"IAR" Interview: Lo Keys

Meet Lo Keys.  This North Carolina spitter isn't aspiring to re-create the proverbial hip-hop wheel, he's just focusing on perfecting it.  In an age where the rap game is often times over-saturated with artists and material, Lo Keys is ameliorating a paradigm and approach to his music that is not only innovative and original, but also ingenious.  Distinctiveness is the operative word when describing his craft.  His flow, delivery, and writing approach is so vastly divergent that each track, mixtape, or any other material he releases supplants his previous.  LK makes songs for the clubs, ladies, weed heads, backpackers, hipsters, OG's, and everyone in between.  He's a punch-line rapper, a story teller, a party starter, and a concise lyricist.  His music displays a  demonstrative outlay and in-depth look into a life he currently lives, the metamorphosis of his work, and the end result of the legacy in hip-hop he is aspiring to cultivate.  Lo Keys remains humble and grinding, letting his assortment of works do the boasting for him.  It's A Rap had the opportunity to talk with the NC native and being from a region that is spasmodically overlooked, he is on the cusp of making a sizable impact on the game and soon Lo Keys presence will be anything but low key.


IAR: Being from NC, what's the hip-hop scene like?
LK: "The Hip-Hop scene is pretty dope here.  Its really expanded to the masses now.  I think there was a point and time where people didn't really take North Carolina serious when it came to hip- hop music. Now with the emergence of J. Cole, Little Brother and a few other selected acts, the Carolina's are really getting a name for good music.  North and South Carolina are really diverse even though it does not look that way from the outside.  Most of the cities are filled with soldiers from the military from all walks of life, so musically, its very diverse."


IAR: What was the concept behind The Green Hornet tape?
LK: "Well after I watched the movie, "The Green Hornet" it really inspired me to take the movie and display it in my music.  I'm big into motion pictures so whenever something is new and it has a dope concept I always try to apply it to what I'm doing musically.  At the time, "The Green Hornet" movie really displayed a lot of my characteristics as a person.  Behind the scenes im a big fan of jokes and comedy, so with the movie based around that and them taking over the city they were from, I saw so much of that in myself I had to use the title for my mixtape."


IAR: Describe your sound.
LK: "The sound is really diverse.  I don't just stick to making one type of record with one sound.  I like to really venture out.  For instance the record "Superman" that I have with Mistah F.A.B is a west-coast banger for the ladies.  On the flip side to that my record "Pop Off" with Fred The Godson, Young Gliss, and LiveSosa is a club record that can set any club off in the south.  The song with me and French Montana "Light Up" is a record for the weed smokers.  Then I have the backpack shit that I primarily send out to the blogs.  So its just a mixture.  I have something for everyone."


IAR: Who/What has been influential to you?
LK: "Art really influences me a lot.  It's just the form of expression.  Everywhere you go there is always art and music.  It's really the oldest form of language dating back centuries ago. Artistically wise people like Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Van Gogh have inspired me a lot.  On the music side you know the legends such as Jay Z, Nas, Notorious B.I.G, Tupac, Easy E, and DMX just to name a few."


IAR: Best project you've been a part of to date?
LK: "I would say "The Green Hornet" is my best work.  I think it was more of my breakout tape because we had so many cosigns and the buzz was being established up to that point and still is now. The tape really just solidified that I could hang with artists that are actually on a mainstream level and make songs that people really enjoyed.  My blog presence was pretty heavy before I dropped the tape, but after that I really was able to get to many mainstream blogs such as The Source, YouHeardThatNew, OnSmash and XXL."


IAR: Who has been your best collaboration?
LK: "I would say all of them were a major success.  If I had to go with just one it would probably be the joint with Young Gliss, Prodigy, Jon Connor, and Killer Mike.  The record was kind of long but it was one of the best posse cuts in the last couple years in my opinion.  Dope hook, dope beat, and dope MC's. Whats better then that?"


IAR: When did you get your start in hip-hop?
LK: "Pretty much like everyone else.  Just rhyming in school at the lunch tables or in the morning before school in the hallways. My love for music just catapulted me into doing it full-time. The people I had around me at that time and the music that was being displayed in the game was really inspiring for me.  So with all of that combined, I went from rhyming in hallways to being in the same places and doing songs with people I looked up to as a youngster."


IAR: Artist you want to work with?
LK: "I'm down to work with anyone as long as the music is dope.  I always tell people my dream collaboration is Kanye, Slick Rick, and I doing a storytelling joint over a Pete Rock beat.  I think it would be one of those undeniable joints that would stand the test of time.  Three great storytellers and one of the sickest producers of all time on one record together."


IAR: Producers you want to work with?
LK: "Of course I want to touch base with Pete Rock and I think Just Blaze would be really dope also."


IAR: Future plans/projects?
LK: "Be on the lookout for "American Greed" (Scams, Schemes, and Broken Dreams) dropping in late May or early June.  Also I have a duo EP coming out with my homie Young Gliss and another duo EP with Talent Couture is in the works as well.  Also make sure you follow me on Twitter @LoKeys910 and visit www.IAMLOKEYS.com  for the latest updates.  Shouts to It's A Rap for doing the interview.  1 Love"