Kaci Brookz: From Across The Pond

Forging a distinctive sound, Londoner Kaci Brookz is a name that is destined to be on everyone’s lips very soon. The rising star has just dropped a new single “Steppin,” his third official release, which blends a unique mixture of R&B, Hip-Hop and Trap, complimented by strong lyrical flows. The teen is now bringing his undeniable talent to the world, taking inspiration from R&B legends; Chris Brown, Tory Lanez, Usher, Craig David and B Young, having been working extremely hard behind the scenes in order to make his vision for 2020 a true reality.

Check out “Steppin” on Spotify here, and read on for our exclusive interview with Kaci Brookz…

When did you first become interested in making music?

Kaci Brookz: I have always been around music. My parents aren’t musicians, but we always had music playing around the house; especially ’90’s R&B. When I was younger, I spent time in musical theater, which was great as it gave me confidence to be able to perform on stage from a young age. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to perform as a solo singer at an unsigned music event. I enjoyed it so much, and got a great reaction from the audience. It was then that I really knew that I wanted to focus on music, and it has progressed from there.

What inspired you to make your first single?

KB: I started out singing covers of other artists, and still really enjoy doing that when I can. However when I did these covers, I always had a tendency and an urge to put my own spin on them. I soon realized that I would like to try and create my own original music. Initially, I was pretty naive to the whole process as I had no experience in writing lyrics or what the music industry was about. But, I took the challenge of pushing myself in new areas. So, my first single “You Make Me Wanna” was something that I was very proud of. It was a great learning experience from working with producers, to creating a music video. I think the experiences I developed over that period really sparked my passion and hunger to make it in the music game.

Where do you hail from?

KB: I am from South West London.

Who do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?

KB: There’s so much to choose from…as I mentioned, I grew up listening to R&B so Stevie Wonder was one of my first musical memories. I love the ’90’s and 2000’s, from K-Ci and JoJo to Usher to Ne-Yo. Even now, I don’t understand why or how that music ever moved out of the mainstream, it confuses me, so until about a couple of years ago they were my strongest influences.

…More recently, my music taste expanded massively and I began finding some crazy artists from the U.S. like Tory Lanez, Roddy Rich, D Smoke, Drake, the list is endless. This is alongside all of the rising UK artists that are really putting the UK on the map.

…So I guess what I am saying is that my style has been inspired and influenced by a wide range of artists, new and old…and as a result, my songs have many different genres within them.

How do you classify your overall sound and / or style?

KB: My sound…hmm…you would call it a blend of R’n’B, Trap and Hip-Hop – which might sound a bit complicated – but once you hear my tracks I think you’ll understand it more. It’s my own style, something that you can’t replicate, which hopefully gives me my own lane.

Your latest single is entitled “Steppin”—Tell me about this track? How did it come together?

KB: “Steppin” was created at a time where I was experimenting with my sound. In my head, I knew that I was evolving and I was already thinking about the bigger project that I had in mind. This was definitely an opportunity to see how I could grow. So this song was really my first experiment with blending genres. I wrote and recorded the song in the same day, and it all came quite easily. I think this is because the song was just so right for me at that time. It went just as I had planned. Me and the producer, Jojo F, had been going crazy creatively and it just didn’t stop, and so the melodies and lyrics sort of just rolled-off-the-tongue in the booth.

What do you feel you bring to the music industry that we don’t already have in other performers?

KB: I’m young, but I think that I bring something unique to the table which is not really out there at the moment. It’s my own sound, which I believe crosses a number of different genres, and most importantly I’m me, that’s the real USP!

If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?

KB: Real tough question…I’d probably say Tory Lanez. I’ve just always liked what he does with his stuff. He’s so creative, and has been working on his sound for years. He does things that other people can’t do, and with me the artists I listen to have to be unique and grind hard. That’s kinda the mentality I’ve got, therefore I want to collab with people who have the same energy and can push me to be the best version of myself.

In terms of longevity, what do you feel it is that will continue to sustain you in this grueling industry?

KB: The music industry is tough, for real, but I love the grind. It’s all about putting in the hard work to continually improve yourself and your product. I wake up thinking about music and how I can evolve my sound. If you want to survive in the industry, the key is to never stand still, always think about the next step in the journey and try to stay ahead of the game.

Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?

KB: Five or ten years…WOW…the dream is to be a household name, worldwide. I want to have built my following in the UK and broken into the American market, working with the biggest artists, performing to the biggest crowds. With the world of social media, there is so much opportunity to be seen in all parts of the world, so it makes the dream far more achievable. If that all goes to plan, then I will be buying my parents the biggest house and owning my own record label. Yeah, something like that.

What’s next for Kaci Brookz?

KB: This year is all about launching my new project, the album. A lot of people have asked, “Why not launch an EP, why an album?” I think that’s the whole point, I want to be different. As an unsigned artist, not many people will have heard of what I am doing and then “Boom!” this album drops out of nowhere. That concept should interest people because they’ll be intrigued. It’s just a case of them finding out about it, which I obviously can’t really control, but interviews like this will definitely help.

…For me, it’s all about my development in all forms, my music, my popularity, my creativity, the people I’m working with, the people I meet. I can’t wait for everyone to hear where I am going as an artist – there are big things coming this year – for sure.

Connect With Kaci Brookz:

Instagram – www.instagram.com/kacibrookz

Website – www.kacibrookz.com

YouTube – www.youtube.com/kacibrookz

SoundCloud – https://soundcloud.com/kaci-brookz

Special Thanks to MN2S

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER

Tags: #HypeMagazine, #TheHypeMagazine, #TheHypeMagazineNetwork, Interview