KING BLESS

BRONX, NEW YORK | KING BLESS

INTERVIEW: KIM "GOODLOOK" SEABROOK

BRONX, BORN AND RAISED, KING BLESS, AN INDEPENDENT HIP-HOP ARTIST, REMINDS YOU BAR FOR BAR THAT HIS BOROUGH'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BIRTH OF THE CULTURE WE CALL HIP-HOP. THE BATTLE RAPPER TURNED EMCEE HAS WORKED WITH INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS LIKE HARLEM'S, DAVE EAST, DJ KAY SLAY AND JIM JONES AND BRONX BRETHREN, INDEPENDENT HIP-HOP ARTIST HADDY RACKZ, JUST TO NAME A FEW. HIS REAL LIFE STORES ARE BOUND TO CAPTURE THE EAR ON ANY DIEHARD HIP-HOP FAN. KING BLESS RECENTLY DISCUSSED HOW THE BRONX INFLUENCED HIM, HIS LATEST PROJECT AND MORE.

VALIDATED: BEING A BRONX NATIVE, HOW HAS THE BOROUGH'S CULTURE INFLUENCED YOU AS AN ARTIST?

KING BLESS: EVERYTHING FROM THE LIVING CONDITIONS, THE PEOPLE AROUND ME, THE STRUGGLE AND HARDSHIPS PLAYED A PART IN MOTIVATING ME TO BREAK THE CYCLE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TO WANT TO TELL MY STORY AND GIVE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME, WHERE I’M FROM, HOPE. THE TOWN IS MY BIGGEST MOTIVATION.

VALIDATED: I HEARD YOU STARTED WITH BATTLE RAPPING. IS THAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW IN YOUR CAREER AND YOUR STYLE/FLOW?

KING BLESS: A HUGE DIFFERENCE, ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE INCORPORATED MANY MORE STYLES AND FLOWS SINCE I FIRST STARTED. I’VE HAD TIME TO EXPERIMENT AND PERFECT DIFFERENT STYLES AND CADENCES.

VALIDATED: YOUR SOUND HAS A COMBINATION OF OLD SCHOOL AND NEW SCHOOL. HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR YOU TO STICK TO YOUR ROOTS AND STILL GET THE NEWER GENERATION TO ADMIRE YOUR WORK?

KING BLESS: EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! I FEEL LIKE PRODUCTION IS A MAJOR PART IN KEEPING EVERYTHING MODERN. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN EAR FOR PRODUCTION AND MY PRODUCERS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AT THAT. AND IT IS NATURAL FOR ME BECAUSE OF MY VERSATILITY WITH THE FLOW. I DON’T FOCUS ON TRYING TO SOUND OR MIX OLD SCHOOL AND NEW SCHOOL. MY JOB IS JUST TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL THINGS WHEN THEY LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.

VALIDATED: EXPLAIN YOUR SLOGAN "MOTIVATE THE REAL".

KING BLESS: I WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR ME AND COME AWAY WITH SOMETHING WHETHER IT BE MORE MOTIVATION, LEARNING SOMETHING, OR APPLYING SOMETHING THAT I SAY TO LIFE TO HELP THEM LEVEL UP. I MAKE MUSIC FOR REAL PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH OR HAVE GONE THROUGH REAL SITUATIONS, AND I’M HERE TO MOTIVATE THEM AND GIVE THEM INSPIRATION.

VALIDATED: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HELP CHANGE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR CIRCLE?

KING BLESS: ONCE I HELP THEM, IT PUTS THEM IN A POSITION TO HELP THEIR FAMILY AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY CARE ABOUT. AND THE CYCLE CAN CONTINUE.

VALIDATED: KEVIN GATES, NIPSEY HUSSLE AND DON Q ARE ARTISTS YOU'VE MENTIONED YOU'D LIKE TO WORK WITH. ARE THERE ANY FEMALE ARTIST ON YOUR BUCKET LIST OF COLLABS?

KING BLESS: KASH DOLL, AMERIE AND RAPSODY.

VALIDATED: YOU TOOK A BREAK FROM MUSIC FOR A WHILE BECAUSE AS AN ARTIST OR SOMEONE CREATIVE IT HAS TO HAPPEN AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE. EXPLAIN THE PROCESS... LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS, THE STRUGGLES. DID YOU EVER FEEL LIKE QUITTING COMPLETELY AND WHAT MADE YOU COME BACK?

KING BLESS: WELL I HAD A BRIEF HIATUS DUE TO SOME LEGAL ISSUES, AND THROUGHOUT THAT ENTIRE SITUATION I FELT LIKE IT WAS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE. IT ALLOWED ME TO GET MORE IN TUNE WITH MYSELF AND REALLY FOCUS ON CREATING A PLAN AND EXECUTING. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT QUITTING, JUST MORE SO COMING BACK STRONGER THAN EVER.

VALIDATED: YOU HAVE A MIXTAPE CALLED "THE FRUITION" WHICH HAPPENS TO BE MORE PRODUCER HEAVY THAN FEATURING ARTISTS. WHAT MADE YOU GO THAT ROUTE WITH THIS PROJECT?

KING BLESS: PRODUCTION IS THE FIRST STEP IN MY CREATIVE PROCESS. THE MUSIC SPEAKS TO ME AND I CREATE RECORDS BASED ON HOW I FEEL AT THE TIME. I WAS NEVER SOMEONE LOOKING TO GO BIG WITH FEATURES TO BRING ATTENTION TO WHAT I DO. ALL I CARE ABOUT IS MAKING GOOD MUSIC AND THINGS HAPPEN ORGANICALLY.

VALIDATED: AS AN ARTIST, WHICH IS MORE BENEFICIAL, IS IT BETTER TO DO A MIXTAPE, EP OR AN ALBUM? EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE.

KING BLESS: IT IS ALL THE SAME TO ME, I LOVE TO CREATE AND WILL NOT STOP DOING SO! I WANT TO FEED PEOPLE AS MUCH AND OFTEN AS POSSIBLE WITH GREAT MUSIC.

VALIDATED: CEO OF BLUE CHIP MAFIA WHICH IS YOUR NEWLY FOUNDED RECORD LABEL. HAVE YOU SIGNED ANY ARTIST YET? IF NOT, DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY IN MIND AND WHAT TYPE OF ARTIST ARE YOU LOOKING FOR TO BE APART OF THE MAFIA FAMILY?

KING BLESS: HAVEN’T SIGNED MY FIRST ARTIST YET. I’M LOOKING AT A FEW PRODUCERS AT THE MOMENT. WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT I’LL BE LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC ARTIST WITH DOPE MUSIC.

VALIDATED: ANY ENCOURAGING WORDS FOR OUR YOUNGER GENERATION?

KING BLESS: STAY TRUE, DON’T GET WRAPPED UP IN WHO IS SUPPORTING OR NOT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LEVEL UP EVERYBODY WILL FALL IN LINE. OH YEA… AND DON’T BE A DRUG ADDICT!

VALIDATED: WHAT IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA INFO?

KING BLESS: INSTAGRAM - @KINGBLESSBX

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