Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Upcoming artist King Lo has established himself as the new buzzing artist from upstate New York. It was not handed to him, Lo had to grind on his to get his music heard and to create himself a loyal fanbase.
Lo’s ability to create a sound that no other New York artist has is unique and is a reason why he is Certified today on Kazi Magazine. Lo has a unique tone to his voice, his raps aren’t that complex but he makes sure to pack a punch with each bar he delivers.
I recently came across his music when searching for new up-and-coming upstate artists and he stood out to me the most. His unique flow and ambitious energy, showcase a true star in the making.
That is exactly why we have certified him and reached out for a sit down to go through his story and what drives his hunger to make a name for himself in this industry. There is much to be seen coming up this year for the rising star and much more music to be heard.
In our interview, we sat down with King Lo to talk about experiencing growth while remaining independent, his upbringing, and his upcoming projects amongst a range of other topics.
Read the interview below and stay connected with the rising star.
What is the meaning of your name, does it represent anything important in your life? Where are you from?
My stage name Lo Comes from my real name Luis I just shortened it up, a lot of my peoples call me Lo so I just kinda rock with that, I went with King on the front because it embodies my energy and where I’m from when your tryna make it and doing good for ya self you a king in the peoples eyes, also I’m not that young so ain’t like I could go with any of the new prefixes likes “yung” or “lil”. I’m a 90s baby born in 1990, July 24th so I got some experience and was able to see how the industry was and how it is.
How was quarantined for you? Did you learn anything new from the shutdown and how did you deal with it?
It’s been real wild quarantine and the pandemic as a whole been crazy but not all bad really. Like I don’t like how we all were inside for so long not being able to do what we normally do but it def also gave me time to focus on my music and the business aspect of the music. It put a lot into perspective for me and gave me a chance to kinda rebrand. If I learned anything new it’s that networking is key and there’s not much these days that can keep you from networking as long as you have WiFi and a smartphone. I dealt with this whole pandemic same as everyone, at home, I just didn’t stop my grind I always kept working.
What’s one thing that your fans don’t know about you?
A lot of my fans probably don’t know that I’m also an MMA fighter. I trained and fought in mixed martial arts for years and have a pretty good resume in the sport, I took a break when things got legalized in NYS and had a few injuries I was dealing with but who knows I might find the time to get back in the gym when the world opens back up fully and probably get back in the cage a few more times before ending this chapter of my life.
Outside of music, do you have any passions?
Besides music and MMA my favorite hobby or passion is fishing I rock wit fishing heavy I could be out there dusk until dawn if I got the time lmao I get lost in the time with that I’m sure people know how it is, During the spring all the way until the fall I definitely lack on my music cause I spend so much time out on the water. It’s a different kind of peace you can’t find at home or anywhere else. Yea you could definitely find me on the water in Upstate when the seasons right.
What can fans alike expect from later this year?
I’ve got an EP title “Manifestations” dropping April 16th that’s just to keep everyone on their toes. I’m sure they been waiting for the album or mixtape and I promised I’d deliver so later on in the summer at a date TBD I’m dropping my debut album which is untitled at the moment but pretty much all finished up and being finalized. The fans know I’ve been hinting at it for a while and giving them little pieces and snippets here and there so it’s only right I deliver as promised.
For anyone just being introduced to your music, how would you describe your sound?
I’ve been told my sound is like a melodic twist on 90s and modern day Hip-Hop with a splash of dancehall and pop it’s definitely a unique blend that sets me in my “own lane” and gives me my own signature sound or wave that the fans can ride and enjoy as I grow into and even better more full-filled artist.
Are there any artists that inspire you now? Or are there any artists that inspire your creativity?
I don’t look to any specific artists but I listen to everyone and have an open ear there are certain vibes I like more than others but I’m not too picky with the music, I like to try and give everyone a listen and see how much variety is out there. I grew up in the 90s so of course, I have that legendary artist from that era like Jadakiss, 2Pac, Nas, G-Unit but I also been around to see how things change and I get motivated from a lot of these new artists like Pop Smoke, Lil Tecca, King Von, Lil Durk and others the things some of these artists accomplished in their time is crazy and it all comes down to the work ethic.
What is the one thing you want your fans to take away after listening to your music? What is your ultimate message?
If fans take anything from my music I hope it’s that you never stop trying even if you think you should if you think it’s not right just change it a little and try again, the day you quit is the day you could make it. I didn’t think I’d be where I’m at and I’m nowhere close to where I’m going just experiment with everything find what works and use that. That’s really all I can say that like my ultimate message at this point.
