Born and raised in Winston-Salem, N.C., Kerry Blu moved to New York at the age of 24 and has since been living in the city's hustle and bustle.
In 2019 one of Kerry Blu's favorite songwriting students passed away from gun violence, which pushed him to pursue his music career with every ounce of hope in his inner being.
Within months Kerry Blu was performing and collaborating with artists like Kota the friend, Meyru, Michael Alvarado of Us The Duo, and more of today's most prominent artists in multiple genres. Not only has he worked with some of the major names in the industry, but he also founded the Empire State Music & Arts Festival, one of the largest independent, black own music festivals in NYC.
Collaborating with producer extraordinaire Kiyoto and the artistic talents of Hundreds Thousands, Kerry Blu brings forth his most recent single, "Think." A shimmering array of harmonies immediately greet us as we immerse ourselves in the acquainted melodies lapping the speakers in an undulating probe of Kerry Blu's angelic vocal range.
Delving into the moments that Covid-19 stole from people in 2020. The intoxicating reverberations of "Think" wash over you as the themes touch on claustrophobia, escaping reality, and the propaganda of the media as Kerry Blu raps with a passion-fueled juxtaposition. Serving up a roller-coaster of infectious grooves that plunge into an emotive headspace of lyrical offerings, we venerate the unique stylings that Kerry Blu contains in the admirable techniques he fluidly delivers to his audience. Classifying his sound as Alternative-Hop, the emotional connection that resonates with his fan base can be found as his marvelous timbres collide with the enticing production techniques at hand.
With the creation being molded during the pandemic in the comfort of his Brooklyn home, the lyrical motif of "I just need to escape, jet-set with my rib bro, propaganda fake news televised into my palm" illuminates glimmers of realism in the cognizant exploration of "Think." Kerry Blu is redefining enraptured thoughts laced in freedom.
Congratulations on the release of the brilliant single, “Think.” With the subject matter spoken about being so relative to the world we all know today, was it easy for you to allow the words to flow in this creation?
99% of what I write is recollection. It's me jumping back into moments that have long passed, or emotions that are more memories than actual tangible feelings in that moment of creation. Of course, they are still swimming around in there, waiting to come to the surface for a quick bite, but mostly they are untapped. This song was different because I wrote it while I was in the midst of the situation I was talking about. The pandemic was well underway, and the emotions that I was feeling were fresh cuts, not scars. I didn't have to reach for words because the words were all around me. I just had to be vulnerable enough, to be honest about what was happening.
Could you please take us into what the creative process entailed while bringing this ingenious masterpiece to life?
Honestly, I just had so much time when the pandemic started, and I needed somewhere to put my energy. I'm severely claustrophobic, and I felt like the walls were closing in early on. I just needed to tell someone how I felt, so I started looking for music, and I found an amazing producer named Kiyoto. When I heard the beat I was a goner. I didn't even buy it before I first started writing. In less than 20 minutes I had the song. The chorus definitely had metamorphoses over time, and I was lucky to bring in my good friend Hundreds Thousands to help me hone it, and get it right. It came very smoothly though. I think the good ones always do.
What was it like working with Kiyoto and Hundreds Thousands in order to achieve the desired sound that we hear in “Think?"
I think when you are an artist you have a relationship with your craft. You recognize your craft in the world, and if you hone it correctly, you start to see when your craft recognizes you. I think this is one of those songs that chose me, and I did not fight that feeling. The soundscape that Kiyoto created is a push and pull of so many emotions. it's so simply complex. It can make you laugh and cry. It can get you to dance, or cripple you under all the weight that it's holding. When you have that kinda space to create in, you just have to be honest, and I think Hundreds Thousands pushed me to hone in on the truth of the situation when he helped to write the chorus. He took what I already had, and tweaked it so beautifully to capture all of those emotions that were woven into the world of the music. It was a pleasure and an honor to work with them.
At what point do you know a song is ready to be released? With every artist being their own biggest critic, is a song ever fully ready?
I tell my high school students if there is a better way to say it, then you're not done. I think the same applies here. Of course, there are endless perspectives and ways to say something, but only one is the right way for you; and I think as an artist you start to recognize your voice and understand when you have done the best job you can at relaying the message or story that you set out to tell. You build a muscle for it. eventually, it just becomes second nature.
What's next for you?
This year is going to be an exciting one. My album "The Game is The Game" Drops on June 1st, and that's also around the time a feature film I'm a part of should be completed. I'm in production and working on a cooking show, and a documentary inspired by my album, and if everything goes well The Music Festival I founded (The Empire State Music & Arts Festival ) will be able to return in the late summer early fall. I think I'm just really thankful for what's ahead this year, and I'm looking forward to being past this pandemic.