Kel-P: Brings ‘Bully Season Vol.1’, Lands ‘CREED III’ feature, and more!
The Grammy Award-winning powerhouse producer-singer-songwriter delivers his debut 5-track introductory project, Bully Season Vol.1. Stepping from behind the boards into the spotlight as the solo act, Kel-P is ready to really bully is way through the industry with his country on his back!
After years of working with the likes of Wizkid, Burna Boy, Skip Marley, Rema, and Angelique Kidjo, Nigerian multihyphenate KEL-P, best known by his producer tag – Kel P Vibes is ready to rocket launch into another realm of music capabilities. In doing so, he produced sounds that have gone on to become Grammy-winning works, and arrives with another masterpiece made for the masses. Penned and produced by Kel-P himself, his latest offering comes courtesy of Universal Music France International and Jones Worldwide. The project also has production assistance from London, KdaGreat, Northboi, Krizbeatz, and Iotosh.
The Initial Introduction…
The Leandro “Dro” Hidalgo-mixed and mastered offering enhances Kel-P’s enticing voice and authentic sound pushing the 5-track project. Dishing out a musical platter of Afropop, Afrobeats, Dancehall, and HipHop soundscapes. In fact, Kel-P led into the new release with his lead single “One More Night“. The trendy track serves as a powerful, mid-tempo piece with emotional, raw intensity that grabs the listener right away. Kel-P’s slick, engaging flows are complemented by a sampled instrumental from Nelly & Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma,” which blends effortlessly with his powerful vocal performances.
Additionally, KEL-P presents a medley packed with guitar riffs on “Tropicana Baby“, displaying his hospitable state of mind through love-themed lyrics. KEL-P takes the listener on a musical journey on the London-produced raved and relatable record, “True Love”. With its recurring catchy hook, the Afrobeats-styled single rendered in rich vernacular is the perfect party opener. The EP’s “True Love” is featured on Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio Show.
The Inspiration
When speaking on the significance of Bully Season: Vol.1, Kel-P goes on to say:
“What inspired this Project was my life leading to this moment. My Journey through my career including my wins, my losses, my relationships and my work ethic. I want the listeners to feel happy and just dance”.
With a premiere on the worldwide music streaming platform, the EP is receiving support from the likes of “The Dotty Show” on Apple Music as well. Kel has remain in the rhythm and has been working on other projects. Including, a feature on the official soundtrack of the Michael B. Jordan-directed film “CREED III“. For now, get familiar with the trailblazing talent here! The prominent producer, Kel-P comes through KAZI Magazine to talk the vibes, his artistry, AfroBeats, new album Bully Season: Vol.1, while dropping some exclusives! Be sure to add all of the Kel-P vibes to your favorite playlist. Lastly, let us know your thoughts.
Kel-P Talks With Minnee of KAZI Magazine
- Hey Kel-P ! It’s a pleasure to have you here on behalf of KAZI Magazine! First thank you so much for taking the time out to speak with me. Excited to hear about all things Kel-P, the production, music, and more… let’s just jump right in by bringing it back to the beginning, who is Kel-P and where did it all begin?
Kel-P is a singer songwriter, producer. Kel-P is a musician and an artist, you know. I’d say it all began back home in Lagos, Nigeria, always wanting to do music growing up. And so well, y’all started back at home and now we’re here! It has been a very, very good journey. Shout out to my managers and shout out to everyone who has believed in me.
- Intrigued by multifaceted artists’ talents and artistry, what inspired your stage name and producer tag “It’s Kel-P Vibes”?
Well, to make it simple for everyone. We can say Kel-P vibes, came from Kelvin. That’s my name. Then the vibes is definitely what I put out there! The vibration, you know?
- Additionally, which record of yours would say really made you feel you were making it into the mainstream market and that gave you your big break, both personal and produced?
For my personal record I’d say, “One More Night” – you’d seen my EP, ‘Bully Season: Volume 1’. And for produced I would say that one of my favorite tracks I’d say “Fake” by Skip Marley.
- Currently signed to management deal with Jones Worldwide. What was that call like when you experienced it? And how important is it to you to have a team?
Nuts! So I would always say that the team behind you either makes or breaks you. Depending on the kind of people you are with and who are in your circle. It’s always good to have good people around you. You know, people that believe in your dreams. People will support you. And people who aren’t really even doing it for themselves, really. So it feels good. Knowing we have a wider range in management and publishing, it feels good to have this team behind me. So I feel good, feel really good.
Kel-P: The Pillar of Production and Musical Creativity
- As a pillar of production and musical creativity, you’ve received raved recognition and amassed a number of awards. Can you tell us all about them?
Well, I just want to say I’m grateful for everything I have achieved from beginning to date. I just want everyone to know that Kel-P is here for them. To bring out new music, better hits, bigger records. Based on the awards I’ve won so far, they feel great, ya know, but I know that there are more to come!
- Bringing it back a little to the beginning, what was your first ever produced record? Do you still have it?
Okay, so let’s stick it back a bit. So, I started my music career as an artist, you know, first and foremost, I was in a band called Dynamite but no one knew that at first. Then on this one faithful day, myself and my group members went to record for a session with SARS. Speaking back and forth and everything, he encouraged me to, why not make beats? So I did. I tried amongst my people then I had a track with Solid Star. I did a few tracks and met Burna. Then from there everything has been history.
- Next, please tell us more about your creative process. What’s a studio session with you like being a multifaceted musician who embodies singing-songwriting and producing popular hits?
So studio time with me… Well, for me, I wouldn’t say that I have any special procedure or anything like that. Studio time with me is mainly fun because you know, doing what you like, it’s no longer work. So with me, it’s always cool. Definitely calculated and just work, you know. Bringing out good music that’s what studio time with me is about. Always a banger, so yeah.
- Your musical ear is unmatched. You’ve mastered the beats, its production, and finding the fitting features to make the already hot hits even hotter! What’s your superpower for that?
Superpower? I wouldn’t say I have a superpower, but I would definitely attribute that to coming from a place of love, you know. Creating music from a place of love, it has to be from up here on your chest – your heart. So I’ll say that’s my superpower. And definitely having a team around you like I told you, the team always helps because you have to go to them to clear without being biased in your music and know. So those are my superpowers.
- Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, what are your thoughts on why AfroBeats is just now moving more mainstream in recent years as most of the musical elements are all some we are familiar with in a number of cultures. So why do you believe it’s taken this long to receive its raved recognition?
For me, I’ll just say majorly, it’s our time now. Yeah, it’s our time now. And definitely is attributed to the fact that the majority of artists coming out now are very, very talented. And we’re bringing out massive loads of hits, massive loads of good music. So it’s very, very hard for the universe or the world to ignore it. So everyone is listening right now. So yeah, I think that’s what’s going on. We are one of the people or I should say I’m one of the people putting my country on the map. And definitely, I would take that as an attribute to the good rate of music each and everyone of us is bringing out now.
Welcome to Bully Season: Volume 1
- Fast forward to today, and you’ve recently released your Bully Season Vol. 1. Walk us through its concepts.
The concept of Bully Season: Volume 1, from the name alone you see that it’s a project that is coming to shake the table really. I’ve always believed as a person that I need to always put in all of my energy to shake the table whenever I need something. Getting it by whatever means necessary, you know.
So Bully Season: Volume 1 is a project of love number one, and also a project to show who I am. Definitely to put a face on the name Kel-P. So that’s what this project is about. It’s about the people and how I want everyone to dance. I want everyone to feel good and to feel the vibes, the rhythms, and the frequency. So that’s really what Bully Season: Volume 1 is about. You know, so shout out to everyone out there.
- Furthermore, do you think that the Bully Season: Volume 1 is a great project for newcomers and new listeners, new fans have the perfect insight of who Kel-P is as an overall artist?
Yes, in a way, I would say this is just an unfolding of who Kel-P. It is just the surface, you know. Let me just give you a hint. We’re working on Bully Season: Volume 2 already and the single is about to come out. So yeah, definitely. Volume 1 is definitely not the entire body of work to say who Kel-P is, who the bully is.
But definitely you see more of me in Volume 2, definitely. So volume 1 is really for the surface, beginner music and to listen to who I am. As well as the different sounds, you know, because I try to infuse every, every culture I’ve been able to learn from, you know. From Dancehall to R&B to Hip Hop, you know. So yeah, I did all of that fusing in Bully Season Volume 1. So in Volume 2, you’ll see a more diverse Kel- P. So wait on that- that’s what’s up!
- Also, off the recently released project, one of my personal favorites — “One More Night” serves as a sample of Nelly & Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma”, as the leading single which meets nostalgia and the new era beautifully. With that being said, it still has an authentic fresh feel. Was that what you were going for?
Yeah, yes! To cut this answer short I’ll just say, I was aiming for more familiarity with, you know, with the African Americans. I know, once African Americans hear something like this, and it sticks. It’s gonna stick you know, then you hear from the beginning, you hear the intro from “Dilemma” then you see the flip! You know, so yeah, it’s gonna stick. When it sticks, I know everyone else too will follow through on that. Because it’s a great tune. it’s perfect so yeah, that was the aim on that one.
- Referring to reminisce, in recent years remakes and samples have been soaring. So I have to know, is there a classic that you believe should be untouched to you?
Should never be touched? Nahhh! I wouldn’t say that there is any. Do you know why? Because music is timeless and music is art. Art is meant to be explored, refined and redefined. There are so many classics out there. If you can do it, Flip it. Flip it, then it will work. It works. But I wouldn’t say that there is any body of work that shouldn’t be touched on samples.
What’s Next?
- Agreed! Well said! Also, as I love to see it and many may know of you from your magnitude of music that you and Burna Boy have collaborated on, bringing bangers and classics – how did this growing collaboration come about?
It’s a good one without a doubt, you know? Coming off my first few productions, that’s when I got some recognition from Solid star and artists like that. Then meeting Burna, we actually sing together, you know, we sync together. Making the album African Giant was a good journey. It was a good experience. Definitely we made and we both brought classics – timeless classics. You know, so it was a good one and shout out to Burna Boy, he’s a true musician and a true artist so yeah. It is a good one and many more like that.
- Excited to know more! What’s next for Kel-P in 2023?
Kel-P is still dropping an album, Volume 2, maybe this year, you know? Now I’m on tour going from show to show. The other day I was at a booked show in Austin, Texas. When we were meant to do our scheduled interview. Yeah, so that day we were actually at tthe show. I’m just going from event to event now performing, and making music. I’m still working on Bully Seaon: Volume 2. Kel-P has more to offer this 2023 so everyone should be relaxed. Kel-P is for everyone and is here for everyone.
- Lastly, is there a message that you’d like to leave with fans?
To everyone out there, I’ll just say thank you for your support. Thank you for those who have believed in me, or who still believe in me. I’d say to my fans, let’s raise the vibration and let’s let’s all dance. Let’s be happy. You know, spread love and Kel-P is here for everybody.
KEEP UP WITH KEL-P ON SOCIAL MEDIA: INSTAGRAM | APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE
