Amalgamate: to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine. Appropriate words to use when speaking on Kyere LaFlare. In my opinion music and hip-hop in general is in a funny stage. We’re looking for some sort of attonement of sorts. After losing hella top-tier artists within the last few years, I think its time for a change of tone. The club is looking dead, some of the lyrical street rappers are either gone or drowned out, and the drill scene is currently in the hands of the FEDS (take a look at the Bronx / NY scene). But commercial isnt what we are speaking about right now. This is the OTHER side. This sound is tucked deep in your homies playlist, reserved for minimum occupancy blunt rides or that nostalgic “wake up at 3am playing on soundcloud” type discovery that Kyree speaks of. And creatives such as Kyere are putting it down. The names might not be gleaming across prime marquees yet, but on the low its a lot of cooking up going on. And foreeal….if you know….you know.

Whats the word Kyere how are things on your end in your life?

Just living life tryna get shit right. Just working on tag team champs tryna get that out right now.

We’ll get into that but let me run it from the top. Where you from? Who are you lets get into it before music and all that!

I was born in Newark, NJ but I was adopted by my mother and we moved here in like ‘01. I was like 5 / 6 when I moved here. Moved to Norfolk. Matter fact moved right out Norview whole time. Warview gang! I ended up going to Granby cuz I got an out of district jawnt. But at granby I ended up meeting so many mawfuckas that ended up helping make me start doing music. Like I actually graduated with Al-Doms and shit, but I graduated with a whole lot of artists who are still doing their shit too that I just can’t name off top. I was fucking around, like doing track junior year and also started fucking around with photography. So I had took this one picture it was a joke; like a fake mixtape cover. It was called “Flambe: the Chapters of A Real Nigga”. Some stupid shit. I wasnt going to do a song or nothing but I got peer pressured into doing a song and then the song ended up to a whole mixtape. Then the mixtape elevated into me wanting to actually do and fucking with music way more. This kinda sorta started on a whim but like I was also in choir as a kid. I was around singing, experience, etc. So after that its really like me experimenting with drugs, freestyling and trying to take rap more serious.

I bought a mic with my homie Tyree and set it up in his garage. The first time I recorded I didnt know what to do I was like “I kinda wanna rap but I wanna sing” so I did both. But like the whole room bust out laughing I sounded so crazy. But then it goes to the first studio session, which wasnt good. Half-written, “ima freestyle the rest”. My homie 35 put me onto the music, he had the homie kyle who was the hookup at the NSU recording studio. Halfway thorugh the song I got kicked out the booth. Bro was like “niggas aint gonna fuck with you if you in here just guessing some shit. Or if you go to a real studio they just gonna take your bread and say its good”. Niggas just gonna take your money and go. So from there I promised never again.

Should artists be judged according to their style of written or freestlye?

Honestly I understand both. When you are freestyling shit just feels more authentic and you in that moment. I honestly dont think they should be judged differently. But yes and no. Because when you speak on people like Jay-Z and Wayne who are able to come up with amazing concepts off top without writing at all…that makes it hard to debate it. But you also have niggas like Drake who will ride around, listen to the beat, actually feel one with it and do what they need to. Kind of a slippery slope. Like I took a year off recording just to freestyle so I could find my flow and how I wanted to spit.

Do you have a process for testing out music or do you just throw it out and see what sticks to the wall?

I’ve been making music for the last 9 plus years and just started dropping music and performing the last 2-3. Like I can comfortably say I got albums. Just cooking up and getting comfortable. I wanted to actually do this right because when I started it was nothing but soundcloud rappers. Like I graduated 2014 but started getting serious around 2016. Niggas dont appreciate soundcloud because its considered underground. I get that but its a completely different sound and different lane / vibe. Like people dont know how much you can find on soundcloud even just going to sleep waking up like WTF is this? So much shit that has changed my ear and changed my perspective on music forreal.

So how did it really come together and start working?

Man forreal niggas was just rushing shit. Just having fun at the same time but rushing shit. But somehow coming up with something fire. Like when we came up with “How Does It Feel” that just was a drunk escapade. Which brings us to Tag Team Champs. The cultivation of blood, sweat, tears, growing pains, losing, a LOT of losing. I mean its taken away relationships, money, this that and the forth. Like everything you are. Its also a learning curve but I feel like this process has made me a man. On God. Making these songs made us feel like the best in the world. Which grew into growth. Being more accepting of who you are as a person.

So whats No Wave World?

Creative company. But also a mixtape me and my homie Taz have been working on the last couple months. Whole bunch of different swag; on some Quiet Storm meets the plug.

Sierra J Project what is that?

Project dedicated to my sister Sierra Jenkins Rest In Peace. She passed last year around March 13th due to sensless gun violence. A project just to keep her memory alive but also to help promote the end of gun violence. Follow them at TheSierraJProject. Just tryna keep her name alive. This is whole organization by itself.

Last few questions. How would you describe your music?

Quiet storm, R&B, todays hip-hop, yesterdays hip-hop and even yesterdays R&B. I realized one of my biggest inspirations on the low is Craig David. He’s a UK artist who is considered one of the first to blend UK garage, R&B, Hip-Hop and jungle music together. I kinda wanna do the same shit with the music we have here but just in my way.

State of the game? Like nationally, globally then locally?

Nationally? Dry. But shouts to the women that are running this shit right now. Especially like Glorilla, Cardi been running. Shout out to Rihanna as always. Real talk once she showed niggas that she is pregnant that turned into the Rocky Bowl. Game is dry, a lot of niggas sound like the same shit tryna chase the same sound. Like R&B exists but its more centered around relationship trauma and pain. But that works for some people. Like music isnt fun no more, nobody really wants to dance. Nothing to really get people out to vibe and dance. I want people to really vibe out to my shit. Im a fan of live performances. Like I still go back and watch Craig Davids live performances where he sold out the Wembley. At 19. Where the Beatles played. But i’ll go way back. Even to like Paul Hardcastle. Another Gem right there. Hes like the architecht of the sound where I want my music to go. Thats that 80’s vibe. Like real good coke on the table type shit.

What about the local scene? 757 Tidewater?

Its promising. We just need to do right by each other. Support each other. Uplift each other. Just make sure we are unit forreal. WE have the possibility to actually grow this shit. ?But also with the situation with Norfolk shutting down most of the venues niggas frequent and shit or have business out of ; it makes it hard for us to gather or even get a fucking place to make money. But i’ve already learned to accept the fact that I have to go inorder for my career to grow.

Last one, endless money and endless workers hypothetically. What are you doing to put the 757 on?

First i’m building a venue for artists to promote their business and work. Studios, everything within the art aspect of life. To help creatives. Then also I would want to do something to help out with adoption. Because i’m from that. Helping out the transition. Like actually reuniting the families or something. Its all up in the air.

Anything else?

Find me on Twitter or IG at KyereLaFlare. Skirt Nowitski, Coach K….theres only 1. Its THAT one but hes not THIS one. Trust me. Tag Team Champs on the way. No Wave World on the way. FUCK the IRS,, FUCK them boys. Fuck you and all you standing on. Ya know? Im out here living. Im blessed!

For more interviews with creative minds such as kyere, stay tuned into fresh off the pavement.