“Life is Short but Glory is Eternal.” This is a motto that independent artist The Black Boy King lives by. Holding himself to a “king standard,” The Black Boy King is a rising rapper changing his life with music.
Born and raised in Las Vegas, but now currently residing in Texas, The Black Boy King has been in the industry for 10 years, deciding to pursue music from an inspirational moment at a friend’s house. Seeing the process of it all intrigued him, and he mentions how with technological advances, being able to create his own art is even more of a reality. He writes and performs his music but collaborates with producers for beats, mixing, and mastering.
His favorite part about being an artist is the ability to express himself and have people understand him. “My music isn’t for everyone. I know that. That’s the beauty of hip hop, it’s a buffet. For my current fans, I love them and the support they give me.”
Keeping up with this king standard as stated prior, he describes a lavish and luxurious image, dressing in suits accompanied by nice jewelry and expensive watches. He goes on to credit his experiences living in Las Vegas having to do with it, seeing others dress well and adopting that style.
Growing up in Las Vegas, he describes his upbringing as unique, facing struggles over the years. “…I grew up struggling…sometimes homeless…sleeping on someone’s couch. I went through a lot, but I learned a lot. I worked hard and maintained my faith in God and my positive mind-frame.” The rising star feels as though these obstacles are what has made his journey within the industry difficult, but he will not give up. “Nothing worth having is easy.” Following his journey, the “Eat it Up” rapper intends on releasing an album titled ‘Sin City’ all about his life in Las Vegas.
While he has walked a difficult path, King has also had empowering moments, such as charting on Spotify. He hopes to follow this up by making it onto the Billboard Charts one day. Additionally, he has been able to collaborate with Rick Ross, Sean Kingston, and Gucci Mane, mentioning briefly that he is open to working with as many talented professionals as possible.
Despite being in the industry and making connections for a bit, he still considers himself to be and up and coming artist, “[I] still feel like my best is yet to come.”
When asked about his musical inspiration, he says it stems from his own self-expression, emphasizing his music as his personal art and journey. Furthermore, he credits himself as being multitalented; An artist, rapper, producer, and entertainer. Being the best he can be is motivation for him, wanting to enjoy life to the fullest.
Prior to entering the music industry, King says he wish he knew how difficult being an independent artist with no major label backing can be. “I expected the game to be a shark tank, but seeing it in real life is a different story”
Outside of music, he enjoys traveling the world, driving his cars, eating good food, and giving back to the community. In particular, he name-drops Minie’s Food Pantry in Plano, TX, a food bank charity that he holds close to his heart. He mentions his family relying on food banks at times when they were struggling, leading to his own desire to give back.
King states that people should listen to his music because he offers variety, allowing different groups that enjoy different genres to come together.
A word of advice he gives to those following in his footsteps is, “Continuously self-affirm and claim what you want in life verbally. Closed mouths don’t get fed.”
As a final message to his fans he says, “Stay positive, stay away from stupidity and negativity, learn from the OGs, and save your life. Never give up on yourself or your goals. If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will.”
Currently, he is not only working on his album, he is also working on getting his YouTube channel set up, as well as a website for direct consumer purchasing. Be sure to check out his most recent release “Ain’t Money to Me (feat. Gucci Mane)” and keep an eye out for The Black Boy King’s next move.
SOCIAL SITES
Instagram: @blackboykingofficial