix tape?
King Kun: Keep a look out! Rise of the King, hottest thing to come out this year. First single off of it is So Cold. It's doing stupid numbers in the street right now and it is up for free download. Follow me on Twitter, Myspace and Facebook. Google me!
Angelique: Alright, you were my very first interview, so thank you for your time!
King Kun: Alright, I'm glad I could be your first.
Free downloads: Rise of the King and the single, So Cold.
King Kun on Twitter
King Kun on Myspace
King Kun on Facebook
