Khaled M
Junior's Cave Music Interview with Khaled M
January 2011 Edition
Music Now Spotlight
by Isaac Davis Junior, BGS, MBA
Isaac: It’s an amazing time to be a DIY artist/performer/band/musician. What do you enjoy the most about being an indie performer?
Khaled M: The most obvious perk is having complete creative control of my music. But the best part is that it offers me a greater opportunity to develop an intimate connection with my fans. I’m not tied down with the pressures of appealing to commercial radio or fads in general. I can make sincere music that penetrates the heart.
Khaled M
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to sign with a major label, would you sign now knowing you may have to give up some of what you have build up over the years about you in the process?
Khaled M: At this point in my career, it’s too early to sign with a major. I want to spend some time really expanding my fan base and building my brand first. That way I’ll have more leverage in negotiations. I’m definitely not gonna get jerked into signing some 360 deal.
I would be down for major distribution right now, and that’s something we’re working on. As far as straight up signing with a label, I’d have to be blown away with an offer to consider it.
Isaac: I remembered Simon Cowell from American Idol talking about the “it” Factor that makes a musician/band stand out. What do you think is your “it” factor that makes you stand out from others in the music business?
Khaled M: For any artist, the “it” factor usually starts with charisma. Aside from that, I have a story that nobody in this industry can compare to. Plus my background gives me connections to so many people. Africans feel like they can claim me. Muslims claim me. Arabs. Kentuckians. Chicagoans. Hip hop heads. New School cats. Kids who grew up without a father. Political refugees. People who are in tune with struggle. So many different pockets of society can directly identify with what I’m speaking about. That relation definitely helps.
But the main “it” factor is not a tangible thing. People may sense sincerity, drive, southern charm, etc…those things are all contributors, but there is no exact science behind the “it” factor.
Isaac: Why should music fans listen to your music? Describe what they are going to get when they listen to your music?
Khaled M: For hip hop purists, they are going to hear rhymes that are meticulously put together, lyrics that make them rewind, and content that touches the soul. Casual fans are going to nod their head to the beats, sing along with the hooks, and vibe with the overall flow. At my shows, you can find fans of Immortal Technique and Young Jeezy standing next to each other.
Khaled M: At this point in my career, it’s too early to sign with a major. I want to spend some time really expanding my fan base and building my brand first. That way I’ll have more leverage in negotiations. I’m definitely not gonna get jerked into signing some 360 deal.
I would be down for major distribution right now, and that’s something we’re working on. As far as straight up signing with a label, I’d have to be blown away with an offer to consider it.
Isaac: I remembered Simon Cowell from American Idol talking about the “it” Factor that makes a musician/band stand out. What do you think is your “it” factor that makes you stand out from others in the music business?
Khaled M: For any artist, the “it” factor usually starts with charisma. Aside from that, I have a story that nobody in this industry can compare to. Plus my background gives me connections to so many people. Africans feel like they can claim me. Muslims claim me. Arabs. Kentuckians. Chicagoans. Hip hop heads. New School cats. Kids who grew up without a father. Political refugees. People who are in tune with struggle. So many different pockets of society can directly identify with what I’m speaking about. That relation definitely helps.
But the main “it” factor is not a tangible thing. People may sense sincerity, drive, southern charm, etc…those things are all contributors, but there is no exact science behind the “it” factor.
Isaac: Why should music fans listen to your music? Describe what they are going to get when they listen to your music?
Khaled M: For hip hop purists, they are going to hear rhymes that are meticulously put together, lyrics that make them rewind, and content that touches the soul. Casual fans are going to nod their head to the beats, sing along with the hooks, and vibe with the overall flow. At my shows, you can find fans of Immortal Technique and Young Jeezy standing next to each other.
I think about the things that make me truly love and respect certain artists. Pac wasn’t gonna win major battles with his rhyme schemes, but he spoke from his soul. He could say something and make everyone listen. Make everyone FEEL it. Nas is an amazing story-teller and lyricist. Eminem has crazy rhyme schemes. I try to grasp what specifically endeared me to certain artists. The most important thing, however, is versatility.
You will always see me switching up flows and styles every song. No matter how good someone is, I don’t want to listen to a project that gets redundant. I make sure there is never potential for monotony in my music.
Khaled M
Isaac: Briefly describe your humble beginnings that led you to where you are at musically now.
Khaled M: It’s hard to “briefly” describe a whole history, but I’ll try. My father was jailed and tortured for five years in Libya. He escaped, was on the run from country to country, and eventually made his way to America. He was one of the leaders of a political resistance against Gaddafi. I was taught at a young age to fight oppression and strive for justice by any means.
We grew up poor, but after he passed away things got even worse financially. Of course welfare, health department, etc. But there was never a moment in my childhood where I fantasized about being rich or wished I was part of a different family. I definitely grew up around a community that loved and took care of me. All of that helped mold me as a person, and is reflected in my music. When I make a song, I want it to deal with real life issues, as opposed to material things or temporary escapes in society. I’m not knocking others with a different approach, there has to be room for that in society. But this is the easiest way to explain how my childhood affected my music.
Isaac: You have some strong iconic influences. Of these influences, which artist/band do you relate to the most and why?
Khaled M: Many of the artists I relate to on a personal level aren’t necessarily the same as the ones I relate to musically. Right now I would say I feel a connection to K’NAAN. He was also bred from an adverse situation in Africa, but grew up mostly in North America. I can relate to him being Muslim and trying to do things a certain way in this industry.
He knows what the real hood is. Here, people in the hood have cable. They have Internet. They have Jordans. It’s definitely a struggle, but it’s different. It doesn’t compare to the slums overseas. When you’re aware of that type of lifestyle, it’s not impressive to brag about guns, killing, and being “hard”. Usually the quietest people have seen the most. And if they’ve been in the trenches, they don’t feel the need to gloat about it. A lot of rappers are repeatedly mentioning it because they’re probably insecure and feel the need to prove their manhood to everyone.
Isaac: Do you feel that Indie music gets the respect it deserves? Why or why not?
Khaled M: Indie music has definitely gained notoriety in recent years. Today there are independent artists that are recognized in countries all around the world. There’s still a belief that somehow selling more records makes an artist better. That fallacy definitely prevents countless indie artists from getting the respect they deserve.
I just don’t understand it. So you’re telling me Vanilla Ice is a better rapper than Lupe Fiasco? It doesn’t make sense. I guess the average person doesn’t understand that music sales are largely influenced by money, publicity, and the machine behind someone.
Not to mention I think it’s pretty elementary to automatically associate popularity with quality. So because the majority of people like something, it’s objectively the best? Why even hold award ceremonies? Why do we have Oscars? Just give it to “Fast and Furious” or whatever movie sells the most each year.
Isaac: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be and why?
Khaled M: That’s a short question with a long answer. If I could only pick one thing, I’d change the instant gratification nature of the business. Labels are only going for a hit single with a quick return. There’s no more focus on artist development, or even albums. It’s all about the ringtone sales…
Isaac: What type of feedbacks have you been receiving about your music from fans and music critics?
Khaled M: It’s been amazing. I feel really blessed. I don’t know too many artists that have gotten this much recognition and praise with so little music. The beautiful thing is that my fans are critics. They listen to quality music, and can be harsh towards a lot of artists. I didn’t come in the game with a co-sign or major label behind me, so fans have no incentive to hype me up. People are truly, objectively feeling the music and gravitating towards me as an artist. It’s humbling and you can’t get arrogant about it, you just have to be grateful and realize that if you don’t put the work in, the fans and press can disappear overnight. When someone tells me I’m one of their favorite artists period, and they’ve only heard a handful of songs, it motivates me to release my debut quicker, but to make sure it is of the utmost quality. I don’t want my first album to be good for an indie debut. I want it to be classic period. And by classic, I don’t mean platinum (although I’d take that too haha).
Isaac: If you knew that you would never gain fame and fortune with what you are doing now, would you continue to make music? Explain.
Khaled M: Fame and fortune aren’t things that I strive for in life. I don’t see how people just want to be a “star” and are willing to make whatever kind of music it takes to get there. They don’t have any input in their music. They have ready-made songs handed to them and they re-sing them karaoke style. That’s not going to work for me.
Fame and fortune can be great tools, and if I’m blessed to have either I’ll use those tools to benefit society lord willing. But they don’t inspire me or get me out of bed in the morning.
Isaac: How do you handle negative feedback or negative energy about your music?
Khaled M: If it’s related to the actual music, I welcome it and learn from it. Even if it’s something I disagree with, I take note of it to make sure the sentiment isn’t repeated.
If the feedback isn’t about my music specifically, then I don’t really care. I haven’t really received any negative comments so far other than racism or attacks on my background. I can live with that. Hopefully people that listen to my music can be freed from some of that ignorance.
Isaac: What role do your family and friends play in the equation of your pursuant of a music career?
Khaled M: More than anything, they keep me grounded. I have a lot of friends that don’t really know what’s going on with my career, and would probably be surprised to see where I’m at. I’m just Khaled to them. And that’s cool. It’s hard to be anything other than humble when that’s the case.
On the flip side I have friends/family that are really down for the cause, and extremely supportive. They keep it all the way real. I don’t have any yes-men in my circle. Most of my close friends are my harshest critics, so I know I need to impress them before I can even release something.
Isaac: What is the best site/s that you can be found on the Internet?
Khaled M: Right now I work mostly off of Facebook. www.facebook.com/thisiskhaledm
Khaled M: It’s hard to “briefly” describe a whole history, but I’ll try. My father was jailed and tortured for five years in Libya. He escaped, was on the run from country to country, and eventually made his way to America. He was one of the leaders of a political resistance against Gaddafi. I was taught at a young age to fight oppression and strive for justice by any means.
We grew up poor, but after he passed away things got even worse financially. Of course welfare, health department, etc. But there was never a moment in my childhood where I fantasized about being rich or wished I was part of a different family. I definitely grew up around a community that loved and took care of me. All of that helped mold me as a person, and is reflected in my music. When I make a song, I want it to deal with real life issues, as opposed to material things or temporary escapes in society. I’m not knocking others with a different approach, there has to be room for that in society. But this is the easiest way to explain how my childhood affected my music.
Isaac: You have some strong iconic influences. Of these influences, which artist/band do you relate to the most and why?
Khaled M: Many of the artists I relate to on a personal level aren’t necessarily the same as the ones I relate to musically. Right now I would say I feel a connection to K’NAAN. He was also bred from an adverse situation in Africa, but grew up mostly in North America. I can relate to him being Muslim and trying to do things a certain way in this industry.
He knows what the real hood is. Here, people in the hood have cable. They have Internet. They have Jordans. It’s definitely a struggle, but it’s different. It doesn’t compare to the slums overseas. When you’re aware of that type of lifestyle, it’s not impressive to brag about guns, killing, and being “hard”. Usually the quietest people have seen the most. And if they’ve been in the trenches, they don’t feel the need to gloat about it. A lot of rappers are repeatedly mentioning it because they’re probably insecure and feel the need to prove their manhood to everyone.
Isaac: Do you feel that Indie music gets the respect it deserves? Why or why not?
Khaled M: Indie music has definitely gained notoriety in recent years. Today there are independent artists that are recognized in countries all around the world. There’s still a belief that somehow selling more records makes an artist better. That fallacy definitely prevents countless indie artists from getting the respect they deserve.
I just don’t understand it. So you’re telling me Vanilla Ice is a better rapper than Lupe Fiasco? It doesn’t make sense. I guess the average person doesn’t understand that music sales are largely influenced by money, publicity, and the machine behind someone.
Not to mention I think it’s pretty elementary to automatically associate popularity with quality. So because the majority of people like something, it’s objectively the best? Why even hold award ceremonies? Why do we have Oscars? Just give it to “Fast and Furious” or whatever movie sells the most each year.
Isaac: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be and why?
Khaled M: That’s a short question with a long answer. If I could only pick one thing, I’d change the instant gratification nature of the business. Labels are only going for a hit single with a quick return. There’s no more focus on artist development, or even albums. It’s all about the ringtone sales…
Isaac: What type of feedbacks have you been receiving about your music from fans and music critics?
Khaled M: It’s been amazing. I feel really blessed. I don’t know too many artists that have gotten this much recognition and praise with so little music. The beautiful thing is that my fans are critics. They listen to quality music, and can be harsh towards a lot of artists. I didn’t come in the game with a co-sign or major label behind me, so fans have no incentive to hype me up. People are truly, objectively feeling the music and gravitating towards me as an artist. It’s humbling and you can’t get arrogant about it, you just have to be grateful and realize that if you don’t put the work in, the fans and press can disappear overnight. When someone tells me I’m one of their favorite artists period, and they’ve only heard a handful of songs, it motivates me to release my debut quicker, but to make sure it is of the utmost quality. I don’t want my first album to be good for an indie debut. I want it to be classic period. And by classic, I don’t mean platinum (although I’d take that too haha).
Isaac: If you knew that you would never gain fame and fortune with what you are doing now, would you continue to make music? Explain.
Khaled M: Fame and fortune aren’t things that I strive for in life. I don’t see how people just want to be a “star” and are willing to make whatever kind of music it takes to get there. They don’t have any input in their music. They have ready-made songs handed to them and they re-sing them karaoke style. That’s not going to work for me.
Fame and fortune can be great tools, and if I’m blessed to have either I’ll use those tools to benefit society lord willing. But they don’t inspire me or get me out of bed in the morning.
Isaac: How do you handle negative feedback or negative energy about your music?
Khaled M: If it’s related to the actual music, I welcome it and learn from it. Even if it’s something I disagree with, I take note of it to make sure the sentiment isn’t repeated.
If the feedback isn’t about my music specifically, then I don’t really care. I haven’t really received any negative comments so far other than racism or attacks on my background. I can live with that. Hopefully people that listen to my music can be freed from some of that ignorance.
Isaac: What role do your family and friends play in the equation of your pursuant of a music career?
Khaled M: More than anything, they keep me grounded. I have a lot of friends that don’t really know what’s going on with my career, and would probably be surprised to see where I’m at. I’m just Khaled to them. And that’s cool. It’s hard to be anything other than humble when that’s the case.
On the flip side I have friends/family that are really down for the cause, and extremely supportive. They keep it all the way real. I don’t have any yes-men in my circle. Most of my close friends are my harshest critics, so I know I need to impress them before I can even release something.
Isaac: What is the best site/s that you can be found on the Internet?
Khaled M: Right now I work mostly off of Facebook. www.facebook.com/thisiskhaledm
I just finally opened a Twitter account. Follow @thisiskhaledm.
We’ll be launching my website very soon. It’s www.thisiskhaledm.com. You can pretty much use that extension, “thisiskhaledm”, for anything. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, MySpace, etc.
We’ll be launching my website very soon. It’s www.thisiskhaledm.com. You can pretty much use that extension, “thisiskhaledm”, for anything. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, MySpace, etc.
Posted by Isaac J Davis Junior at Tuesday, December 28, 2010 9:43 PM 
Categories: Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Tags: Khaled M hip hop music rb rhymes nas
Categories: Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Tags: Khaled M hip hop music rb rhymes nas
I love it when KM says, "Fame and fortune aren’t things that I strive for in life." He has a sustaining motivation that transcends the "bling" so many hip-hop artists have succumbed to.
I want to thank you for the interview. It woke me up to this young man and his music! I'll be looking to learn more about him in the weeks and months ahead.
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