Rapper K Camp had a big year in 2013, but never ended up on XXL's 2014 Freshman Class cover. However, with his steady grind and popularity throughout the years, this 25-year-old rap sensation has gained the respect along with nine other rap stars as the next breakout stars in Hip Hop, finally landing on this year's Freshman Class cover.
Known for his smash hit "Cut Her Off," which undoubtedly became the break up anthem for men all over, the song's success along with "Money Baby" gave him a grander platform and created much buzz about the Milwaukee native. In an exclusive interview with Music Times, K Camp opens up about the XXL cover, his album The Only Way Is Up and gives us the meaning of his "Slum Life" movement.
Music Times: How does it feel to be on the cover? What does it mean to you?
KC: Well deserved. It feels well deserved and it means "Mhm," that's it's really time to turn up. The world is really watching now so I gotta do what I do best, make great music and keep this sh*t going.
MT: So, I mean, you didn't make the 2014 cover, do you think it was worth the wait?
KC: Yup. And no-well, you never know man. Everything's God's time man, you can't go against God's timing, so I think this was perfect. Honestly my album is about to drop too, so it's right on time
MT: You're not like a freshman technically. Do you feel any pressure after this magazine release?
KC: I've been doing the same thing. No. Ain't no pressure. I really do it, I'm not pressured by anything. Confident more than anything, I'm ready. It was gonna come sooner or later, and it came right on time.
MT: I saw the interview with you and The Breakfast Club a while back and you said you wanted to work with Tink and now like you guys are on the same cover. Did you guys set something up or is there any other artist at the shoot you know you wanted to collaborate with?
KC: There's a couple artists on that shoot that I collab with already, and that's in the works. Tink's real good peoples, you know what I'm saying? We got each other's contacts and everything. It's nothing to really do with songs, so I guess y'all can look forward to that in the future.
MT: Tell me, what's the "Slum Life Movement" about?
KC: The "Slum Life" is just me and my fam, you know what I'm saying? My brother we just came from the bottom, we are turning nothing into something, you know what I'm saying? And we're gonna continue to turn nothing into something, and we're gonna continue to stay family and we're gonna continue to live the "Slum Life." It's just a movement, a lifestyle that we live, you know what I'm saying? You can't really too much explain it to everybody because everybody don't get it but at the same time we slums and we're gonna continue to live that life.
MT: So, how are you a slum? I mean, you said you moved into a bigger house and you still turn up, you still have fun. Do you still live that "Slum Life" now, even though you're on a bigger plateau?
KC: When we say "Slum Life" we don't mean like-well, at first it didn't mean this but as far as "slum" we still not talking about this the hood and all that slum sh*t that we do, you know what I'm saying? It's our own kind of code that we have and when we say "slum" we don't mean ghetto and all that sh*t, we mean slum. We just slum, that's just what we is and we're gonna continue to do it. It don't matter if we in a 15 bedroom mansion, we're still slum, you know what I'm saying? We gon' continue to be slums.
MT: I heard "Comfortable." I like that it's far away from the typical trap songs. It has this Cali swag to it. Tell me,
KC: We made that record in Cali too [laughs]. Yeah definitely, when I was working on my album, we stayed out in Cali for like three or four months and made that record. At the end of the day, I'm a songwriter. You know what I'm saying? I can really transition to any type of music, I'm very versatile. I don't just make ratchet club music; you know what I'm saying? I do the R&B, I do it all. I could go to pop, I could do anything so- So for me writing that record it really wasn't too much-wasn't no major pressure on it, it was just me just writing music and it felt good while we was writing it; you know what I'm saying? And it was perfect, it sounded perfect for the album. It was something new for me; you know what I'm saying? As far as putting out because I have records like that that's in the cut, you know what I'm saying, that I never put out but for me to put it out on my own.
MT: Ok. Is there any pop artist you want to work with?
KC: Right now, not really. I'm not really focusing on that right now, it's all about K Camp and bringing the album out, you know what I'm saying? I have to-when I'm done with what I've got to take care of, maybe I might wanna reach out and do some other things. Cause right now, it's about my album.
MT: So tell me about your album, what should fans expect?
KC: Great music, you know what I'm saying? Growth from K Camp, if they really understand what I'm saying, they should know what's coming next; you know what I'm saying? But overall, a good project. Every project I done put out since I think 2012, 2011 it's been growing; you know what I'm saying? The music-it gets bigger every time. It's my first album so you should know what to expect. The album is called "The Only Way Is Up," f*ck it.
MT: You went from cutting b**ches off to now telling girls to get "Comfortable." Like what inspired you to write something like that? Was there someone special?
KC: Definitely, you know what I'm saying? Music is about emotions, you know what I'm saying? I'm trying to understand how people ask how you cut somebody off and then say they're a blessing. If you askin' that, that mean that you don't got no true damn feelings, you know what I'm saying? Everybody goes through different phases in their lives and I made "Cut Her Off" two years ago, you know what I'm saying? Now, sh*t, I'm getting older. Make a record for my females that's respectable. I ain't gon g-d damn be the ratchet motherf***er, the one that everybody talking about all the time. I'm nice sometimes.
MT: So are you currently in a relationship? Is that the vibe we're getting from you?
KC: No comment
MT: So tell me what's a typical day for K Camp like?
KC: Ummmm it depends on my vibe, really. I done got real addicted to that Game of Thrones sh*t so I got caught up in that Game of Thrones, my partners put me on that show. A typical day man. Either I go hoop, you know what I'm saying, go workout, go kick sh*t, meetings, always in some damn meetings. Making music, it depends man. Every day is another thing.
MT: So what motivates you then through your music?
KC: What motivates me? Just wanting more, never being satisfied, you know what I'm saying. Just seeing where I came from, where I stay at now I can see used to stay from my balcony. That motivates me.
MT: So is there any rules you give groupies that get close to you. Things they can't do or say before it ends up on Instagram?
KC: You can't really tell someone what they can't do but the most important thing is to grab the f*ckin' phone. If you don't want nothing to do, just get the phone. That'll help a lot.
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