K-the-I???

Introduce yourself, what are your rap affiliations, etc.?

Well hello there, my name is k-the-I??? To most I’m known as kiki (this is where I got my emcee name from). As for affiliations, my crews would be, NMS, TFD, Komadose, The Lost Channel, Angry Space, Avant Guard, Youth:KiiLL, and Dysfunktional Ikonz.

Which city do you rep?

I rep Cambridge Mass man, all the way, for those who don’t know where Cambridge Mass is, it’s the city with the best schools in the world, a.k.a. Harvard, and M.I.T.

It seems that lately you are gaining momentum as far as popularity and building your fan base goes. Tell us about your career up until this point?

Well I jumped on the scene really in 98-99 with a very weird but different sound I would say, but I’ve been rapping since 7th grade, 1992.

From freshman year of high school to my senior year I teamed up with a bunch of my friends from my neighborhood to make the super group known as Question, we were the Wu-Tang of mass basically. 8 humans, 7 were emcee’s 1 was a producer, but basically we we’re the bullies, or like my man Vyle likes to call it the cypha bullies, we were the kids that ripped everyone one in battles and all that but that stopped after high school once we noticed we needed good songs as well as being able to freestyle/battle.

In 99-2000 I dropped an EP titled “Forgotten Realm” it was an EP mainly to shop around and get some shows, so sort of like a press kit to get my name heard.

Shortly after that a lot of people started emailing me showing interest in my music but this still wasn’t enough, so in 2002 I joined a group called The Lost Channel, a crew of talented artist out of Cambridge, and I also formed with other groups, Distorted Megabytes and Dysfunktional Ikons. A few months later we (the lost channel) teamed up with another crew called Komadose (based out of Martha’s Vineyard Mass), from there on, it was on…

Soon after teaming up with Komadose now making it Komadose/lost channel we dropped a compilation titled “Beta One” and that kind of made the underground flip I don’t think people in the underground were expect kids from Massachusetts to bring it like that, the record was raw and melodic at the same time plus trippy, it helped me gain tons of attention, enough attention to get me a deal with Beyond Space Ent a label who realized my first solo attempt titled “Me, Myself, K-The, 3rd Person -I???” This gained me a lot of support.

I attempted to contact Mush records, at this time a label based out of Chicago and see if they’d be interested in helping me take it to the next level. So I sent them forgotten realm my first EP, they liked it and ask me to send more music, I did, they also liked it but didn’t think I was ready just yet to be released to the world and they offered me some advice which was to get my name out there and sell cdr’s post on forums etc…

So around this time I started hitting up forums and all types of web sites to come listen to my stuff being that I have music online now, in 2004 my homie bigg jus formerly of company flow invited me to come to Atlanta to record a song with him and orko called “Ha Ha Ha (x4) to later be released on the first NMS record titled “Woe to Thee O Land Who’s King Is a Child released by Big Dada, a European based label who’s recognition has grown, this was a perfect opportunity to get my name out there and that it did.

Also in 2004 I was on a record put out by 2nd records titled “Isn’t This Enough” a Stacs of Stamina record.

In 2005 I was approached by Mush to release some records, so in 2005 I got signed by Mush. My record for them is titled “My Broken Love Letter.” A record about love, emotions and my past endeavors with the female race, consider it my “emo record” haha.

In 2005 I also got picked up by a German label called Shadow Animals and they’re working on getting record pressed real soon being that it’s finally complete this record is titled “3 to 3 million robots to command (symbiosis inside never never land)” which features my DJ Shortrock all over it.

In 2005 Subversiv released “Farewell Archetype” me and Kaeoflux had a song on there but it was a remix to our Komadose song “The Cessation of Samsara” (Dark Nights remix by Orphan)

In 2005 I’ve been picked up by 6months a label owned by Anticon’s own Sole, I’m still working on this record, but I appeared on jdwalker’s record off this label titled “Them Get You, Them Got You.”

In 2005 Scott Da Ross of Endemik released a record featuring me on it’s 7″ title “They Made Me Do It.”

In 2005 I also record a couple of songs for Hoverocks compilation “Hoverock presents Kite Crucifix Beyond: Valium 1”

I have a 45 being dropped by UK based label called Filthy Habits and an instrumental record coming out on Net31, the instro record is called “Drowning the Puzzle.”

Nasa (ex Def Jux member) picked me up as well, uncommonmusic.net

In 2006 I’ve been picked up B.E.A.R a subtitle digital label.

In 2006 I also appeared on the second NMS release titled “Imperial Letters of Protection” on this record I have a solo song called “Hold the Atmosphere.”

In 2006 Shadow Animals released “Winter Collection 2005” me and shortrock have a song on there titled “Applesoup” taken from our soon to be announced release of our shadow animal’s record.

In 2006, “We Are” the first Uncommon Records compilation to be dropping which I’m on and the whole SMI crew (Masai Bey, Zesto, Tracy Jones, etc…) as well as Dig Dug.

This is where I am now.

Do you still keep in touch with the people that you first started rapping with?

Yeah, I always keep in touch with everyone I’ve done music with.

Your style is very original. Are there any points, etc… that you are trying to get across through your music?

Well basically I always have messages in my songs, sometimes the message is graphic and sometimes the message is political and righteous either way, I have a huge imagination.

You seem to know a lot of fans/artist personally in the indie rap scene. Is this important to you?

I feel it’s very important. You kind of want to know your fans and I’m a nice person anyway so this is how I am with everyone, friendly. So weather you’re a fan, artist or anything, if you’re cool, it’s real easy to become my friend.

You have been to Canada a couple times if I’m not mistaken. How would you describe Canada and it’s rap scene?

I actually used to date a girl from Canada, she was real close to being my wife, I’ve actually been to Canada millions of times, I got a lot of family there. I’ve performed in Guelph and North Bay Ontario with my good friend Noah23, it was awesome. I’ve also performed in Halifax with Recyclone, put on by Scott Da Ross. From what I’ve seen and noticed Canada got an awesome scene with cats like Thesis, Noah23, Stigg of the Dump, Sixtoo, Buck 65, Esthero (I love this girl), Recyclone, Killer Jewel, etc… the list goes on.

What do you make of the many divisions in rap?

Well hip hop is based on a clash of music, you sample for 1, some sing/rap, it’s endless, some chose to rap about money and be jiggy, some want to “keep it real” so I try not to thing much about the divisions of rap.

What would you be doing if it wasn’t for rap?

Going to school, or teaching by now, somewhere in Japan.

What was your last day job?

Landspeed Records, a distribution company based out of Boston.

What bugs you the most in this world?

The American government, furthermore every government that treats there people like shit, believe me I pay attention to the world. Those in power usually destroy the nation.

Who do you make music for the most?

Really I make my music for anyone that wants to listen to it, and that’s that, if for some reason you’re feeling my music then I guess I’m making it for you.

Do you have any last words?

Yeah. Thank you Epic for interviewing me, it means a lot. And props to the homies TFD, NMS, Hoverrock, Milled Pavement, The Official, Broken Klutch, Jacques La Roq, Optimis GFN, Shortrock, V8, Vyle, Shadow Animals, Subversiv, JD Walker, Sole, Alias, Bremar, Someday, Recyclone, Endemik (Bleubird, Scotty, and Skyrider), Mush Records, Robert, AntiMC, Radioinactive, Existereo, Eliot Lipp, Leo123, Subtitle, Walter Gross, the list goes on…