Check out our sit down with K-Mac as we chop it up about his pen game and putting in work for Chris Brown on his smash hit, “Deuces.”
HHW: Did you always know that you’d make a living writing songs?
K-Mac: No. I grew up in church with a family that sings, so I always loved music, but I didn’t take it seriously until it became my outlet to get away from football in college, which I was kinda forced into doin’, but it taught me a lotta discipline and gave me a nice body (laughing)! There are a lotta perks, but I just didn’t love it, and eventually my love for music over powered it. I knew instead of going to the NFL I wanted to do music. Despite my parents and family lookin’ down on it, I did it anyway. I struggled the first two years, but in the next year things really happened for me, and everybody saw I knew what I was talkin’ about.
What was the first real opportunity that you got to display your ability?
When I was in college I met Andre Meritt, who wrote “Forever” and “Disturbia” for Chris [Brown]. I met him before he wrote the songs, and he told me when I came to L.A. that he would let me sit in on some sessions. I got in good with him eventually, and being around him I met Chris. It’s only a matter of time when you meet the right people, that your talent will speak for itself. After being around for so long, they finally heard my music and finally saw that I could sing, make beats; I’ve only been rappin’ for a year, but they saw that, too. Me and Chris really clicked after that. Once he saw my talents, he didn’t care I was a ‘nobody,’ he didn’t care that I was from Watts or that I had no #1 songs. He wanted to work with me, and we continued to work for a whole year. We really got close last year in February when he had me do the In My Zone mixtape for him.
When you’re called in as a writer, how do you let people know that you produce, sing and rap as well, without losing your standing as a serious songwriter?
In the beginning, it was hard for people to grasp what I do because I do so many things, so whatever they met me as is what they’d call me to do because they figured that’s all I do. It’s kinda hard to go from writer mode to producer mode, or from rapper mode to singer mode. You have to switch your mind set and become two different people, but be yourself at the same time.
Who else have you worked with?
I wrote and produced “Ain’t Thinking ‘Bout You” for Bow Wow, featuring Chris Brown, and I wrote “Yeah 3X” for Chris. I did a song on Last Train to Paris called “Yesterday,” with Drake and a girl named Cristal, and I wrote “One Night Stand” on Keri Hilson’s album. I have a mixtape coming out Valentine’s Day that has an illustrious list of features: Keri Hilson, Tank, Gucci Mane, Chris Brown, Tyga, Big Sean – I’ll let the rest be a surprise.
www.KevinMcCallJr.com, Twitter @KevinMcCall1
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