Self-described as a skeleton key, rapper/producer Kid Breeze has a certain versatility and hunger as an artist that can only be produced on Chicago's Westside. Breeze breaks down his style, influences, and the nuances of being a double threat for fromchicagototheworld. Be sure to check out his beat work and his latest release T's and B's.
Hometown: Chicago (West Side)
Top 3 Influences: Off top, its My immediate family, Bruce Wayne (Batman), Kanye West
Favorite Chicago Artists: Way too many to name but a few are Chanelle Tru, Ro Marsalis, Panamera P, TriNohbi, Ju Jilla, Joel Q, Ausar, Richie Wes, Heavy Crownz, Josi Green, Weasel Sims, MFnMelo, Jae Haze, i’ll be here all day naming my favorites but if you know I Fwu, and I forgot you make sure you get on my a** for tweekin and forgetting you when you see me.
Favorite spot in the city: My Home studio or Uncle Remus
1st Listen Recommendation: This answer changes as time goes on, but at the moment, I’d go with 702 Freestyle fasho.
What’s your background? What got you into creating?
I have a very colorful background no doubt, but for the sake of page space, i’ll say i’m just somebody with unique life experiences that had a love for music since I was about 5. (Thanks to my immediate family) I made my first song in 2008 because a homie of mine came around while we were smoking playing a joint he just recorded and I felt like I could do it too fr. I used to wanna be a comedian or like an actor or something growing up, but I always knew that I wanted to do something regarding entertainment. I made my first song at 17 and making music professionally has been my pursuit ever since.
How would you describe your style?
Well seasoned. I can literally make music with any type of artists because of the experiences I have had in life. I could say “soulful” or anything related but that’s obvious. The main thing about my style is that I can create anything with anybody and it will be just as organic as if the collab was between two people of the same style. I’m like a skeleton key on the beat and rap side of the game.
How does where you're from influence you and your craft?
I think being from the west side sometimes we can feel slighted, or like we’re overlooked when recognizing artists from the city, so that can bring about an unconscious competitive spirit, or the need to always outdo my last work. But being from Chicago in general, that's where you get that idea of grinding hard for your goals and never giving up regardless of how hard it can get. Chicago historically is a real prideful, blue-collar, strap up your boots, meat and potatoes type city so the artists that come from here have those same mindsets when pushing their music and reaching their goals. Mfs do not be going for nothing less than success and I know that's unique to our city.
Can you talk a bit about being a producer and a rapper. How do you balance those two? Do you prefer one over the other?
Im blessed than a mf to be cold at both lbs. Like really confidently cold at both. The balance is cool because there's no limit to what I can create. A lot of times I work with artists with just the plan to produce a record or records for them, and I'm always appreciative when they want me to/assume I will get on the track as a rap feature as well. I be like “Damn mfs really fw the raps just as hard (maybe even harder) than the beats. That lets me know I'm doing it right. And because my raps are 90% in first person and about my own life experiences that's even more dope because people are tapped into my story as well as my talent. I'd have to say it depends on the day on which I prefer, but at the moment, I think I'd have to say I prefer producing. That could change by later tonight though.
Your production features a lot of crazy samples, do those samples come from songs you heard growing up? What influences that style?
Definitely comes from music I heard growing up, about 95 percent of the music I sample was stuff I loved when I was growing up. I came up around like the best of all periods. I'm a 90s kid (1991, a real 90s kid), so 2000’s music is what you could say I “came up on ”. My sis is a few years older (sorry for telling your age sis) so that's where I get tapped into all of the hip hop and R and R&B artists from the 90s. My parents come from the funk/disco/ era so sounds of the late 60s/70s/80s come all from them. My pops is a big funk head, Parliament, Ohio Players, etc, so I guess you could say my more soulful side comes from him. My OG is the real music head, very eclectic and listens to so many different genres, specifically alternative music. My more experimental side comes from that, when I use sounds and samples that aren't as conservative, that's where that influence is pulled from.
What’s next for Kid Breeze this year?
Man other than saving Gotham from complete destruction by the bad guys? I got so much on the way. I produced some collab projects with some of the homies all dropping in the next few months. I got a collab project with my boy Sunny Woodz done, we’re just figuring out a good time to drop. I got millions of (ok like 40 something fr) videos out already, but One of my main goals this year was to drop a visual every month, and I already crossed Jan and Feb off the list so I'll be dropping another in a few weeks. I haven't decided whether I'll do a solo project this year, but that's so easy to do I could wake up tomorrow and decide to put one out. I got some potential business move I cant speak too much on right now but a lot is definitely on the stove cooking up. Just stay tapped in.
Intro Written by: Jimmi Gordon
Interview Written by: Reina Danzy
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