If you haven’t heard the name Kp Illest before, you’ve probably been living under a rock. The artist has been making waves for the past few years and has recently spread his musical wings.
Kp Illest, well-known hip-hop musician, formerly unsigned, working and managing himself without a record label, has been nabbed up by kwaito artist The Dogg’s Mshasho record label. Seeing as the image of Mshasho is primarily kwaito, why would a hip-hop artist be interested in this particular label?
Kp said his admiration and the mutual respect between himself and The Dogg is what made it the right fit. “Prior to the deal, The Dogg and I already developed somewhat of a mutual respect. I respect what he has been doing and all he has done for the music industry, and he in turn respects a young talented person who is busy doing something,” he said.
The artist also mentioned that it was extraordinary to get recognition from the musical veteran. “It was great to get that recognition from him (The Dogg), and the fact that he let me negotiate rather than just make an offer and say take it or leave it – that made me more comfortable with signing. I also like what the brand is doing and I think I’m the artist who will show people the diversity of the record label. It’s also competitive with the other artists under it, meaning I’ll always be driven to bring a better product,” Kp said.
Transitioning from an unsigned artist to now working with a label, not to mention one of the biggest in the country, certainly has its differences and benefits.
“It all depends on your deal, but in most cases, the difference is financial backing because now you have a financier. Marketing and promotion is also something the label takes care of. Recording fees are taken care of if your label has a studio and lastly, a bigger brand name attached to yours which ultimately will grow your personal brand,” Kp explained.
Kp likened signing to a label to having a guardian who’s looking out for you. “It’s mainly like having a big brother at school, rather than you learning on your own. But as I said, it all depends on your deal. As easy as it is to get a lucky break from a deal, it’s also easy to get burned and extorted so it’s still necessary to be careful. I’m happy with my decision, though.”
The artist described the move to Mshasho as a partnership where two big brands come together to be mutually beneficial, however he didn’t disclose the duration of the deal. “A label provides you with resources you may not have previously had as well as opportunities and it’s no different here but at the same time, it is mutually beneficial. The length of the deal is undisclosed but as long as both parties are happy, I wouldn’t see a need for the partnership to ever end.”
With this lucrative deal, Kp wants his music to transcend genres and convert diehard kwaito lovers into hip-hop fans and aspires to reach the level of his new-found mentor.
“I’m hoping to expand my fan base firstly and turn old Mshasho kwaito fans into Kp Illest hip-hop fans. I also want to reach similar heights as The Dogg. He is a great artist and who better to help me reach this level, and hopefully surpass him, than The Dogg himself? I want to reach my full potential as an artist and by having the backing the label offers, I’ll be able to focus more on my music rather than doing everything else.”
