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Kahlee's juggling act gets less dangerous but more important
Hip-hop artist behind "Big Deal" keeps very, very busy
Let the word go out to friend and foe alike: San Diego’s rappin’ Kahlee, currently repping his new cut “Big Deal” across streaming platforms, exaggerated, just a teensy tad, his prowess at juggling. Regarding his claim of throwing a chainsaw, a bowling pin, and two Honeycrisp apples into the mix, he now says, “I’m sorry my brotha, I was just joking when I said that.” Rather, he clarifies, “I can juggle three Honeycrisp apples, but that’s about it. Nothing too dangerous. Lately, life’s been more about juggling family, work and music than chainsaws. But it’s just as tough, and for sure more important.”
Mind you, he does take his juggling seriously. “My older cousin would juggle back in the day, and I picked it up a bit. I once tried juggling small throwing knives that I bought from the Roadium swap meet in Gardena. The same swap meet where N.W.A. was formed was also local teenagers’ source for car speakers, counterfeit clothing, and samurai swords. So I bought these throwing knives after watching the movie Mystery Men and cut my hand trying to juggle. Wasn’t a bad cut, but it bled like a Tarantino flick. Maybe I’ll pick it up again. Start off slow with some hacky sacks and work my way up to something more dangerous like flaming bowling pins.”
Professional improvement is, of course, important as well. “I’m always adjusting the flow to keep things fresh. Sometimes I’ll let the beat breathe a bit and other times I’m filling every second. Sometimes the creativity lies within the contents of the song, whereas other times it’s about the clever wordplay.”
For now, his sidelines include selling “No Rapping Over Vocals” T-shirts, and he’s happy to elaborate on this slogan. “My favorite part of being an emcee is the performance aspect, and the same goes for what I love as a fan. I’ve watched many rappers drunkenly stumble through their performances, either lip-syncing or sipping their drink while they should be rapping, as if it were a ventriloquist’s trick. As a performer, I feel you owe the crowd more. Most of the shows I attend, they don’t rap over their vocals, and when someone does, it’s often accompanied by lame music. I strongly encourage all rappers to perform without their background vocals. Respect your fans, respect the craft.”
The community means a great deal to the man. “Before Covid, we were building something special in North Park every week with HipHopWEDS. And there’s still a lot going on there, especially at Mixed Grounds. Right now, hip-hop is going strong at places like Til-Two with Slappin’ Hands, Winstons in Ocean Beach, Black Cat with Milky Wayne Presents, Slap Sessions at Sessions by the Bay, and of course, HipHopWEDS at the Casbah.”
“Big Deal” features Sam R I, Castle Money Beats, and Tone Spliff. As for Sam R I’s lyrical conception, Kahlee explains “Our flows are different but cut from the same cloth, so we complement each other’s styles. Castle Money Beats is one of San Diego’s best kept secrets when it comes to boom bap beats. Tone Spliff is another fresh producer who’s extra nice with the scratches. Originally from the East Coast, but he’s been out here in Cali for a few years. Also, they’re all good people. The common thread here is that I only work with good folks.”
Video:
Kahlee, "Big Deal"
Asked if hip-hop actually pays, Kahlee reflects on his busy days. “I work a nine-to-five. I put on shows, perform, create music, host a video show called Bars Weekly, design graphics, and press shirts. It’s a constant juggling act, but it’s better than simply maintaining. Hip-hop has been paying me more than ever these past few years, but for it to be my main source of income, I’d need to be away from my family a lot more than I’m willing to.”
And at the end of the day, family means the most. “I just celebrated 25 years with my wife. My son is a young teen and my daughter is approaching the double digits. They’ve been raised with an emcee for a father, so it’s kinda regular for them to see me perform on stage or to sit in the studio with me with instrumentals playing for hours on end. They’re also very slick with their words. My wife is an amazing speaker too, leading large teams and groups regularly, so it’s dope to see these things rub off on our seeds.”
Here's something you might be interested in.
Kahlee's juggling act gets less dangerous but more important
Hip-hop artist behind "Big Deal" keeps very, very busy
Kahlee's juggling act gets less dangerous but more important
Hip-hop artist behind "Big Deal" keeps very, very busy
Let the word go out to friend and foe alike: San Diego’s rappin’ Kahlee, currently repping his new cut “Big Deal” across streaming platforms, exaggerated, just a teensy tad, his prowess at juggling. Regarding his claim of throwing a chainsaw, a bowling pin, and two Honeycrisp apples into the mix, he now says, “I’m sorry my brotha, I was just joking when I said that.” Rather, he clarifies, “I can juggle three Honeycrisp apples, but that’s about it. Nothing too dangerous. Lately, life’s been more about juggling family, work and music than chainsaws. But it’s just as tough, and for sure more important.”
Mind you, he does take his juggling seriously. “My older cousin would juggle back in the day, and I picked it up a bit. I once tried juggling small throwing knives that I bought from the Roadium swap meet in Gardena. The same swap meet where N.W.A. was formed was also local teenagers’ source for car speakers, counterfeit clothing, and samurai swords. So I bought these throwing knives after watching the movie Mystery Men and cut my hand trying to juggle. Wasn’t a bad cut, but it bled like a Tarantino flick. Maybe I’ll pick it up again. Start off slow with some hacky sacks and work my way up to something more dangerous like flaming bowling pins.”
Professional improvement is, of course, important as well. “I’m always adjusting the flow to keep things fresh. Sometimes I’ll let the beat breathe a bit and other times I’m filling every second. Sometimes the creativity lies within the contents of the song, whereas other times it’s about the clever wordplay.”
For now, his sidelines include selling “No Rapping Over Vocals” T-shirts, and he’s happy to elaborate on this slogan. “My favorite part of being an emcee is the performance aspect, and the same goes for what I love as a fan. I’ve watched many rappers drunkenly stumble through their performances, either lip-syncing or sipping their drink while they should be rapping, as if it were a ventriloquist’s trick. As a performer, I feel you owe the crowd more. Most of the shows I attend, they don’t rap over their vocals, and when someone does, it’s often accompanied by lame music. I strongly encourage all rappers to perform without their background vocals. Respect your fans, respect the craft.”
The community means a great deal to the man. “Before Covid, we were building something special in North Park every week with HipHopWEDS. And there’s still a lot going on there, especially at Mixed Grounds. Right now, hip-hop is going strong at places like Til-Two with Slappin’ Hands, Winstons in Ocean Beach, Black Cat with Milky Wayne Presents, Slap Sessions at Sessions by the Bay, and of course, HipHopWEDS at the Casbah.”
“Big Deal” features Sam R I, Castle Money Beats, and Tone Spliff. As for Sam R I’s lyrical conception, Kahlee explains “Our flows are different but cut from the same cloth, so we complement each other’s styles. Castle Money Beats is one of San Diego’s best kept secrets when it comes to boom bap beats. Tone Spliff is another fresh producer who’s extra nice with the scratches. Originally from the East Coast, but he’s been out here in Cali for a few years. Also, they’re all good people. The common thread here is that I only work with good folks.”
Video:
Kahlee, "Big Deal"
Asked if hip-hop actually pays, Kahlee reflects on his busy days. “I work a nine-to-five. I put on shows, perform, create music, host a video show called Bars Weekly, design graphics, and press shirts. It’s a constant juggling act, but it’s better than simply maintaining. Hip-hop has been paying me more than ever these past few years, but for it to be my main source of income, I’d need to be away from my family a lot more than I’m willing to.”
And at the end of the day, family means the most. “I just celebrated 25 years with my wife. My son is a young teen and my daughter is approaching the double digits. They’ve been raised with an emcee for a father, so it’s kinda regular for them to see me perform on stage or to sit in the studio with me with instrumentals playing for hours on end. They’re also very slick with their words. My wife is an amazing speaker too, leading large teams and groups regularly, so it’s dope to see these things rub off on our seeds.”
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