Knoxie-Ty - "Music is my outlet for speaking my mind and heart..."
In one of your songs you rhymed: "I was raised in the backyards of Duncan Projects/ Jersey City, New Jersey is where my heart rests". It seems that you've found your place in the world, am I right?
Yes! I grew up in Jersey city, NJ. I lived there until I was 12, so I was pretty much raised there. I feel those were my prime years growing up as far as molding goes. I've also lived in South Carolina throught my high school years so I like to think of myself as a city girl and a southern bell. I lived in Idaho, and also in the UK, England, but Jersey City is definitely home for me.
How would you describe Jersey City? What is so special about it?
There's something mystical about this place. There's a lot of poverty, rural and run down areas and crime but then there's also great places, skyrises, tourist attractions like Liberty State Park where the Liberty lady resides midway between Jersey City and Manhattan, NY. It's a very multicultural place which opens you up to a lot of different cultures and ways of life but for me, the darkness of this city has helped me grow as a person, as an artist. It provides a shift of awareness if you let it. It shows you that obstacles are going to occur in life but it's up to you on how you respond and react to it. You can take the bad and allow it to influence you and pull you down or you can use it to give you strength and pull yourself up while encouraging others. I've been here since I've returned from England and at this stage in my life, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. This is where I need to be.
City life can deliver many interesting topics. Did it inspire any of your songs?
It has inspired so many of my songs, most of them. The first song that comes to mind is 'N.O.R.M.A.L' where I spoke on a lot of the negative aspects that I've witnessed in my community. For instance, when I rapped ' I recall walking out my door/ Down the street passed the liquor store/ Winos asking me for spare change and when I give it to them, they ask for more/ Then I make it somewhat near the corner, dealers selling yay (slang term for cocaine) to somebody's mama/ And she wonders why her kids are dysfunctional and the households filled with drama/ Kids in the playground smoking ganja/ chick rock fake Dolce & Gabana/ They gotta pay rent but they wanna look good for the club so they spend their last dollar/ See they don't care cause its normal for them, if you're in a better situation wish hope for them....
And what about people living in New Jersey? American folk singer John Gorka sang: "I'm from New Jersey, I don't expect too much/ If the world ended today, I would adjust". They seem to live at peace to their fate. Is it true?
I believe many of us New Jersians have that mentality. Many places in NJ can be tough to grow up in and it' sort of gives you tough skin. A lot of us go through hardships based off of our environment, again dealing with poverty and high cost of living, the crime rate is high in many places, and it's heavily populated so you will see so many people dealing with so many different situations. We grow to have this mentality: Whatever happens happens but at the end of the day, I'll accept it and adjust to the changes accordingly.
You began writing lyrics at the age of twelve. Do you remember what were they about?
I actually have a lot of material from that age and sometime, I read the songs to think about different memories. Those songs were just like the songs I write today, about my feelings and thoughts. I think my eyes are like a window, I just write about what I see, and how it makes me feel. How it affects me and how things affect my community and family.
When did you record your songs for the first time? Do you still have them?
The very first songs I ever recorded was during my 10 grade year of high school. I was in a rap group and I was the only girl so I felt like I had to really bring it. The studio set up was in one of my group members' bedroom and it was a small room. So there were like 8 people packed in this very small room and we recorded maybe 3 or 4 songs. Hearing my voice on wax for the first time was so weird to me. I kept thinking 'Thats me?? That's what I sound like?' but it was in an excited, surprised way as opposed to me not liking the way it sounded. Unfortunately I don't have any of those songs, I really wish I did though. It would be quite an experience to actually be able to hear the 15 year old Knoxie rapping.
Why rap music? What made you choose that certain genre?
Good question. I've heard this many times throughout my life: When it's a part of you, it's just a part of you. When you experience something for the first time and it calls to you, there's no escaping it. The very first creative thing I remember doing as a child was drawing and sketching. I used to draw cartoon characters and clothing, like dresses. The very first time I heared an entire rap song from beginning to end, I was 7 yrs old believe it or not. I never really watched TV much before that and the music that my family played at home was older styles of music like music from the Motown era and oldies. So I wasn't too familiar with rap up until then. I've heared pieces of rap here and there when I would play outside as cars drove by or while the older boys from around the way walked around blasting rap music from their boomboxes but I've never heard a full rap song until the age of 7. And the song I heared was Biggie Smalls' One More Chance. In my head I was like 'What is this?? Who is this guy? He's rhyming words together and reciting them over a beat but he isn't singing.' And after hearing that I just had this feeling inside of me that rap is my outlet and this is how I can say everything I feel inside. And after that I totally quit drawing, I started watching MTV raps and I started changing the words in songs making them my own. I didn't start writing my own original lyrics until I was 12 though. Up until then I just consumed rap music religiously and switched words in songs around a little. And although I'm honestly not a huge Biggie fan, I credit him for really introducing this style of music to me and I've had a huge place in my heart for rap music ever since.
Do you think it's appropriate for young people to listen to that kind of music? There's a lot of anger in it...
There is a lot of anger in rap music, a lot of aggression but it comes from a real place and from real life situations. Crime, drugs, sex, all of that stuff is real. I think it's important for parents especially to explain to children that what they hear in rap music is somebody elses life, somebody elses story. It's not something to emulate as far as going out and doing what these rappers talk about in their music. Its a creative expression and it's okay to celebrate and allow people to express their emotions and experiences in any way they wish. It's also important to introduce all types of content, music wise, to kids because there's so much out there. Rap music gets a bad rep for being aggressive and inappropriate but there's genres of music that is a lot more aggressive, violent, and inappropriate like some types of Rock music, which existed before rap even came along. So I don't think kids have to be overly sheltered from it, I just think they need to be taught that what they are hearing is other peoples experiences, entertainment, and that they essentially have to be authentic to themselves and make the best decisions for theirselves and not be influenced by outside sources but by their own heart's calling.
You grew up in a musical family. Your father is a DJ and your mother is a songwriter. Well, it looks like being a musician is something completely natural for you. Do you see it that way?
Yes, I do. I didn't get to experience my dad doing his Dj thing first hand but yes my mom writes songs and her father, my grandfather, was a great guitar player. So I do believe that it's in my blood so to speak and I gravitated towards rap as my musical expression.
Did your parents give you any advice on how you should manage your musical career?
Not much advice. They pretty much let me do my own thing. My dad is like my biggest fan though. I think the music industry is a lot different from when they were coming up and making music so they don't really know how things work today. The only thing they've really told me is to be myself and to write about how I feel because that's the music that people relate to. The party music is cool, the gagsta rap is ok to vibe to but when it's all said and done, the music that is about deep experiences is what will be remembered and stay in peoples hearts.
And is there anything that you’ve learned from them and later used in your own music?
Yes definitely, from my mom especially. She is a R&B song writer. So hearing her songs and seeing the techniques she's used to write songs have helped me a lot especially when I want to incorportate singing parts into my songs.
Let's go back to your lyrics. Without a doubt they mean a lot to you. Do you believe that in the world of money and loss of authority words still have a power? They can move our hearts, spark our brains?
Yes, most def. Like I've said previously, I feel that music that is about pain, and love, and deep human experiences, especially with great lyricism is what stays with people the most. On some days you may be in a certain mood and just want to dance, but some days you might want to mellow out and listen to music that you feel "gets you" on a deeper emotional level.
You've wrote many personal songs. How does it feel to share your life with other people? Aren't you afraid that you lose your privacy that way?
Not at all. Im not a shy individual but I'm very quiet in person and introverted. I don't talk much but at the same time I'm not afraid of being vulnerable because I know others go through the same things as I and have the same feelings I have. So music is my outlet for speaking my mind and heart.
So what is your message to listeners? What would you like them to hear in your songs?
Mostly inspiration, no matter what I'm talking about in a particulat song. It can be something very sad but I always incorportate lyrics of how to overcome. I want people to see that they are not alone in their plight. I may not have the exact same experiences as them but I have felt all of the emotions that everyone else has felt and I show them through my music that it's normal and this is how I overcome and get through. Another message I incorportate that is more prevalent in my newer material that I'm recording now is Self awareness and coming into your own divinity and power, ridding yourself of limiting beliefs. Years ago I suffered from depression and I just pretty much shut myself off from everyone and everything but there came many breaking points and points of awareness where I got to witness my own strength, power, and individuality. I think it's very important to understand your own power so I am taking my music into that direction as well. I also do a lot of story telling where I put myself in the shoes of different people and personalities and express their experiences in a way I believe they would express them if they had a musical creative outlet of their own.
You call yourself an artist. What is your definition of that term?
To me, an artist is an expressor of life. A creator. Art is broad and limitless. An artist is able to paint a picture and bring it to life. Whether through storytelling, music, painting, poetry, etc. An artist is connected to the most sensitive apsects of themselves and of human experience and is able to uniquely express that in their own individual way.
According to Victor Hugo, a great artist is a great man in a great child. Would you agree with that?
Totally. Children have an innate longing to explore, play, and create. And children create freely and openly. I feel like the best and most authentic art comes out when a person is in touch with their inner child.
Your last project was called "Le Début: The Beginning". It was a mixtape released in 2013. What can you tell us about it?
"The Beginning" was just a project that I wanted to give out to the fans for supporting me. Before that I waited a while to release new music, so that project was really just me saying "thank you!" How long have you worked on that album?
I worked on that album for about 4 months, between the summer of 2013 and December that year and I released it on my birthday, Dec 30th.
Did it fulfill your expectations?
It definitely did. I was worried that it wouldn't recieve as great of a response as my first project because I had waited a while in between time to release it but I have very very loyal supporters whom I appreciate dearly.
And if you could record that again is there anything you would do differently?
No, I would leave it exactly as it is. I believe in moments and that project was a moment. There are always things that I hear through my recording that I feel I could have done differently but I'm proud to say that at that time in my career I recorded and mixed a lot of my own material. Including my first project, 'The Academy' which I engineered the whole project on my own. So it was all a learning experience and I still engineer music today and I work in a music studio, 'Epasode Studios' here in NJ. Although I don't engineer my own music anymore I still appreciate the learning experience I went through of figuring out mixing techniques on my own and all that it's taught me a a creator.
Music makes you happy?
Yes! Music is one of the very few things that makes me feel on a deep level. So it definitely makes me happy. It is a part of my being.
Can you imagine your life without it?
I can't imagine my life without music. Life would be very bland to me without music. Out of the all of the expressions and forms of art, music just calls to me the most. Life would be empty to me without music. I would feel like something big is missing.
Do you believe your songs will stand the test of time?
I do. I have a handful of songs already that I know have touched people deeply. It's been almost 6 years since I released 'The Academy' and a lot of my supporters still message me telling me how they still listen to those songs, how it has affected them in positive ways, and how it gets them through certain situations they go through in life. That means a lot to me. They also mention songs from my latest project, especially "Mirror Mirror" and "Except dream".
And if the world would end today what song would you like to hear for the last time?
I would listen to my track titled "Letter to nobody". That is one of my favorite songs that I wrote. If I had to pick a song from another artist to listen to for the last time if the world was ending it would be "Dust In The Wind" by Kansas. I think that song would fit the occasion and it is one of my favorite songs.
Thank you for your time. It was a real pleasure to me.
No, Thank you so much for this interview. Your questions were very thought provoking and took me down memory lane to my childhood where I was first introduced to rap. I feel that its important for artists to always remember why they started something so I thank you for that.
Journalist: Kamil Mrozinski
Yes! I grew up in Jersey city, NJ. I lived there until I was 12, so I was pretty much raised there. I feel those were my prime years growing up as far as molding goes. I've also lived in South Carolina throught my high school years so I like to think of myself as a city girl and a southern bell. I lived in Idaho, and also in the UK, England, but Jersey City is definitely home for me.
How would you describe Jersey City? What is so special about it?
There's something mystical about this place. There's a lot of poverty, rural and run down areas and crime but then there's also great places, skyrises, tourist attractions like Liberty State Park where the Liberty lady resides midway between Jersey City and Manhattan, NY. It's a very multicultural place which opens you up to a lot of different cultures and ways of life but for me, the darkness of this city has helped me grow as a person, as an artist. It provides a shift of awareness if you let it. It shows you that obstacles are going to occur in life but it's up to you on how you respond and react to it. You can take the bad and allow it to influence you and pull you down or you can use it to give you strength and pull yourself up while encouraging others. I've been here since I've returned from England and at this stage in my life, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. This is where I need to be.
City life can deliver many interesting topics. Did it inspire any of your songs?
It has inspired so many of my songs, most of them. The first song that comes to mind is 'N.O.R.M.A.L' where I spoke on a lot of the negative aspects that I've witnessed in my community. For instance, when I rapped ' I recall walking out my door/ Down the street passed the liquor store/ Winos asking me for spare change and when I give it to them, they ask for more/ Then I make it somewhat near the corner, dealers selling yay (slang term for cocaine) to somebody's mama/ And she wonders why her kids are dysfunctional and the households filled with drama/ Kids in the playground smoking ganja/ chick rock fake Dolce & Gabana/ They gotta pay rent but they wanna look good for the club so they spend their last dollar/ See they don't care cause its normal for them, if you're in a better situation wish hope for them....
And what about people living in New Jersey? American folk singer John Gorka sang: "I'm from New Jersey, I don't expect too much/ If the world ended today, I would adjust". They seem to live at peace to their fate. Is it true?
I believe many of us New Jersians have that mentality. Many places in NJ can be tough to grow up in and it' sort of gives you tough skin. A lot of us go through hardships based off of our environment, again dealing with poverty and high cost of living, the crime rate is high in many places, and it's heavily populated so you will see so many people dealing with so many different situations. We grow to have this mentality: Whatever happens happens but at the end of the day, I'll accept it and adjust to the changes accordingly.
You began writing lyrics at the age of twelve. Do you remember what were they about?
I actually have a lot of material from that age and sometime, I read the songs to think about different memories. Those songs were just like the songs I write today, about my feelings and thoughts. I think my eyes are like a window, I just write about what I see, and how it makes me feel. How it affects me and how things affect my community and family.
When did you record your songs for the first time? Do you still have them?
The very first songs I ever recorded was during my 10 grade year of high school. I was in a rap group and I was the only girl so I felt like I had to really bring it. The studio set up was in one of my group members' bedroom and it was a small room. So there were like 8 people packed in this very small room and we recorded maybe 3 or 4 songs. Hearing my voice on wax for the first time was so weird to me. I kept thinking 'Thats me?? That's what I sound like?' but it was in an excited, surprised way as opposed to me not liking the way it sounded. Unfortunately I don't have any of those songs, I really wish I did though. It would be quite an experience to actually be able to hear the 15 year old Knoxie rapping.
Why rap music? What made you choose that certain genre?
Good question. I've heard this many times throughout my life: When it's a part of you, it's just a part of you. When you experience something for the first time and it calls to you, there's no escaping it. The very first creative thing I remember doing as a child was drawing and sketching. I used to draw cartoon characters and clothing, like dresses. The very first time I heared an entire rap song from beginning to end, I was 7 yrs old believe it or not. I never really watched TV much before that and the music that my family played at home was older styles of music like music from the Motown era and oldies. So I wasn't too familiar with rap up until then. I've heared pieces of rap here and there when I would play outside as cars drove by or while the older boys from around the way walked around blasting rap music from their boomboxes but I've never heard a full rap song until the age of 7. And the song I heared was Biggie Smalls' One More Chance. In my head I was like 'What is this?? Who is this guy? He's rhyming words together and reciting them over a beat but he isn't singing.' And after hearing that I just had this feeling inside of me that rap is my outlet and this is how I can say everything I feel inside. And after that I totally quit drawing, I started watching MTV raps and I started changing the words in songs making them my own. I didn't start writing my own original lyrics until I was 12 though. Up until then I just consumed rap music religiously and switched words in songs around a little. And although I'm honestly not a huge Biggie fan, I credit him for really introducing this style of music to me and I've had a huge place in my heart for rap music ever since.
Do you think it's appropriate for young people to listen to that kind of music? There's a lot of anger in it...
There is a lot of anger in rap music, a lot of aggression but it comes from a real place and from real life situations. Crime, drugs, sex, all of that stuff is real. I think it's important for parents especially to explain to children that what they hear in rap music is somebody elses life, somebody elses story. It's not something to emulate as far as going out and doing what these rappers talk about in their music. Its a creative expression and it's okay to celebrate and allow people to express their emotions and experiences in any way they wish. It's also important to introduce all types of content, music wise, to kids because there's so much out there. Rap music gets a bad rep for being aggressive and inappropriate but there's genres of music that is a lot more aggressive, violent, and inappropriate like some types of Rock music, which existed before rap even came along. So I don't think kids have to be overly sheltered from it, I just think they need to be taught that what they are hearing is other peoples experiences, entertainment, and that they essentially have to be authentic to themselves and make the best decisions for theirselves and not be influenced by outside sources but by their own heart's calling.
You grew up in a musical family. Your father is a DJ and your mother is a songwriter. Well, it looks like being a musician is something completely natural for you. Do you see it that way?
Yes, I do. I didn't get to experience my dad doing his Dj thing first hand but yes my mom writes songs and her father, my grandfather, was a great guitar player. So I do believe that it's in my blood so to speak and I gravitated towards rap as my musical expression.
Did your parents give you any advice on how you should manage your musical career?
Not much advice. They pretty much let me do my own thing. My dad is like my biggest fan though. I think the music industry is a lot different from when they were coming up and making music so they don't really know how things work today. The only thing they've really told me is to be myself and to write about how I feel because that's the music that people relate to. The party music is cool, the gagsta rap is ok to vibe to but when it's all said and done, the music that is about deep experiences is what will be remembered and stay in peoples hearts.
And is there anything that you’ve learned from them and later used in your own music?
Yes definitely, from my mom especially. She is a R&B song writer. So hearing her songs and seeing the techniques she's used to write songs have helped me a lot especially when I want to incorportate singing parts into my songs.
Let's go back to your lyrics. Without a doubt they mean a lot to you. Do you believe that in the world of money and loss of authority words still have a power? They can move our hearts, spark our brains?
Yes, most def. Like I've said previously, I feel that music that is about pain, and love, and deep human experiences, especially with great lyricism is what stays with people the most. On some days you may be in a certain mood and just want to dance, but some days you might want to mellow out and listen to music that you feel "gets you" on a deeper emotional level.
You've wrote many personal songs. How does it feel to share your life with other people? Aren't you afraid that you lose your privacy that way?
Not at all. Im not a shy individual but I'm very quiet in person and introverted. I don't talk much but at the same time I'm not afraid of being vulnerable because I know others go through the same things as I and have the same feelings I have. So music is my outlet for speaking my mind and heart.
So what is your message to listeners? What would you like them to hear in your songs?
Mostly inspiration, no matter what I'm talking about in a particulat song. It can be something very sad but I always incorportate lyrics of how to overcome. I want people to see that they are not alone in their plight. I may not have the exact same experiences as them but I have felt all of the emotions that everyone else has felt and I show them through my music that it's normal and this is how I overcome and get through. Another message I incorportate that is more prevalent in my newer material that I'm recording now is Self awareness and coming into your own divinity and power, ridding yourself of limiting beliefs. Years ago I suffered from depression and I just pretty much shut myself off from everyone and everything but there came many breaking points and points of awareness where I got to witness my own strength, power, and individuality. I think it's very important to understand your own power so I am taking my music into that direction as well. I also do a lot of story telling where I put myself in the shoes of different people and personalities and express their experiences in a way I believe they would express them if they had a musical creative outlet of their own.
You call yourself an artist. What is your definition of that term?
To me, an artist is an expressor of life. A creator. Art is broad and limitless. An artist is able to paint a picture and bring it to life. Whether through storytelling, music, painting, poetry, etc. An artist is connected to the most sensitive apsects of themselves and of human experience and is able to uniquely express that in their own individual way.
According to Victor Hugo, a great artist is a great man in a great child. Would you agree with that?
Totally. Children have an innate longing to explore, play, and create. And children create freely and openly. I feel like the best and most authentic art comes out when a person is in touch with their inner child.
Your last project was called "Le Début: The Beginning". It was a mixtape released in 2013. What can you tell us about it?
"The Beginning" was just a project that I wanted to give out to the fans for supporting me. Before that I waited a while to release new music, so that project was really just me saying "thank you!" How long have you worked on that album?
I worked on that album for about 4 months, between the summer of 2013 and December that year and I released it on my birthday, Dec 30th.
Did it fulfill your expectations?
It definitely did. I was worried that it wouldn't recieve as great of a response as my first project because I had waited a while in between time to release it but I have very very loyal supporters whom I appreciate dearly.
And if you could record that again is there anything you would do differently?
No, I would leave it exactly as it is. I believe in moments and that project was a moment. There are always things that I hear through my recording that I feel I could have done differently but I'm proud to say that at that time in my career I recorded and mixed a lot of my own material. Including my first project, 'The Academy' which I engineered the whole project on my own. So it was all a learning experience and I still engineer music today and I work in a music studio, 'Epasode Studios' here in NJ. Although I don't engineer my own music anymore I still appreciate the learning experience I went through of figuring out mixing techniques on my own and all that it's taught me a a creator.
Music makes you happy?
Yes! Music is one of the very few things that makes me feel on a deep level. So it definitely makes me happy. It is a part of my being.
Can you imagine your life without it?
I can't imagine my life without music. Life would be very bland to me without music. Out of the all of the expressions and forms of art, music just calls to me the most. Life would be empty to me without music. I would feel like something big is missing.
Do you believe your songs will stand the test of time?
I do. I have a handful of songs already that I know have touched people deeply. It's been almost 6 years since I released 'The Academy' and a lot of my supporters still message me telling me how they still listen to those songs, how it has affected them in positive ways, and how it gets them through certain situations they go through in life. That means a lot to me. They also mention songs from my latest project, especially "Mirror Mirror" and "Except dream".
And if the world would end today what song would you like to hear for the last time?
I would listen to my track titled "Letter to nobody". That is one of my favorite songs that I wrote. If I had to pick a song from another artist to listen to for the last time if the world was ending it would be "Dust In The Wind" by Kansas. I think that song would fit the occasion and it is one of my favorite songs.
Thank you for your time. It was a real pleasure to me.
No, Thank you so much for this interview. Your questions were very thought provoking and took me down memory lane to my childhood where I was first introduced to rap. I feel that its important for artists to always remember why they started something so I thank you for that.
Journalist: Kamil Mrozinski
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