KO is one of those young lions who understands the “business” portion of the music business. Music 101 educators everywhere constantly reinforce the need for a TEAM in order to keep an artists forward progress, consistent. KO locked in with EGM (Elite Global Management LLC.) which specializes in the fields of business management, artist management, booking, road management and promotions. Brains and a rapidly growing fan base make it certain KO and crew will have their time in the spotlight.
As you see your self, who is KO?
KO is a heavy hitting metaphorical monster. The booth is his ring, the lyrics are his gloves and the opponent is his beat. As an artist he has the dedication and consistency to go all 12 rounds but at the same time enough punchlines to deliver that Round 1 TKO.
What brought you to the entertainment industry and music specifically?
As a kid I had always wanted to entertain, whether it was making people laugh or freestyling, it was no secret I had a thing for being the center of attention. After graduating from the High School for Recording Arts (HSRA Studio4) I started to perform at small open mic venues locally and quickly worked my way to rocking stages out of state, this is the moment I knew the stage was my home.
What and/or who influenced the sound you bring today?
Artist like Kanye West, Jay Z & T.I. inspire me. To see where they came from, the obstacles they had to overcome and where they are today is motivation to me. They influenced me to stick to being original, unique and dedicated to my own sound, while developing my brand #KNOCKOUTMUSIC.
What do you want people to get from your music?
I want people to know my story and be able to relate to me, giving them a feeling that they know me personally. It’s also important to me that while I remain true to my own sound, they see I am a very versatile artist that has the ability to switch up my delivery and emotion in every track. I want them to get to the end of my album and leave them feeling hungry for what I have dropping next.
Tell us about your current project and your single “Get Left.”
My current project is “Round 1” the album which I released early February 2015, featuring the single “Get Left” with Des Moines artist DaGi and 12 other hard hitting tracks. I wanted to step outside of the box on this project, so when I heard this West Coast, Dr. Dre type of beat, I knew immediately it had to be a part of this projects. It is definitely one of my favorite tracks to date.
If you could collaborate with one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
That is a tough decision, but if I had to pick it would be Lil Wayne. Bar for bar he has one of the craziest flows in the rap game. It sounds like he’s going to war on a beat trying to punchline it to death. A collaboration together would be a lyrical slugfest.
Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” moment…
I was in this strip club one night and I gave the DJ my single on a CD. As I walked to the bar I remember Young Jeezy was playing and then my single came on. The vibe didn’t change at all. People thought it was a mainstream record so I approached a bouncer and told him this was my record playing. He started to tell everyone that the record that was playing was mine as he was pointing over at me and overly excited, borderline groupie excited, had me like where they do that at?
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
