We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ky La’Vey. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Ky, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think no one talks about the real struggle of following your dreams and passions. Life as we know it is constantly asking for our energy, time, thoughts, and feelings. Working 40-hour jobs that don’t fuel your passion but drain you in so many ways just to try to find time to work on the thing that makes you feel whole or elevated. The constant guilt you feel as you give so much of your time to those things you need to survive while missing out on time to nurture your dream. We all just want it to look good and get people into the art or business more than the truth of our journey.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Ky La’Vey (KIGH LUH-vay). I am an R&B artist from Mebane, North Carolina but have been residing in Raleigh for about 5 years now. I’ve been making music since High School under my full name but have since changed to this name. I use my music as a medium to share my message of dreams and overall soft truths. As a queer black man living with H.I.V., I use my voice to talk about topics like depression, grief, and following your dreams.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I think on this a lot actually because I believe our child-like selves are our true, raw selves before we are “influenced” by outside forces. For me, I was a little shy but very outgoing. I wore my emotions on my sleeve so it took nothing for me to cry haha but I loved so intensely. I was unafraid of the world and excited to share the things I loved the most. I would sing to whoever and whenever especially when it came to telling you about a song I heard that everyone needs to know. That little boy was so brave; I can’t wait to make him proud.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
When I first started making music, it was all of the usual love, heartbreak, dating, flirting type of lyrics that we mostly got during that time which was 2009-2014. From the start, I’ve always had this idea of a trilogy EP that tells an overarching story and my first mixtape coming into college was no different. I created “L.A.M.M.E. (Love And Money Means Everything)” with just a bunch of different sounds but the follow-up “”S.A.M.M.E. (Same Angry Mind Mending Everything” was darker and different. For the first time since I started writing music in middle school, I had decided that I was gonna talk about my mental health, my depression. It was my truth and feelings I had always battled with even as a kid. “DeCember (December Depression)” was the first time I said to the world “I’m afraid for me. When will I be free? Darkness is all I see. How did it get so cold?” I’m thankful for that song.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie right now is that you need a good mix of your song for people to like it and it be successful. If you go on TikTok right now, you find there are songs that are viral that professional music engineers would say have a horrible mix. I know I do but people love those songs! Mixing is just as artistic as all of the rest of making music. Take time to listen to how mixing standards change over time. Go listen to an Aretha Franklin record like Say A Little Prayer and then compare that sound to Ari Lennox’s “Whipped Cream”. Sure the music styling and other things are different but listen to that mix. Notice the difference in overall volume and even where the vocals are. I find Aretha sits more forward to the music as if it’s all turned down while Ari sits perfectly in the mix. If you wanna really compare, listen to Luh Tyler “2 Slippery” which was very viral. The point here friend is you should just make your art!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What false labels are you still carrying?
Not good enough. Not a good singer. Not a good dancer. Not a good writer. Self doubt can be so powerful but it really is your own thoughts mixed with outside forces trying to keep you from being who you really are. My child-like self believes he can do anything he wants to and that’s the real label!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kylaveymusic.univer.se
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/kyinthemoment
- Twitter: http://x.com/KyInTheMoment
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kyinthemoment?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Image Credits
Self-photographed
