Lyrical giant Killa Kali shares insight from his journey in Hip Hop on this interview with Insomniac Magazine.
I know you came up in Hip Hop’s golden era. Who are your favorites and why?
Planet Asia, The Wu, off top, big Snoop Dog, Nas, AZ, Cappadonna, Jay Z, B Siegel, Cali Agents, Souls of Mischief, Visionaries, Mac Dre, Lox, Biggie, pre Death Row, Mackavelli, Pac, Master P, E40, Mobb Figaz, R.I.P. Jacka, Cormega, BigPun. My era of rap was straight crack from the ’80s, ’90s till present. I live Hip Hop. My thing is, lots a dudes can rap, but there’s a way you finesse the word play and paint portraits. Lyricism! Now there are a lot more artists to chose from…which is healthy. Sometimes we forget to remember who’s listening and people may mimic what you speak. So a lot of my role model emcees I listen to are stand up characters and do for the communities they came from. There are emcees and producers out here doing evolved golden era sh*t. Saying the golden era is back….we are evolutions of the golden era. Yo, Willie the Kid, Westside and Conway, Nowaah the Flood, Jamal Gasol, Sauce Hiest, Realio Sparks, Hus KingPin, GodFahim, Tesla The Ghost, Da Fly Holigan, Cerebral Supreme. Salute all emcees getting busy for the culture.
You’re definitely a true lyricist, can you describe your writing process? What inspires you to create?
I spark up some OG in a phronto. When I go trough the beats, I listen to the melody and create a patten I like. Then, I put words to the pattern, depending on my day to situation. You know, life’s up and downs determine what I talk about. What I see that day or been going through. It’s my therapy I use to balance my aura. Sometimes my energy is to big to contain. So I get in the booth and get [it] all off my chest. I don’t know man. I travel, you know. I hop dimensions.
I know you have history with one of the dopest emcees in the game, Planet Asia, can you talk a bit about that?
May Allah shower him with blessings, word to life. P.A. all day! Stand for solutions. That dude is my best friend. In fact, if Planet Asia didn’t believe in me, there wouldn’t be no Killa Kali of GCM, period. That brother took me under his wing and I been rapping my ass off since. YO ASIA. THIS FOR YOU GOD. EVERYONE LOOKED PAST ME LORD. NOT YOU THO KING. You saw something in me I didn’t see in myself. Sh*t makes me tear up. It’s unbelievable to be around such a being yo! I’m a boss cause I learned from bosses, and they cosign your advancement.
On the real tho, I just try and add on to the empire and hold my own with such a monster artist. It’s big man. Look what we created gee, GCM/PRR. We still here. I came in 2004, it’s 2018. Oh Boarder Brothers about to drop Killa Kali X Planet Asia. This is the dopest crack duo since Ghostface and Raekwon period. CHAIN! I want the Rari 4×4 for the rest of the climb Lord.
There’s a lot of potent Hip Hop talent in Gold Chain Military, can you discuss how that came together?
Planet Asia along with Walt Liquer were the first to brand the label GCM. I know he had been working with Killer Ben, Tristate, Savkilz, and Turbin prior to our introduction. I met meet Planet Asia through Turbin. Turbin, my cousin StakTons and I had a freestyle group called FixFam. I was residing in Canyon Country, CA my second home near L.A. at the time. I was invited to a show. I hustled at the time. I knew who Asia was and was a fan, just based on we’re both from Fresno roots. It was the BB Kings in City Walk Universal. Anyhow, I just started chilling on some homie ish. One day we was in the lab. He said, “write,” I wrote. Built with the god everyday. I started meeting the other members and the GCM family was in full effect man. Everyone keeps adding on, building, we all brothers in this. Washeyi from Fresno family. I met Montage through state. He actually came to visit me and Killer Ben was in L.A. county jail. Right before the “Chain Of Command” dropped, Rogue I met after I got out of jail. GCM is family, that’s why people rock with us cause we treat everyone that’s with us like family. These days, that is hard to come by. Bang!
Is that where you met super producers DirtyDiggs or did you work together before that?
My manager and J.R. my son, yo Noy is my brother. Anyone got problems with them. We got problems. Word up. I met J.R., one half of DirtyDiggs through my homie GreenBerg… I was rocking with Planet Asia, my boy introduced us, and J.R. had beats on deck. I was like, “this guy’s dope.’ Then I met Noy. We worked, the opportunity arose, I brought J.R. to a session and he rose to the occasion as always. Those are my lil brothers man. J.R. and I got degrees together, joints together. Killa Kali is Dirty Diggs. J.R. is my go to, my biggest fan motivation. Noy and J.R. are the driving force to my success. They put me on a platform I’m trying to live up to. Salute J.R. and NOY. This is for y’all ninjas. PoisonousDiggs for ever fam!
Can you tell me about Poison Ring Regime?
Wow. PRR is it’s own machine. Planet Asia spoke it into existence. We spawned in rhymes. Spike Rings ninjas of the Chain. I took it and adding it to the platform. At a time I was going through things, giving up hustling and taking charge of change in my life. Everyone thought I was crazy, losing my mind. I just kept building our pipeline, building up my catalog. With a lot of us doing solo ventures I kinda missed the group building, so I started reaching out to artists I thought were dope. I feel like everyone man is a king. PRR is a network of kings, bosses, CEOs. We set trends, set the pace. I felt like there were a lot of artists who are dope and just waiting to spark. Really holding down the culture. The thing is, PRR isn’t just emcees. They’re producers, graphic designers, sound designers, visuals, photographers, graffiti artists, actors, clothing designers, the voice of the street. It’s been truly an honor to be a part of such an explosive time in history, present and future of hip hop. The first ones to bless PRR was the producers DirtyDiggs, GrimazMuszik, The Architect, K-Nite-London, Drey Yard-Poland, Playah Haze, then the Untouchables, Jay Holly, Kincee, CasaBlanca, Mad B, DirtyDef, The Kurse, Hus KingPin and Rozewood of the Winners. Then it went crazy. Yo, Jamal Gasol hit me. Then Realio Sparks hit me. Then I hit Sauce Hiest. Then Cuns, Henry McKool, Ahktain, Opium Den, Sulplex of Beat Brusiers, King Mega, Daily Opertion’s Chop Shop, Tesla the Ghost Cypress, Karnate, Ray Vendetta, Ringz Of Saturn, Da Fly Hooligan, Savage, Robby J producer, Hue Hefner, Stylistic Jones, Rogue Venom, Planet Asia, TRISTATE, Savkilz , KillerBen, Turbin, Washeyi, MONTAGEONE, Killa Kali, Gallio Point, Madone, RoyalMinus, Minusone, Paradox, ByrdLand, YashAllah, Grungy Boguez, SubP, MakP, Doullah Black Death, KingColdPack, S.O.E. Nash, KSB LustManteca, CapChino. Salute! I can’t even keep up.
What marketing activities do you feel have been the most impactful in helping boost your footprint in the game?
The fans gee. Blogging, Insta, Twitter, outlets like Insomniac Mag, SoundCloud, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. There’s way more outlets, you know, the more money you invest, the more exposure you’re gonna get. But the best promo is getting out there in the world and just getting busy. Hit my manager JR at dirtydiggsmusic@gmail.com (atten. Killa Kali booking) to book Killa Kali or any of the PRR family Members.
Can you share the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far during your journey in the music industry?
Your presence can be felt in more than one place at the same time. Energy travels beyond the physical realm.
What next for Killa Kali?
Oh we lit IZ! Keep a positive mind. Down with Dope, Up with Cope. 23 back on the court, Lebron James with the Lakers, my born’s in two days 8/23, Border Brothers, PRR comp, PoisonousDiggs EP, Mad projects in the works. Especially from the whole GCM/PRR Family!
Can you leave us with some words of wisdom?
KALI equals Knowledge Allahs Lyrical Ingredients. Killa Kali equals knowledge. Knowledge equals wisdom.
Wisdom is the manifestation of knowledge. It’s to speak on what you know both mentally and physically. Wise words being spoken by a wise man possessing a wise mind: wisdom, wise dome… Wisdom is The Way within the culture of I-God. Wisdom is symbolic of the Black Woman. Wisdom is secondary but most necessary. The element of Water is symbolic of wisdom. Stay loyal to self. Master the unknown. Wisdom. Understanding. Bang!
Interview conducted by IZ-REAL.
