Kazie: A Candid Conversation

Kazie, a San Diego-based rapper sat down the The Fusion Press’ Lauren Alexis Wood to discuss his career, what his fans mean to him and his plans for 2021.

“Supplying DOPE music that relates to the people one song at a time! So enjoy, leave support, critiques and criticisms, biased and unbiased. Lastly, enjoy. Thank you.”

Kazie’s welcoming Facebook bio is just as warm, open and enthusiastic as the rapper himself. The hard-working basketball player-turned-rapper has been rhyming since his teens, and after a huge 2020 despite the pandemic (Kazie completed three major projects this year alone), he looks ahead to 2021 with renewed hope.

The young musician always put sports first growing up, eventually ending his basketball career at California State University Stanislaus. This is also where he started his rap career, his album ‘On Hiatus’ doubled as his Senior Capstone project as a communications major.

Kazie started looking at music as a viable career while in college, with encouragement from family members who were artists themselves (The Breed Mafia). In 2015 he started to take his rhyming a little more seriously, and in 2017 released his first album, ‘Altadena’. The album name takes after the street he grew up on and discusses the neighborhood and his experiences growing up.

“I’m a San Diego artist who doesn’t sound like a San Diego artist, I’m the fly on the wall with a positive vibe. I’m like the news reporter but I don’t speak the gang talk that a lot of people do in this area. I tell what people need to hear without the negativity.” Kazie explains about his style.

Kazie isn’t kidding. His latest album, ‘DomoKazie’, a joint project with family and Breed Mafia Member Domo Rhakim, begins with a prayer giving thanks for everything around him and the album goes on from there. Positive. Uplifting. Amazing,

It is a powerful thing when a musician takes a stand to spread gratitude, especially in a trying time like we’ve seen over the past year or so. This album makes you want to get up and live again.

So what motivates Kazie? “The fans. The people I can trust to rock with me. I get messages all the time from people touched by my music and that keeps me moving forward.” he explains.

Looking ahead to 2021 Kazie plans to put in some time with other artists, groups, and community organizations. He’ll collaborate on features and visuals to further develop his skills, and spread positivity wherever he goes.

Learn more about Kazie on Instagram.

The Fusion Press