8BALLKAINE is a Charlotte native and rising hip-hop artist dedicated to motivating and uplifting his listeners. An alumnus of Harding University High School and East Charlotte resident, 8BALLKAINE uses his music as a tool for therapy and to express his appreciation for life situations that have molded him as a young Black man.
“Movin” is one of 8’s most popular singles, gaining over 250,000 plays on Soundcloud. The release of “Movin” helped identify 8 as a progressive and growing artist in the Charlotte area who has a different message. He ends the single with a special dedication that proves to be extremely relevant to the people of Charlotte and across the United States.
Q:What’s the story behind your stage name?
A: Not much of a Story behind the name, I was inspired by the meaning of the number '8'. 8BALLKAINE is the name but I resonated heavily with the Symbolism behind the Number itself
Q:What’s your aesthetic as an artist?
A:My Aesthetic as an Artist would be something like Euphoria. Once you experienced it for the 1st time, you must have it again and again
Q:An album that made you want to make music?
A:Never had an album that got me into making music. It was more so finding an outlet for myself where I would be Liberated thru Self-Expression.
Q:How could you describe the type of music you make?
A:I would describe my sound as Positive/Experimental.
Q:Who knows you better than anyone?
A:I know MYSELF better than anyone
Q:A place you’d love to live one day
A: place I'd LOVE to live one day would be LIBERIA
Q:On your Instagram you have a picture of a stack of books you’ve read. One includes the “The 48 Laws Of Power”. What is power to you? How would you define the power you have over your music?
A: Power to me is the ability to Master The Self. Being in control over oneself. The Power I have over my Music can be described as Fierce, Fiery, and Free.
Q:Are there any places that inspire you musically?
A: Definitely. I go within. Nature and The Beach are also my Top places to go.
Q:What’s your favorite kind of music to make
A; My favorite kind of music to make is the Music that makes me feel something Real inside.
Q:What song hypes you up and why?
A: I have a song called "This Summer" that gets me hype. It's different from anything I've made before. I love the conviction in it.
Q:What’s the first song that comes to mind when you hear the word “fire”?
A :Fire by The Ohio Players.
Q:What does success look like for you? At what point will you feel like you’ve achieved it in your career?
A: Peace and Happiness are what success looks like to Me. I felt like I already have achieved this in my Career simply by starting. Music makes me Happy and making Music is Therapeutic for me which as a result, comes the Peace.
Q:How involved are you In the production process of your music?
A: I'm 100% all in on the production process. Every inch of sound you hear in my songs are curated by myself.
Q:Any future projects we should look out for?
A: Yes; I have new music that will be arriving very soon. Stay tune and lock in with Me and Neighborhood on Twitter: @8BALLKAINE and Instagram: @NightsLikeApril9th thank you.
Big shoutout to 8BALLKAINE for agreeing to interview with Nefarious Supply be sure to check out his music which can be sound on his SoundCloud above and to stay up to date with new music from him be sure to follow him on Twitter as well as Instagram.
If you enjoyed this interview be sure to leave a like and comment, and to keep up with content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Apple News and Facebook, and be sure to check out our Youtube and SoundCloud for hot music from underground and emerging artists daily.