Kay Anthony

Kay Anthony has a really good album coming out, featuring Oya Noire. The beats behind Oya are similar to what you might hear from Floetry. Kay Anthony, on the other hand, has been performing with Tribe Called Quest and got a thumbs up from the editor of Vibe Magazine - Datwon Thomas. You can find him in the 2nd issue of Azur Magazine - ready for download around Oct. 18th . . .

(click a url to access a playlist . . .)

​www.soundcloud.com/kay-anthony

I had the pleasure of listening to Kay Anthony's soundcloud, featuring Oya Noire. The beat started with Oya . . .while I was expecting Kay to jump in (as rappers usually do . .) and begin his rhyme. . .Oya kept singing in a remarkable tone similar to Floetry or Jill Scott - about a minute into the song. Finally, Kay jumps in and begins rapping over a neo-soul track. By the time the song was over . . .I was stunned by the quality of the cut and realized music like this belonged on the radio, 24 hours a day, like most top R&B/Rap singles. Unfortunately, I was still in the world of soundcloud where day to day rappers try to get their demos heard by major A&R. I believe, Kay Anthony is being scouted by a major label . . .but right now, there's no word on when a contract will be offered. Until then, I thought you all would like to learn more about Kay Anthony and what his music is all about. I sat down with Kay Anthony . .and this is what he had to say . . . Azur Mag: Basically, . .. how did you meet Oya Noire . . .Is that her name? Kay: Oya Noire. . . Azur Mag: Oya Noire . . ahh . . .Drugs, Sex, and Soul . . .That's a really nice track . . .so . .How did you all meet to, . . .actually, get that thing together . . .? Kay: Ahh . . .Basically, I met her through . . .the internet . . facebook and things of that nature . . . Azur Mag: Oh . . ok . . . Kay: We met through facebook . . .and we . .became close. . .and . .one day . . .I hung out with her . . or whatever . . .and she started singing . . .I was just . .like. . .amazed by her . . voice . . and I was like. . .we gotta make music together . . .we've gotta take this serious . .and . . we really gotta do this music thing . . Azur Mag: Yeah . . it sounds like you took Floetry and put them on your album . . . Kay: Basically . . .she gives off . .for real . . .like Eryka Badu . . . Azur Mag: Yeah . . just all of them . . .She's real cool . .I mean . . .Are you doing any more albums with her? . . . Kay: We, actually, have another song together on the album . . .called Forgive Me . . which . .she, actually, killed . . . . Azur Mag: Oh . .. ok . . .Alright . . .um . .How do you feel about Donny Hathaway . . .? I was listening to Lord Father . . .and . .you just liked him and you chose the sample . . .? Kay: My in house producer, Red Ronin, . . .he actually . . .put that beat, together . . .He had sent me . . like . .seventy beats . . . and . .when I got it . .I just chose that one . . .It sounded really good . . .I also wanted to make . . like . . .ahh . . .the modern day . . .Jesus Walks. . .Kanye West song . . . Azur Mag: Right . . alright . . . .yeah . . I see what you're saying . . .Yeah . . so is that how you produce . . normally . . .You have a producer who sends you a lot of tracks . . .and then . . you just rap over them . . . Kay: Naww . . .some times . .I just . . ask for them . .and . .I just get a lot of beats from different people . . .I just go through them . . .and see . . .which one sounds best . .that I can write to . . .which I feel . . . Azur Mag: Do you have to pay for them . . .or you get them for free . . .? Kay: Ahh . .some I have to pay for . .and some I get for free . . .Most of them I get for free . . . Azur Mag: Awe . . .that's nice . . . Kay: Yeah man . . . Azur Mag: Alright . . um . . What is Strawberries about . . .? Do you have a cut called Strawberries. . . .? Kay: Yeah . . .I do . . . Azur Mag: What's that one about . . .Is that on your soundcloud? . . . Kay: No it's not. . .it's on youtube . . .um . .that song . . .was like the first song I ever recorded . . .and released . . .I recorded that . . in my hommies parking garage .. .. in that where cars used to come in . . .and stuff . . .and . .we use to have to stop every time a car would come in . .and things of that nature . . . Azur Mag: Yeah . .that's cool . . .um . . .so . .it's some kind of garage song you produced . . but it's your first one . . .and . .did it . .get anyone's attention . . .or . . .it's just the first song you recorded . . .? Kay: It got me noticed by . . um . . .Datwon Thomas,. . . editor and chief of Vibe Magazine . . . Azur Mag: Heyyy Yeah . . .I was about to ask you about that. . . (laughs . .) Kay: Yeah . . .He's . .. um. . .He, actually, . . .started noticing that song. . .and . . he saw a video that I had shot . . .We didn't, necessarily, have any budget . . .The guy just believed in what I was making . .and just . . shot a video for me . . .He (Thomas . . ) ended up seeing that on a web site .. .and . .he was like. . .this kid is amazing . . . Azur Mag: He shot a video for you? Kay: Ahh . . for Future Thoughts . . .yeah. . . Azur Mag: So. . . you've got a video some where? Kay: Yeah . .I do . . . Azur Mag: Alright. . . I've got to find that . . .I thought you didn't have any videos . . . Kay: No . . .I have videos . . . Azur Mag: Alright . . .I've got to check that one out . . .because . . .I'll put you on the web site . . .if you've got a video . . . Kay: The song is really old . .and I don't . . really like it . . If you want to post . .it . . um . .you can post the Drugs, Sex, and Soul . . . Azur Mag: Right . .right . . I won't do that . .then . . .Alright . . um . . .Do you have any other projects with Oya. . I'm asking you this question, again, about Oya. . . Kay: We might just do a whole EP together . . . Azur Mag: Right . . Kay: Like nine tracks . . . Azur Mag: Ok. . . Kay: Soulful and lyrical music . . .jazzy . . .Jazz influences . . . Azur Mag: Right . . .um . . .the guy from Vibe Magazine . . .what was his name, again? Kay: Datwon Thomas Azur Mag: Oh . .Datwon Thomas . . .ok . . .um . .What record labels have been showing interest if any at all. . .? Kay: I haven't, really, told any body this . ..but . .ahh . . .Sony has been looking at me . .this whole year . . .and just watching my progress from . .like. .2015 . . .and beyond . . In the next year or so . .they're willing to collab with me . . .and. . .work with me on a distribution deal . . and . things of that nature . . . Azur Mag: That's cool . . .that's cool. . .Have you spoken to any A&R people . . .? Kay: Not necessarily . . .My thing with . . . the whole . . getting signed thing is I'm . . .not really looking to get signed. . .I'm looking to build my own empire . . . and . .things of that nature . . . Azur Mag: Right . . .ok . .that's cool . . .um. . . Let's see . . .What do you record with . . .Are you on . . .Pro-Tools . . .or. . .what do you do. . .? Kay: Yeah . . we definitely use Pro-Tools . . .I record at the Sonic Art Center, now . . . Azur Mag: Ok . . .so . .you gotta pay them or. . .how does that work? Kay: Yeah . . my engineer, Miles Alexander Bruce . . .he's a really dope guy . . . Azur Mag: So you pay him and he . . .hooks you up . .and everything . . .? Kay: Yeah . . basically, he . . .runs the whole studio . . .He, actually, is a part of album 2 . . like . . .He's a talented a** person . . .he like. . .he played the saxophone on a lot of tracks of my album and. . .there's a lot of live instrumentation . .and a lot of it came from him . . .and his team . . like his band . . . Azur Mag: Awe . . .ok . . .yeah . .that's good . . . Kay: Yeah . . we put a lot of hard work into the next project . . . Azur Mag: Yeah! . . .you really have a professional sound going . . .I mean . . .It is really good. . .All you need are a few videos . . and you could promote yourself . . like a . . you could go independent . . .You know what I mean? Kay: Definitely . . .um . . actually . . .I've been working on some videos . . .Tomorrow. . .I'm . .going to finish up . .the Forgive Me Lord/Father video . . . Azur Mag: Oh . . ok . . .Let me know when you finish the video . . because I want to . .really get into it . .I want to send some links out . . .to your videos . . and stuff like that . . . Kay: Definitely . . . Azur Mag: Have you played any gigs, lately? Kay: Um. . .no . .not necessarily . . .I took time off . . .cause last year I was on tour . . and most of the year . . like. . .I did an independent tour . .Just me and my friend . . . Yadi . .He's another rapper that's working on an EP . . .He's doing his thing . . .um . . .me and him took the initiative to pay for our own tour . . .and go out on our own tour . . .People see us . .not only in New York . . .but . . in other states like . . .we went to Chicago . . for a week . . .We went to North Carolina . . .where we intertwined with the Dreamville Team . . .and Jay Cole and them . . .I got to meet a coupe people from there . . and . . .that was pretty cool . . .We . . um . . also went to L.A. . . . and Texas . . .we went to Texas . .the South by South West . . in 2014. . . .where we performed in . . .That was pretty dope . .and we just been on an independent ground . .He's working on an EP . . .and I'm finished with my . .ahh . . .album. . .which I'm trying to drop next month . . . Azur Mag: Alright . . ahh. . . .um. . . What's it like opening up for Tribe Called Quest . . .? Kay: That was pretty cool. . .that was . . .South by South West . . .It was pretty cool for the simple fact that . . .the last year, actually, touring as a group . . .so . .yeah . .we got to experience it . . .turn it up with them before. . .the year was over. . . Azur Mag: Ok . . .what was Vices and Vanity about? That's your new LP . . .right? Kay: Yeah . . .that's the project that's going to come out in a month or so . . .That project is just like . . just . . .everything put into one . .if I could just put my whole life into a project . . .it would be Vices and Vanity . . .like. . .for the simple fact . . .I said a lot of things on this project . . .that necessarily people wouldn't put . .because it's too personal . . .I just feel like . . once you make music . . .it has to come like from . . .the realness in your heart . . .and the sh*t that you go through . . .so . .like. . .when I was working on it . . .it's like . .this is what I need to do . . .I need to tell the truth . . through out this project . . .some parts of the project is . .like . .very up tempo . . .and hype . .and then there's . . some parts that are really sad . . .and personal. . .I let people know who I am in this project . . .I think I want people to really understand. . .what I was trying to do . . .and where I've been in the past two years or so . . .cause people see me on tour . . .and they see me out of state - working on a project . . .in big studios and sh*t , now . . .They, necessarily, think that life is good . . .but . .with this project I made sure that. . .I wanted people to know the real me . . .and like. . .behind all of this . .behind Vices and Vanity . . .the sins and vanity. . . .like. . .the life style that actually comes with being a musician and things of that nature . . .That's what I wanted to portray to people . . . Azur Mag: Cool. . .Alright . .um . . .so . .is Oya going to be on this one . . .? Is that what you were saying . . ? Kay: Yeah . . .she's going to be on two songs . . .on this project . . . Azur Mag: Right . . .ok . .any other singers? Kay: Ahh . . .nope . . . Azur Mag: Ok . . .and what about . . .the engineer . .Is he going to play any instruments on it. . . Kay: Oh . . yeah . . .Miles Alexander Bruce . . . and my hommie, Prince Roy . . . .he played guitar on Drugs, Sex and Soul . . .people don't even know that Drugs, Sex, and Soul. . .the one that I posted is not even the real . . .final product . .The product that I have . . .is like the last part of it . . .It has . . like live guitars and things of that nature. . . It's really cool. . like. . .it sounds really dope . .like. . . It sounds really dope . .like. . . .It sounds way doper than the one that I posted . . .and that one is really dope . . . Azur Mag: Oh . .so you have another version of Drugs, Sex and Soul . . . Kay: Basically . . . Azur Mag: Oh . . yeah . .I'd like to hear that . . .Yeah . . if you could get me the album . . man . . .I'd appreciate it . .(laughs . .) . . . Kay: I'll, definitely, send it to you. . .um. . . Azur Mag: I'll send you a copy of the magazine . . .if you like . . .but I'll send you copies . . well . .never mind . . .Well . .yeah . .I would really love to have a copy of your album . . .man . .um . .I'll pay you money for it . . .(laughs . . ) Kay: (laughs . . .) . . . Azur Mag: . . but. . . do you have any last words for your viewing audience? Kay: Um. . . .to just go get the project . . .and support . . .That's all I need . . .and the love . .I appreciate . . .the real music . . . You can hear Kay Anthony's album at www.soundcloud.com/kay-anthony

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