Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.
Thanks!! I’m KING LOGAN, a name given to me by some of the toughest guys I know, straight outta tha grove (Pleasant Grove area of Dallas TX)Let me tell you one thing, (laughs) ain’t nothin pleasant about tha grove!! @kingloganmusic on all socials if you wanna follow
What got you into music and made you realize that it was your chosen path?
When I was younger, skateboarding played a huge role in my life. One day while I was at FDR, (a diy skatepark in Philadelphia PA) I heard some kids having a cypher. It was honestly the coolest thing I had experienced up to that point in my life. Now this was in the early days of hip hop, and it wasn’t very hard to come up with a few rhymes and pass it on. So I just walked right up and hopped in and when the guy next to me finished I started up.
You know that moment in the movies, the one where the music stops and it all gets quiet then someone farts?
It was kinda like that … lol Most of the guys laughed at me, but a few came up to me and told me I had some bars and to keep going… so I did. I freestyled my *ss off for pretty much the rest of my life. I reached a certain age and thought to myself… Why aren’t you pursuing this?
From there, I took the name given to me by the streets of Dallas and started dream chasing.
Tell us about your new music? And what’s the story behind it?
This track in particular is called B.A.D (you can guess what it means without being too imaginative … lol)
It’s a man’s take on the smash hit WAP-CARDI B & MEGAN THEE STALLION. I made it to push the lines and boundaries of acceptable pop radio play, yet still stay just within the confines enough to be accepted. I used a playful cadence and a bass laden beat to deliver thee club banger of 2020/21! You guys can check it out on B.A.D (ditto.fm)
It’s been accepted into the US & Canadian charts so run it up!!
What makes your music unique? And how would you describe it?
I would say my uniqueness comes from the overall breakdown of the songs. No matter the genre, (I ghostwrite for all genres, as well as both sexes) every word is carefully crafted and placed into the timing and structure of the instrumental in a way that marries the two as if they were created for each other from the start.
With my Hip-hop I like to write stories of memories, or emotions I felt throughout some of the toughest or happiest times of my life. My songs (stories) follow a linear timeline with a plot build up and an ending crescendo. There are characters, and you feel for them.
I make music with a message and a purpose, whether that’s having some fun, or helping someone through a time of loss, or just going hard, I stay true to the topic. My rhyming structure fully encompasses the beat in a way that makes the words flow with the rhythm unilaterally, whether it’s the snare, the instrument or the 808s you can see and feel where the words are meant to hit.
Do you play any instruments? And why do you love it?
Sadly I don’t, but both my brothers are accomplished guitarists, and my little brother plays around on soundcloud, look him up if you like instrumental guitar tracks! (Josiah Majka)
As far as influences go, I cannot stress enough how eclectic I am. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MUSIC!! Music is the expression of the soul! It’s some of the last true magic in the universe! Music can take you to a whole new reality with just one bass drop, or melt your heart in a sappy movie moment. Music can make a scene scary as hell or lighthearted. It can alter your mood, mentality, consciousness… it’s amazing!!
Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
So I listen to everything from Mozart to norwegian death metal, to pop, rock, and everything in between!! There is so much cool stuff out there once you open the confines of your mind to new cultures and expressions!
Onto collabs, well at the moment I’m pitching a track to Beanie Siegel (Honestly one of the biggest influences in my real life, as well as music career) and I’ve been approached by DMX to be on one of his mixtapes. Both offers came after answering this question on another interview lol so WEEZY, IF YOU’RE READING THIS, LETS WORK! PEEP THE UPROAR REMIX ON YOUTUBE. Lol. A closed mouth dont get fed!!
Which is the best moment in your musical career that you’re most proud of?
All of it so far! So many artists try to skip the journey and jump to fame… that’s not real. I had that movie moment… On a rainy Tuesday in September, a promoter (@alliethakat on socials) got a hold of me and told me of a show I needed to go do. (open mic type event) She didn’t really elaborate on why though. I picked her up and we went to the venue. When we got there Mike Clarke of SWISHA HOUSE was there. The host announced it and said it was an open invite for artists to network, and honestly…. NOT.ONE.ARTIST.EVEN.MOVED.
I was like hell yeah, and just like that night in Philly I walked right up to them and said ” You probably get this all the time, but I am here to kill this shit! You’re gonna wanna wait around!”
Mike looked me dead in the face and said ” nope, no one really does that” and they waited. I didn’t go on until about 1 a.m. and they waited that whole time…. After that he gave me his card and said “You got something let’s talk”
I ultimately decided to take the independent route. But the information I got from Mike Clarke, the experience of having King Thyra record with me at VIBELABDALLAS, being able to meet such amazing people as DJ Michael Watts 3000, Smooth Vega, Rhakim Abdul Jabar, and so many more…. man that was so great for my budding career!!! I just can’t thank them enough! Shout out Al B over at VIBELABDALLAS for not only mixing my tracks right, but also jumping onto my track “You Dont Know” he made that sh*t pop!
How do you balance your music with other obligations – family, friends or work?
At this point, it’s getting quite hard to do. I’m a father, and a dedicated partner to my woman. So with that in mind I thought; all the time in the afternoon/evening is for them, so I’ll do it in the am.
Well posting at the times I did, and working as early as I did (I wake up @ 3am ) I developed an international following. (different time zones) At this point I’ve written all of my works (as well as other artists), I do all my own pitching, to playlists/blogs/artist/labels(ghostwrites)/sync placements/etc. I am my own publisher, I walk the streets distributing hard copies of my music, I make all of my own cover arts, as well as promotional pics and videos….. I do it all and it is exhausting. I now understand when the artists that are on the radio say they work 20+ hours days, because I do it now lol.
Good news though, I’ve managed to gain the attention of a lot of marketing firms, and some really high up people in the industry and we are working on simplifying all of that.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Do your research. Make a whole library of music so once you start releasing, you can be constant. Don’t follow trends, but still make what consumers want to hear. In the end, if you want to make money it’s a business. You have to treat it as such. You have to do market analysis to see what the market wants, as well as be versatile enough to continuously evolve with the demands of your fans. DON’T BUY STREAMS/SUBS/FOLLOWERS/VIEWS. Unless you wanna lie to yourself, those aren’t real and don’t equate to more. Also industry pros know when you buy a million vs break a million, you will not fool them lol.
Organic growth is a painstaking process but it is so worth it in the end. JUST BE YOU, THOSE WHO LIKE YOU WILL SHOW YOU TO OTHER LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS. Word of mouth is massive in this game! Have fun, trust your gut, and create passionate works of art!
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
Lol Follow my Spotify, I’ll be releasing NEW MUSIC REGULARLY ALL NEXT YEAR!! So new content will be there.Get ahold of me, I’d love to shout you out, or repost your awesome interests, Let’s be friends! Also join logans legion found on my flowpage.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
I am in the process of booking my first World tour!! My booking agent is kangainspace.com! I will be touring through Germany, and parts of France, I’ve also been asked to join the lineup for soundstage 21′(barring further covid issues worldwide).
Through all that I will be releasing singles weekly to build demand for my First album, “Opening Act” I’m also working on a mixtape of remixes, and one with a more gospel rap vibe under the alias Majka the Prophet. I firmly believe it’s been GOD’s hand guiding me out of my dangerous ways and into this rich life full of amazing experiences… I hope you enjoy my music and can’t wait to hear from you all!
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