Kiiba: Enter The Hidden Sound

Kiiba is an artist whose career we at Thrive Indie have been following for quite some time. It was a shoutout from Carolina Waves pioneer and radio personality, Miriam Tolbert, that first made us pay attention.

What I discovered was a young lyricist of Jamaica decent with the ability to weave words together seamlessly. His style is unique but reminiscent of early Kendrick Lamar. He is one of our favorite artists in NC so we had to lock in an interview! 

Kiiba- The interview

Q: Firstly congrats on your new video “Man Down.” I checked it out you got pretty creative with that.  What was the inspiration behind the song and video?

A: Thank you, I appreciate you for that. Honestly, it came across when Yung Goddess came to me with the song idea, and sung the chorus and played the beat, as she noticed there was an island vibe to it, and with me being Jamaican, it was perfect. We started really working on the video once we saw the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and so we took the concept of that movie and made it into our own twist of things.

Q: Is it a single for an upcoming project?

A: You have to ask Yung Goddess about that one. Can’t spill too much on her behalf.

Q: I first found out about you from a Carolina Waves event. What have those showcases meant for your career so far? 

A:  I honestly grew so much and met so many people from the Carolina Waves events that are so amazing at their craft. Those showcases mean everything because that’s where I started to seriously push myself in different ways more than just rapping and going to shows, and also became a Wave baby too so that’s a perk *laughs*

Q: Kiiba, with performances out of the picture this year due to the pandemic, have you had to make adjustments in regards to your musical career?

A:  Honestly, the pandemic did affect certain things. But the pandemic didn’t really affect my musical craft. It did allow me to take time and work on my production quality and I landed a few placements with Tae-Em from Empac, Kayo Bracey, Ty Harriz, and a few other artists.

Tech and musical influence

Q: Technology plays a huge role in artist careers today. In what ways have you utilized tech to push your career?

A: Instagram, Triller, and just honestly reaching out to people. I got some notoriety in a few places I didn’t even expect until they popped up honestly.

Q: Who and what are the biggest influences to  your music?

A:  In terms of what influences my music, my life and my surroundings, and my heritage. In terms of who, I’d say X (both DMX and XXXTentacion), Kendrick, Kobe, Lil Wayne, Capital Steez, and Damian Marley.

Q: What is the one thing you want all your fans to know about you?

A: Before rap, I wanted to be a pro wrestler

Q: Lastly, what advice would you give to someone looking to their journey as an independent artist?

A: Follow your heart, and stay consistent at all times.