K.I.M.

How many days of the year are you on the road?
About half the year.

Is it still as fun as it was when you started, or do you see it as part of your job?
It’s still a lot of fun. It’s hard work, but it’s still fun. I just like to perform. I literally go crazy if I don’t do a show. I’m not a nice person to be around if I don’t have something lined up.

How has your stage show changed over the years?
I’m just a lot better at it now. We got a band now, so I travel with a five-piece band. Up until last year it was just me, Joyo Velarde, and a DJ, so it’s actually changed quite a bit. Night and day.

In your opinion, how has the definition of hip-hop changed since its conception?
To me it’s just become much more diverse, and evolved a lot. I feel like even when I first started listening to hip-hop, or first started rapping, there weren’t really that many records coming out compared to now. Now it’s changed so much I think it would be hard to find two people who agree on what hip-hop is. There are so many groups, and styles, and regions and countries out there doing it.

As an artist do you see any boundaries in the music?
I try not to. I personally try to expand it, and push it further.

Do you feel your music surpasses what is expected of hip-hop music?
Maybe, that’s what I try to do. I don’t try to go beyond, but provide something that’s different. Of course I’m trying to do the best job I can, but really I’m just trying to insert myself where there is nothing there, or a void.

Are there certain elements that you consciously keep, or are you pretty free when you get into the song making process?
Well, I try to go by feeling as much as I can. I might do something somebody else has done, but maybe I haven’t done it yet. Or maybe sometimes I’ll try something that nobody has done before. It’s difficult because there is so much music history, so you have to reinterpret, or do it your own way.

They say good artist borrow and great artists steal.
[Laughs] Do they say that?

With hip-hop people are quick to say, oh, so and so is biting this person, is that just the nature of hip-hop?
I think that’s how it used to be; I don’t think anybody really feels that way now. In a lot of ways if you bite it’s almost expected of you, and if you don’t then there is something wrong with you. I don’t really take that attitude, but I think it has just changed over the years.

People are becoming more diverse in their musical preferences, but when it comes to hip-hop it seems the majority of people are stuck in their ways. Do you see that, and if so do you know why that is?
I would say the mainstream has become very restrictive. Yeah, there may be certain factions of hip-hop that are real conservative, but I don’t have any control over that so I don’t deal with it. I try not to be that way, but sometimes I even catch myself being that way, but I try not to.

What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m producing Joyo Velarde’s album. That’s what I’m spending most of my time doing. I’m executive producing Pigeon John’s album for Mobile Home/Quannum. We’re going to be doing a Lyrics Born live album soon. I’ve been concentrating on getting my websites online store running [www.lyricsborn.com].

Is the role of producer a role you have always wanted to take on?
Well yeah, it’s been a goal of mine for the past few years to really get better as a producer. I take on projects like Joyo’s album to push myself forward.

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