The Kkilla kklan interview

Author: Maxwell Pugh

Kkilla Klan is a Hip Hop group coming out of San Diego, featuring Kkilla Kkid and Yung $hinobu. With influences such as Rob $tone and Kodak Black, these two have come together to form a powerful and unique duo, combining styles from South Florida all the way to San Diego. The diversity of the music they grew up on has given them an upper hand in understanding the Hip Hop genre from every side of the equation. Their music ranges from deep and soulful to absolute bangers that you’d hear everyone playing on the weekends. The possibilities are endless as to what they may come up with next, so I would recommend you stick around and find out.






Where are you from? Have your surroundings shaped you in a creative sense, and in what way?

Kkilla Kkid:
I'm from Broward County, Florida. I grew up pretty much locked in my house up until my junior year in high school, when I actually started sneaking out. This was because my mom was (rightfully) afraid that I would probably get myself killed due to my hotheadedness. Needless tot say i had a lot of downtime that I just spent listening to old CDs on the dvd player, eventually evolving to me spending hours on Soundcloud just listening to as much as I could, learning what i could learn, because i had nothing better to do.

Yung $hinobu:
I’m from San Diego, California and i feel like growing up here has made me open to different sounds on music.

What’s your background like? Where do you stand on the music scene in your area?

Kkilla Kkid:
I don't come from much, my dad's a straight dumbass who tries his best and my mom is an impossibly hard worker who doesn't really need to but does anyway. Since I moved across the country real recently, imma answer for Broward. Imma be real I love the south Florida music scene (including Miami). Not only have there been numerous rappers putting it on the map, like BUFFFT, XXXtentacion, Denzel Curry, Ski Mask the Slump God, Smokepurpp, Kodak Black; but there are numerous producers and artists from the 305 that have been bringing a new sound to many other genres, mainly pop though. Overall as a musician, i'm proud to say i'm from south Florida.

Yung $hinobu:
I don’t know what you mean by background but I feel like the San Diego music scene is lacking. Aside from Rob $tone most people can’t name a single San Diego rapper, I want to change that shit.

What did you start doing first, producing or rapping? How did you get started?

Kkilla Kkid:
I started off rapping by getting crazy fuckin fried in my homies ski's van, freestyling over beats playing from one phone and recording with the other. We did it for fun but it was a mix of healthy competition, a love of music, and the fact that females really fucked with a nigga who could rap, that pushed us to start writing. Afterwards i moved to SD for school, met Shinobu, n producing just became a necessity to truly put out the vision we had. That being said we haven’t fully implemented one of our own beats into a release yet, but its definitely on the way real soon.

Yung $hinobu:
I started rapping before everything else, one of my homies started making beats when we were 16 and we’d always be sitting there, he’d produce and i’d rap but we never recorded anything for some reason.

Do you have anyone that you consider your mentor? How has their help or advice shaped you?

Kkilla Kkid:
I never really had a mentor, but there was this one girl in my orchestra class who played every instrument, n it led me to teaching myself the guitar, drums, bass, and pretty much any instrument i can get my hands on.

Yung $hinobu:
I wouldn’t say I have any real mentors at this point but K and i do a pretty good job of handling each other and making sure we’re improving.

What is one experience in life that, without it, you wouldn’t be the artist you are today?

Kkilla Kkid:
I would say two experiences really shaped who I am as an artist. The first being all the times i snuck into the music room until like 7-8 just teaching myself whatever instrument i could, because it gave me the mentality that this music shit really only takes time, and if i put in that time I’m going to be able to recreate and then create any sound i want to. The second was when a childhood friend of mine passed away. I hadn't seen him for a long while, but after learning about his successes in music as BUFFFT, the idea of becoming successful off of music because closer than ever in my eyes, and these two things plus the excitement of moving to college really catalyzed my growth into Kkilla Kkid.

Yung $hinobu:
I would say my ex girlfriend cheating on me. I loved that bitch with my all even though i didn’t treat her the best the entire time I loved her and the entire time she was playing a nigga, since then my life’s been kind of a mess if i’m being honest.

What do you hope to accomplish this year?

Kkilla Kkid:
By the end of the year I'm going to grow my audience, which is kinda always priority one, and develop our sound into one that people can find a personal connection to be it in sadness, murderous rage, and everything in between.

Yung $hinobu:
Well 2018 is almost done so i would say reach 50 followers, but by the end of 2019 to have at least 10,000 plays.

What does your work aim to say?

Kkilla Kkid:
I make anything that I consider music, with as many genres as possible. The message changes obviously with each song, but the end goal is to master the art of communicating without using words. Then imma put words on whatever that happens to be and make straight bangers.

Yung $hinobu:
I say what i say for people like me to understand that there are other people like them because when you enter that void it’s hard as fuck to escape and i know that because i’m still there. Pretty much we’re all in this bitch together.

Who are your biggest influences and what do you like about them the most?

Kkilla Kkid:
XXXTentacion is one of the main reasons why i thought it was ok to put acoustic guitar into our songs, the beats and lyrics of the songs he made were packed with so much emotion. Everything he and ski mask makes, always gets me moving or thinking. Also Kendrick Lamar, being a goat inspires me to just be better, every time I listen and study the amount of texture of his beats, it dawns on me how much of a difference that truly giving the most shits about your music makes. That's what i want with our music.

Yung $hinobu:
My biggest influence would have to be XXXTENTACION, J.I.D, and Lil Tracy. I love the raw nature of Xs music the way it entices the luster to continuously listen even if the song sounds unfinished. J.I.D is the most technical rapper out right now and his flow and lyricism are things I envy and pushes me to want to be able to be as technical as him. And Lil Tracy is has this ability to create melodies and verses that sound like chorus’ he’s a genius.

How would you describe your own style?

Kkilla Kkid:
Our style is whatever comes outta our heads. People don't only think one emotion, so why should we have one style. Seems like a cop out but I truly want to touch all genres before I leave this earth.

Yung $hinobu:
I don’t have a style yet I just write depending on the beat. if it calls for me to really rap then i can pull that out but really i just want to get my emotions across

In what ways has your newest music changed from when you first started?

Kkilla Kkid:
Well for one, we have experience. Our production value has also increased substantially after getting an actual mic. Also our understanding of our own sound is growing as well. Our music is always going to be a reflection of the best we can make at the time, so as we get better at making music our vision will be much more clear.

What are the main inspirations for the lyrics you write?

Kkilla Kkid:
On a much less professional note, i love to fight. I love the feeling of pain, and i especially love the feeling of smashing a niggas skull on the pavement, and i fantasize about the day when i can break someones bones. I'm crazy as shit, got voices in my head telling me stupid shit half the time, and the other half I'm depressed about times when i listened to them. So i write about whats in my head, my insecurities, and how i have fun.

Yung $hinobu:
My main influence is my depression. I’m a pussy that won’t kill himself but can’t stop thinking about it. It’s what i live with everyday. I’ve come so close so many times but i always pussy out and i know there’s people who go through the same shit as me.

What would be your dream venue in which to perform?

Kkilla Kkid:
I would love to go back home and play rolling loud. I love to scream n hype people up, also they probably give access to all the shows, so i could jump in the ski mask pit and rock some peoples shit.

Yung $hinobu:
My dream venue is Soma here in San Diego. Making it to some festival would be nice but being able to mosh in my city and have people from my hometown come out and support me is all i want

What’s a song you have stuck in your head these days?

Kkilla Kkid:
SHITTIN ON YA NIGGAS IM THE FUCKIN HUMAN CENTIPEDE
SHITTIN ON YA LIKE THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE MHMM
Also king of the dead, ILOVEITWHENTHEYRUN, and winged ridden angel by X; heaven sent, wish me well, and 954 by BUFFFT

Yung $hinobu:
I always have Jocelyn Flores stuck in my head since it came out on 17 but Hennessy by Tracy is my fucking anthem.

WHEN IM WITH YO BITCH YOU DONT EXIST LIL NIGGA

I felt that.

Listen to Kkilla Kklan's newest single, 'Better Times' on Soundcloud today!

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