That’s Crack, King Rab

Bumping a new rap playlist, I was trying to find something fresh and not getting very far, when, just after Ricky Styles’ ‘Balenciaga’, I heard something that sent a pleasant tingle down my spine. That opening guitar riff: Where had I heard something similar? Pausing the track, I racked my brains. Yes! It reminded me of the brilliant opener from ‘Losing My Balance’, in J. Cole’s unforgettable mixtape, “The Warm Up”… his best ever. I went back to the track – ‘Water’, and played it over twice.

The song stuck in my head, so I decided to check out the artist, King Rab. A friend put me in touch with King Rab, aka Rondell Walsh, hailing from Lake Wales (Polk County, Florida).

Over the course of a long chat, I found King Rab at once relaxed and reflective, and deeply connected to his roots as a man and a musician. As we exchanged views, I realized I enjoyed hearing King Rab’s perspectives on music, fashion, and life in general, and decided to share bits and pieces with our readers:

Q : What got you hooked on rap, King Rab? Tell us how your musical journey began.

KR : My sister had this old boom-box, on which she’d play RnB mixtapes. That’s how I fell in love with music, listening to Keith Sweat, Jodeci, Blackstreet… from there, I progressed inevitably to rap – Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, Lil Wayne, and of course, Rick Ross, he’s a Florida brotha, too.

I’ve been rapping since the age of 15. One of my earliest icons was Biggie Smalls—he was later known as “the Notorious B.I.G.”, of course, but to me, he was always Biggie Smalls. If you look at the video of my track, ‘Water’, you’ll see the theme from Biggie Smalls’ ‘Hypnotize’ repeated, a speedboat with friends having a good time… (laughs)

Q : Yes, I see the connection now… our readers can check out the music video of ‘Water’ on YouTube. So now we know about the visual inspiration behind your track. Can you tell us a little bit about the audio – what influenced you in shaping the sound?

KR : Although I’m from the south, you may have remarked how the sound of ‘Water’ has a mix of elements, including north and south, even from outside the genre, a bit bluesy as well. The main thing was to give it a mellow, upbeat feel.

You said you noticed a similarity between the guitar overture from my track and the one in J Cole’s mixtape… in my song, I’ve got a trumpet blending in besides the guitar, as well. I’ve had listeners say that the sunny sound reminded them of ‘Sunday Candy’.

Q : Right, although there, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment used piano very well to create a light, effervescent mood… but you didn’t go that route. Why not?

KR : I wanted to keep the instrumentation simple. One decision that helped maintain the emotional upswing of the song was to use a classic four beat structure. We avoided the triplet flow entirely, despite the fact that it’s grown so popular in rap lately that critics are saying it’s over-used. There’s something more intense about using the triplet flow, that’s more amenable to conveying darker emotions, bleak realities.

Q : What was your purpose in creating this song? How did you want the track to influence your audience?

KR : Very simply. I wanted listeners to connect with my song and my story. I wanted them to feel the positive energy and gratitude that helps me live my life on my own terms, while acknowledging all the good things and great people that have helped me in my dark times.

Like most people, I’ve been through ups and downs… I’ve experienced financial losses, seen relationships crash… I’ve lost a lot. But through everything, I’ve seen how true love and support have shone through, strengthening me and reinforcing my belief in myself and in goodness. And I want that message to reach out to my audience. To all my fans and supporters – you know who you are, a big thank you.

Q : This track, ‘Water’ is the first single to be released on Spotify from your debut album, “Beyond Doubt”. Where do you see your musical future going?

KR : I’m all about giving people the kind of music they can relate to, about what gives life joy and meaning. One thing that’s very important to me is giving back to the community. Music-wise, I’m looking to build collaborations with multiple artists under my music label, King Rab Muzik that will not only provide greater visibility to existing artists, but will help to identify and present new talent to the public.

Q : Given how much I’ve enjoyed your first track, I’m looking forward to your next release, and further collaborative projects from your label. Any hints to our readers on future release dates?

KR : Not yet, but I keep my supporters posted regularly on my Insta page. I also have a dope fashion line called KRC based off of my own designs that people can check out… ‘KRC’ is short for “Knowledge, Respect, Culture” – my core values. Chill with the rap!

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About the Author

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.