Chanelle Kazkadi’s new single “Hot Sauce” is a break away from the normal Trapsoul music she’s been producing . A compltely new vibe from her usual sound This new song overall is her doing her and letting people know she’s still still Nelle and no matter what happens she is still focused on her goals and cancels out any unnecessary stuff that don’t motivate her mentally. In the wake of her new single we set up an interview to get a view on who she is as an artist plus more.
Chanelle Kazadi first things first thank you for reaching out to Nefarious Supply to set up an interview with us! We are really excited to feature you this week! So to get this interview started introduce yourself. Who is Chanelle Kazadi, and how did you become an artist?
Yo what's up I'm artist Chanalle Kazadi from Kent, OH . I'm an artist of many styles but known mostly for trapsoul & boombap. I started doing music back in 2017 , I used to hang around a few local artists just supporting the wave then one day i was at my homies house freestyling with them and they asked me if i ever thought about getting on the mic. That same night I wrote my first actual verse. It took me a few takes to catch a natural vibe but once I did it was on from there.
How long have you been a musician and what artists or important figures in your life would you say have had the biggest influence on you as well as your music?
I've been doing music for about 3 years ; I would say my influencers for the most part would be Kanye West, Missy Elliott, The Fugees and ODB. My mom would always play their CDs growing up or she would give me the updated CDs of artists I listened to and play their albums on my own time.
What area are you from and how would you say this area has influenced your sound? In addition to this, how is this area for underground and emerging musicians?
I'm from Kent, OH which neighbors well known Akron, OH (LeBron James) . Being brought up in Portage County i've seen a lot...might not be as major as Cleveland but every place has its own dilemmas which influence most of my writing. Everything I went through taught me a big lesson on life. There's definitely a growing music scene everyone just has to keep working hard and it'll get noticed soon enough.
Who do each of you listen to on a regular basis? Who are your go-to artists that really strike your creative nerve? Or are simply your favorite artists to sit back and vibe too, all genres are welcome?
Lately I've been listening to TDE artists , MF Doom , Lord Apex, Griselda & more. They've been inspiring me on another level with my music.
What keeps your current audience listening and why should people start listening if they haven’t already? What parts of you as an artist do you feel are most attractive to your audience? Is it your lyrical ability? Flow? Your style? Or maybe a conglomerate of those things?
My audience listens to my music because it's REAL, that's all me, it's my own everything I put into these songs. To the people that aren't hip to me, trust and believe out of all the songs I've dropped or will be dropping at least one of them you will love. I guarantee it.
Where or what are you representing with your music? What concepts and themes drive the foundational aspects of the creation of your sound? Why are these concepts and themes, if any, so important to you?
What I'm representing with my music is being yourself. I see a lot of people having these opinions on what an artist should be, do or say and I'm my own true representation that none of what people have to say about you matters as long as you're being yourself and love the person that you are.
So let's dig into your discography last year you dropped your album “Harvest Hooligan” tell us about the album what inspired the name as well as overall sound of the album, what led you to tapping in DamnTobs, and Visual9, and who was on the production end of the project?
What influenced me to name the project, "Harvest Hooligan" is because I grew up on a street called "Harvest Drive" with just my mom and two little brothers, also my birthday is November 7th which is the harvesting season. Hooligan is from my past and my encounters with the law. The sounds were inspired by me wanting to give more of a storytelling of that lifestyle. I appreciate the homie DamnTobs & my brother Visual for being a part of the journey. Visual had produced Nonstop and I remember him surprising me with the beat and said it would be a perfect fit. One thing about my bro he stays making sure I'm always on top of my game. The last song Warning was produced by my homie Millz Pe$o from Cleveland. Millz also produced the song featuring DamnTobs.
This past May you also dropped your newest body of work “Paystub EP” talk to us about this EP and walk us through each track?
On May 8th of this year I dropped my third project Paystub of 4 tracks. First track Paradise gives you the vibes of me wanting to leave all the bad vibes and yarning for a fresh start grinding towards the perfect getaway. Second track Maria brings a more upbeat fun club vibe slightly expressing my love for the spanish culture. Third track was more so motivational "cash i need more" basically saying i'm nowhere near where i need to be and have a long way to go. Last but not least Mike Jones a lot of people have told me this one's their favorite. In this song I wanted to express how much things have changed with people's energy towards me from when I first started vs now. It's funny how things work but it is what it is at the end of the day. Overall Paystub is about work ethic and each song expresses my journey while increasing the numbers on my paystub.
So we’re 8 months into the rollercoaster of 2020 and it has been a lot of ups and downs for everyone that being said what goals we’re you able to accomplish this past yeat and what are some things you hope to accomplish before the year is out?
Covid has made some major changes with everyone's plan this year but I honestly wouldn't change this past year for nothing. I've still accomplished what I needed to, such as dropping a project, networking, creating some of the most amazing music, traveling to Los Angeles, Chicago & other cities. A lot going on behind the scenes. I've been using this time wisely. My goal before the year is out is to release 3 major songs/videos, finish my next EP and go to Cali again.
What artist should we feature next on Nefarious Supply?
Visual 9
Any last words?
My new single "Hot Sauce" is out now on all platforms , make sure to check that out along with the wristbands available for in person or online purchase at chanellekazadi.com . Connect with me on social media @chanellekazadi
Big shout out to Chanelle Kazkadi be sure to check out her newest single “Hot Sauce” available all on streaming platforms!
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