KAY. is a 25-year-old rap & alternative artist, born in Bratislava, Slovakia, who is currently living in Miami, Florida. KAY. began his music career at the young age of 17 when he first picked up a guitar. After playing in various metal, rock, and punk bands, KAY. introduced himself to rap and hip-hop music. He strives to create rap music with a grunge/punk edge. Some of his main artist inspirations include Nirvana, Bush, Blink 182, G-Eazy, Lil Peep, and Jez Dior.
“HIGH TIDE.” is a new song by KAY. that we’ve fallen in love with at BuzzMusic. The hip-hop/trap beat is layered with KAY’s vocalism. His voice is raspy and original, with underlying elements of emotion and truth. The structure of “HIGH TIDE.” definitely has moments that take the listener to the early 2000’s punk tracks that resonate with us so fondly. The simple guitar riff that kicks off and ends “HIGH TIDE.” really adds an element of simplicity and beauty to this well-rounded and finely-calibrated track. KAY. makes music that his listeners and fans can turn on and escape to while managing to create unique contemporary music. “HIGH TIDE.” is the perfect example of what KAY’s abilities as an artist are and we can’t wait to hear more.
Check out “HIGH TIDE.” here and read more in our exclusive interview with KAY.
Hey KAY.! Welcome to BuzzMusic. We were vibing with your track “HIGH TIDE.” What does this song represent for you?
This song represents a new sound in my music. It's only recently that I have been getting more comfortable with my singing in my songs, and I wanted to explore that further, also by creating a song, that feels good and fresh, but also talks about real topics and shows parts of my life. The song is a struggle between finding yourself and what you really want in life, and expresses how hard it is getting over someone, who you have been with, and it shows the dark and bright sides of it in the song, both in lyrics and its sound.
What has been one of your most memorable or life-changing achievements as an artist so far?
Definitely deciding to start making music and actually releasing it and showing it to the world. Music has always been something like therapy for me, something that I do when I want to escape whatever is happening around me, something that sets my mind free of the bad things. I have been into music for quite a while, both in bands - vocals or guitar, but also as a solo artist, but I have only decided to release my music out to the world around three years ago. My biggest achievement is definitely being able to do that and get my music to the level that it is today.
What are your thoughts on mainstream hip-hop at present, and your hopes for the genre going forward?
I grew up on rock, punk and metal music as a kid and all throughout my teen years, but I love hip hop music! I started listening to rap and hip hop more around the age of 18-19 (I'm currently 25) and have been obsessed with it since. I definitely see a lot of future in hip hop, especially as I see with the 90s style coming back and a lot of artists adding unique sounds to their music (artists like Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, Juice Wrld, Aries and Jez Dior), which I think is pretty cool and it's definitely going to diversify hip hop as a genre.
How important is it to tell your own unique and honest story in hip-hop?
It definitely is important. I think music is about self expression, and a way to connect with people is to share parts of your life and who you are as a person and as an artist, as well as the things you go through in your life and its struggles. If you tell a genuine story, people will connect with it.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the music industry?
I learned that music is pretty much about self-exploration, exploring yourself as a person, who you are, and also as an artist. Music has changed me so much, taught me a lot throughout the years and made me the person I am today, and I am grateful for that. I found out that in music, you should be honest and real with your listeners, because that is the only way that they will really connect with you. Therefore, my music and lyrics are always pretty personal, revolving around my life, relationships and experiences I go through. I'm releasing my debut album "Wake me up when it's all over." soon (16 songs), that are all really personal and I talk about my past 3 years, how I grew as a person and all the heartbreak and struggles that I had to go through on the way.
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