Portland's One and Only Kayco: Trap Soul and Lyricism Defined

Artist Background and Positioning - Kayco introduced himself as a 27-year-old independent artist based in Portland, Oregon. - His family relocated there from the Bay Area. - He described himself as a fully self-contained artist who writes, produces, mixes, and masters his own work. - His sound has evolved over time. - He began with emotionally driven trap/hip-hop rooted in personal life experience. - Over time, his music shifted further toward R&B while still retaining hip-hop elements. - Independence is a core part of his identity. - He emphasized operating without label support. - The discussion framed this as a strength, especially for artists who can manage creation and production end to end. Creative Development and Influences - He has been recording since age 14. - His early projects included: - "Trap Ways" - "Trap Fall" - He intentionally left older work available on YouTube to document his growth as an artist. - He described his influences as including: - 50 Cent - Kevin Gates - Bay Area and West Coast music culture - His artistic journey was shaped by personal hardship. - He said he originally tried to make spiritual music. - Later life events and legal pressure changed his direction, and music became his main outlet for expression. - He wants artistic flexibility rather than being boxed into one style. - He is comfortable making trap records. - He also wants to create deeper lyrical music and more commercial or radio-friendly songs depending on the mood and beat. Discussion on Artistry and Hip-Hop - Kayco distinguished between mainstream rap and what he considers true hip-hop. - He associated rap more with commercial regional styles such as drill and Atlanta-driven sounds. - He described true hip-hop as being more rooted in rhyme schemes, structure, pocket, and culture. - His definition of pure artistry centered on expression. - He said artistry is about communicating feeling across genres and generations. - He highlighted appreciation for instrumentation, timing, melodic structure, and technical musical details. Education and Professional Development - Kayco recently started an audio production course. - He said he began the program the previous week. - He chose Full Sail over other institutions he had considered. - He has committed more seriously to music as a business. - He recently stopped working his previous job. - He is now focused full-time on music. - He is building infrastructure around his career. - He launched his publishing. - He is in the process of launching his label. - He has prepared roughly 30 songs for rollout across the year so he can continue creating while releasing consistently. Current Projects and Release Strategy - He has two upcoming projects planned for release this year: - "Moonlight" - "City Nights" - Current track counts discussed: - "City Nights": 12 tracks - "Moonlight": 10 tracks - Two songs previewed during the session were confirmed as part of "City Nights." - He is still deciding final sequencing and release structure. - He has considered whether to release one full album first and then follow with the next. - He appears increasingly aligned with a steady-release strategy rather than dropping everything at once. - His preferred rollout approach now is: - One song per week, or - One song every other week - The reasoning behind that plan is to maintain fan engagement and support momentum as industry traction grows. Music Reviewed During the Session - The host played multiple Kayco tracks submitted previously. - Songs referenced or previewed included: - "11 Threes" - Never Stops - Other previously sent material including "Remember Who" - Response to the music was highly positive. - The host Mattsuuii strongly praised the quality and said the songs matched his taste. - Mattsuuii expressed immediate interest in downloading and replaying the material.