Thursday

Artists, Music

Catchin’ Up With KO

Over the past few months I’ve started to learn a lot more about the music industry, the time, the passion, and the dedication which is needed to make a career in this scene. When you hear the songs and watch the videos, everything seems really glamorous and easy, but I’ve come to learn that it’s far from that.

On a recent trip to Jersey to visit my “boss lady” I was hooked on this one track called “I Got You Hooked” by Baltimore-based artist, KO The Timeless. The production, his flow, (and cough, cough…the hook) was a complete package – I had to get my hands on more of him!

KO was nothing more than fun and the interview was interesting too! We talked about a whole bunch of things from being “married” to forthcoming projects, so continue and on and see what KO The Timeless had to say…

 

KO The Timeless…the infamous KO…the one and only KO…the KO I’ve heard so much about from my “boss!” Don’t worry, it’s only good things (laughing)! It’s a pleasure to finally do this! So let’s get straight into the hot stuff! Are you single because you’re Facebook profile says you’re married!
Haha, well I am glad it was all good things and it’s a pleasure to be here.  Hmm, okay. This is a tough question, but I’ll start by safely saying no I am not married.  There is someone, however. She isn’t a girlfriend but she is a great friend. We’ll see one day if destiny has it that we get serious with in the long run.  We’ll see.  But yeah I do a lot of facebook promoting, and I don’t want to come off as the creepy guy who’s adding people so when they see “married” I feel they aren’t as threatened when I approach. 

Haha, you know I had to throw that at you right away! So KO, I’ve been ‘hooked’ since I first heard “I Got You Hooked.” I want to know everything about that track? Who? What? Where? When? Why?
Hooked, huh? Guess my powers are starting to work, haha. But yeah, this track isn’t really about a person its more of a mind-state I was taking.  It’s easy to get caught up in the hype but I have to make sure my priorities are straight, and also it was a mad fun track to do.  Lil’ T’s hook got me thinking, then my mind just flowed and the pen took over.

Hey Monica, is this the part where I tell the readers to click the banner below to download the track?
Sure thing KO!

 

For some reason that’s a song that I’d picture a music video too! Any thoughts for it or another track?
Yeah I definitely agree, and yeah I would like to. I have to finish up college before I get into another project like that; stay tuned this summer once I have my degree.  By then though there may be other tracks up for a video, we’ll see what the future brings.

When did you know that the music industry was something you wanted to be a part of?
I knew that at the age of 8.  Exposure to A Tribe Called Quest and Nirvana got ME hooked to one day becoming a performer.  Got a guitar and started writing poetry by age 12.  Also, seeing my mom performing on stage, as a folk Bengali singer, while growing up did its toll on me. My mom was a recording artist in Kolkata, India.  Stories of that time that my dad would tell eventually turned me into a dreamer.

What do you think is the hardest thing you’ve had to deal with musically?
The hardest, huh? There’s been quite a lot. Sacrificing the social life was a big change, but I wouldn’t say that was the hardest.  I would say the hardest thing would have to be dealing with the choice of going to India for a few years right after graduation to work on music there.  There is a possible opportunity there that would require much more sacrifice, but I’m weighing out if it is worth leaving everything behind for that. And I mean… everything.  So I’m waiting to see when I will be ready for that.

Check out the music video to KO’s track “Sunlight”

 

How supportive has your family and friends been about pursuing a career in music?
In the beginning I hid it from my parents because I knew my dad would eventually give me the, “Your mom gave up a singing career for school, why can’t you?” lecture.  Eventually I told them and surely enough that’s what they gave me.  Nowadays they are supportive, just as long as I get done with college and get a job for now.  Friends are either hit or miss. After leaving the social scene people ask how the music is going when I bump into them, which is real cool. I can see others doubt, some mock. But hey, there’s always gonna be hate, even if its close by.

Which artists from the US in the Desi scene do you really admire right now?
Here we go. My man Raja Wilco moved into the Baltimore area and has become like a brother and second mentor, along with Panama, to me. Kaly is my man too. Got a great head on his shoulders. Ajaxxx is another great rapper with an unmatched energy he brings to every track.  And of course Aruna from Toronto… one of the most unique and talented singers to date, and she’s a real fun girl.  They possess a quality of skill which is hard to attain and I fully respect and admire.  I appreciate these cats to the fullest also because they helped me out when I was just starting out even though they were well ahead of me in the game. Sureet of Digital Desi Productions has been a pleasure to work with, real chill dude that I get to watch my Redskins games with. Rimi Basu is like a sister to me and she’s doing amazing things both here and in India. See, out there are so many “not so really nice” people in this industry, and I feel so blessed that I am surrounded by such genuine artists.

What’s on rotation on your iPod right now?
For the record, I have never owned an iPod…seems odd to spend like $300 for like a million GB of space when I can only listen to like 10-20 songs a day. I’ll just burn a mix CD haha. BUT you asked so here it is…

I keep a variety of old and new, mainstream and underground, always.  Songs like Steve Biko (Stir it up) by Tribe, Juicy by Biggie, Hip-hop saved my Life by Lupe, Mathematics by Mos Def, On the Eve of War by Jedi Mind Tricks, Out Here Gridin by DJ Khaled, Reality Check by Binary Star, Right Now by Akon, Family Business by Kanye, and my favorite hip-hop song of all time: The 6^th Sense by Common. I always throw in some old MJ too to rock to…I grew up a hip-hop dancer!!

I also took a listen to the track “The Flow Don’t Stop.” It was very different and I liked it a lot. Give us a little background on that track!
I had a lot of fun with this one.  From the moment I heard this beat I couldn’t stop thinking of making this a banger.  The chorus just gets nuts so I made the hook kinda abstract so you could just wild out on the dance floor and not worry about singing along.  The topic is a little broad but the theme was just more about how the industry is going to change… We’re gonna bring the lyrical side back, but keep the people dancing in the clubs.

Now you know me, I snoop around when I like an artist. I heard you’re working with Sureet on a project called “Crossroads.” Spill the beans, alright, well not all, but some!
Yes ma’am. The new mixtape comes out on New Years Day 2009. CROSSROADS! This is my third mixtape. The main producer is Sureet from Digital Desi, and I have a few guest beats on there.  Collabs for days: Raja Wilco, Kaly, Aruna, my boy Srik from India (he grew up in L.A. then moved there), some local cats and some more big names in the works. As you said, can’t spill ALL haha.

What advice do you have for those who want to make a career as an artist?
Be ready to sacrifice everything. At first it doesn’t seem so. In the beginning you will think you can handle everything, school, family, friends, music, work. No. If it’s THAT easy, that means you are nothing.

What else can we expect to hear from you in the near future?
Now that school is finishing that will free up some time, expect more multimedia projects. My media manager/website designer/ video director and editor Niaz Khan of SlowMotion Productions keeps me busy with his ideas. I’ll never stop rhyming so as soon as this drops it’s back to work for the 4th mixtape.

Do you have any final words for your fans and the readers of Bravura Artist Magazine?
Pray for the end of world violence, not just terrorism. There’s so much that goes on we don’t even hear in the news. Do everything you can to go green. I mean in the anti-global warming way. Yeah, yeah…we want our kids to have a nice Earth and all, but I mean… in the last year I’ve seen snow in April, AND have barbequed in January. That’s cool and all, but just not right. Oh yeah, and check me on MySpace, YouTube, and yeah…just Google the name: Ko the timeless!