Hip-Hop: Spotlight on Khary

Creativity and originality play a major role when it comes to being an unsigned up-and-coming artist. Many artists follow trends in order to gain some momentum, but that is not the case with young up-and-coming artist Khary.

Khary is an artist of his own and takes pride in developing  his own lane built off of creativity and originality. He is no slacker when it comes to delivering a solid, energetic performance. I recently had the opportunity to talk to him about his music and future plans for his career.

SS: Where are you from?

K: I’m from Providence.

SS: Do you currently reside in RI?

K: I’ve been living in New York for the past four years working on my career.

SS: How would you describe your musical style?

K: I have no clue, I really just try to make music I like. I guess I’m somewhere between Lupe Fiasco and 2 Chainz.

SS: What influenced you to become a rapper?

K: I used to want to be like my older brother who rapped, but then it became something else. It became a way to express myself to the world.

SS: Do you consider branding yourself to be important in the music business?

K: At this point, branding is just as important as the music you make.

SS: Let’s say this music thing blows up for you big time. How long would you want to pursue a rap career?

K: Until I’m unhappy or bored with it. I believe I’m just a creative individual, so I’m sure I’d find another way to express myself.

SS: I see you have your own brand. Please explain the name/ meaning. How did you come up with it?

K: Kousteau is named after the French naval explorer Jaques Cousteau. He’s one of my biggest life influences and most of my projects are ocean themed. It just fit.

SS: Do you consider yourself fashionable and why?

K: I guess. I really don’t care too much about being fashionable. I just wear and buy shit I like. I think that’s what more people should do.

SS: How do you feel about your current project?

K: Intern Aquarium is my best work to-date. It’s gained me a lot of new fans and allowed me to travel a bit more. I enjoyed making it, but I’m ready to move on to the next thing because I still see so many places where I can improve.

SS: If there was anything you could change about your most recent project, what would it be and why?

K: Nah, I would leave it as is. It is a time stamp of where I was musically at the moment.

SS: What are the top three songs you have made in your career so far?

K: “Find Me,” “2AM Thirst Ballad” and another one that I haven’t released yet.

SS: How do you feel about the music industry and where it is heading in terms of artists and social media?

K: The music industry is a free-for-all right now, and if you work hard enough, you can take anything that you want. There has never been a better time to be an artist or a listener.

SS: Who else is on your team who helps you make things happen, and what are their roles?

K: I have a manager, PR agent, DJ and a few other people, but I’m involved in every aspect.

SS: What is next for Khary in 2017?

K: I working on two projects for next year and a tour. We’ll see what happens; I like to leave room for the unexpected.

SS: Where can people find you?

K: You can find me on social media as @sorrykhary and on streaming platforms as Khary.

There are a lot of passionate artists out there looking to turn their music into a successful career. Success does not come overnight and Khary is not afraid of the journey.