R&B artist, singer/songwriter and producer, KLY, is one of the most sought-after musical talents in the game right now. Starting out as a dancer for the 300 dance crew, the singer, signed to Ambitious Entertainment, made a trailblazing entrance into the music scene following the release of his debut project, Klymax, which introduced a different sound to the game and gain the young muso a cult following which came out in numbers for his show #KLYRedBox on 1 March in Braamfontien. City Buzz caught up with the singer to talk about his musical journey, his latest single Umbuzo and future plans.
You were a dancer before, what spurred the jump from being a dancer to making music?
With dancing, I felt like I achieved everything I wanted to achieve with dance and I wanted to move on to something else and that was the music. There was a time when I was teaching myself to sing as I was getting better at it a friend of mine invited me to the studio to record, that’s when I moved from dancing to music.
Initially, you wanted to try your pen at rapping and opted for singing – what happened there?
I sucked at rapping, I really sucked and I didn’t have the patience. I had more patience for singing – it was something that I really wanted to do.
Your sound is unique and incomparable to any other artist in the game right now. With that being said, who are your musical influences?
Definitely Drake, Chris Brown, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tank, Musiq Soulchild, but, my sound’s foundation is built on that Toronto sound – I don’t really have a name for my sound, it’s a mixture – it’s good music and I don’t want to be boxed.
Your debut project, Klymax, saw you create a buzz around KLY. How has it been from when Klymax dropped to you dropping your debut album Keep Love Young?
It’s a matter of staying consistent. Now, people actually know me and they know my music.
Looking at the album, how has it been received since its release?
People are loving it. It’s just a matter of pushing it more, also, R&B and Afro-beat is fairly new in the industry – it hasn’t been put on the mainstream, especially for the young guys. The more people listen to it, the more it grows.
Umbuzo is undoubtedly one of the biggest singles off the album, what is the song about and why did you decide to take the English-Zulu mix?
The song’s basically just about love and money and a partner not understanding the certain sacrifices you make when you chase your dreams while in a relationship. I wrote it from the perspective of the guy. I just wanted to do a Zulu song and I did it with Ndu from Blaq Diamond he produced it and helped me co-write it.
What’s in the pipeline? Are you working on any new music?
More shows, I want to do a one-man show, I feel like that’s where you really test your fan base. A whole lot of new music and features. I’ve been doing some work with some guys in France and Miami but I can’t reveal a lot.
