Who is K.I.N.G. the MC?
K.I.N.G. the MC calls Nashville home but when you get into his music he could be from any of the great Hip Hop centers of the US. Lyrical missiles and storytelling are one of the trademarks of a great MC and this young lion fulfills both of those requirements. Once I got a bar of his new project “The Good. The Bad. The Ugly II” it was obvious we needed to introduce you and to that end, The Hype Magazine got him to weigh in on a few things…!
From the outside looking in, who is K.I.N.G. the MC
Born Zachary Taylor Boetcher. I am an American rapper, songwriter, motivational speaker, lyricist, and spoken word artist. K.I.N.G. is an acronym for Knowledge Inspiring New Greatness. My music has been influenced by the hardships and life experiences I have endured. I was born poverty-stricken but purpose-filled. My dream of success and overcoming the cycle of poverty is the driving force behind my music. My purpose is to encourage others to go after their dreams in spite of the circumstances and obstacles they face in their own lives. I hope to inspire minds and touch the hearts of everyone who listens to my music.
What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?
The strong emotions music evokes is what drew me in at an early age. Later in life I discovered that music could provide a platform for me to potentially inspire others, just by telling my story unapologetically.
What do you want people to get from your music?
My intention behind my music is to tell my story in a manner that resonates deep within while simultaneously encouraging the listener to tap into the ability each of us has to manifest our thoughts into reality, despite our current circumstances.
Tell us about your current project and what it means for you
My current project is titled “The Good. The Bad. The Ugly II”. This 21 track project consists of several soulful ballads inspired by my life and the lives of those who’ve inspired me. From songs dedicated to local legends to testimonies about how I almost lost my life, each song is intended to have a meaningful message at the core. What makes this album most special to me is the time span in which the “tracklist” was created. Many songs were indeed created shortly before the release of the project, however a few tracks such as, “Choices” and “G.B.A.”, were written and recorded nearly over a decade ago.
For new listeners, what song of yours would you pick as an introduction to you as an artist?
If I had to choose just one song of mine I feel truly encompasses me as an artist the most, I’d say it would have to be “True Colors”, from my debut project “The Good. The Bad. The Ugly”. ” The track opens and ends with the audio from a video captured by Tobe Nwigwe during his first show here in Nashville. In this video I seized the opportunity to rap the first verse of “True Colors” Accapella for Tobe and his producer Lanelle Grant.
Tobe is one of my favorite artists so that made this one of the most meaningful moments I have ever experienced. To capture the essence of this moment and embed it in my debut album only made sense to me. This particular track is also the only 4 verse track I’ve recorded to date. Each verse contains stories about my life, spanning from my childhood to present circumstances.
Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of music…
Outside of music, I perform spoken word and recently have begun to do some acting as well. I also have a real estate investment company called Dollars For Doors LLC. I created this company a little over 2 years ago and my primary focus with my company currently is wholesaling real estate. Simply put, I connect the dots between homeowners wanting to sell their property “as-is” and investors looking to purchase these types of properties without the need for traditional financing. You can find out more about my company and the services we provide by going to www.dollarsfordoorsllc.com.
Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” aka WTF?! moment…
I would have to say my craziest “Where they do that at?!” moment would be how I met the legend, Nas. Through a former associate of mine I managed to get V.I.P. access into the Essence Festival in New Orleans this past year. There was only one catch though, I didn’t have the official VIP bracelet. I only got in by being personally escorted through the main entrance and two additional checkpoints by someone with an “ALL ACCESS” badge, which is typically only given to people actually working the event like DJs, photographers, etc. This meant that if I happened to accidentally leave the VIP I would not be able to re-enter.
Well of course as you might’ve expected not even 15 minutes into exploring the VIP I accidentally stumble out onto the main floor. Upon realizing my mistake I immediately tried to get back in the VIP and actually managed to persuade my way through the first checkpoint, however, despite me having literally just spoken to them when I entered the first time, the attendants scanning people into what was the 2nd checkpoint and main entrance to the VIP were not budging one bit. For the next 30 minutes I was stuck in this “grey area” between the two checkpoints that lead to the VIP. I didn’t want to just give up on getting back in, especially after seeing celebrities like P Diddy’s son and Jermaine Dupri walk through this checkpoint area. So in a spirit of optimism I came up with a plan to wait until I saw someone walk through with that “ALL ACCESS” badge and hope they would show some sympathy and help me get through that final checkpoint.
I finally muster up some courage and approach this photographer passing through explaining to him my dilemma. He walked off for a moment but then, as he was getting scanned to go through that final checkpoint, he looked back at me and motioned for me to come over and told the attendants I was with him and just like that I was back in VIP. Before we went our separate ways the photographer said “Remember me and don’t forget this day!”. Come to find out the gentleman who let me in was the famous celebrity photographer Johnny Nunez.
Once back in VIP I began to walk around and network, finding myself standing near the VVIP section, aka the VIP within the VIP. Seemingly out of nowhere Nas and his entourage appear and are walking past me towards the “VVIP”. In a wave of excitement I yell “Nasir!” and he actually stops and looks back at me so I walk up to him extending my hand to show him some love and he extends his arm right back out to embrace me as if we had met before. I tell him who I am and how much he has inspired me and he says “Don’t stop KING. No matter what, don’t stop.” He goes on his way and the next time I see him he is performing on the main stage, felt like the whole experience was a dream.
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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.
