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Back in April, K Camp capped off his nine-year Kiss mixtape series with its fifth and final installment, Kiss 5. The 15-track effort was the first in the series to be released as a studio album and featured collaborations with Wale, Ari Lennox, Tink, 6LACK, Jacquees, Jeremih and more. The LP also included K Camp’s viral TikTok dance single, “Lottery (Renegade).”
“The music sounded good, the production sounded good, and I just wanted to end it on a good note,” he told REVOLT.
Now that the long-lasting and fan-beloved series has met a triumphant end, K Camp is setting his sights on the rest of 2020. Never one to take a day off, the Atlanta-bred multi-hyphenate is gearing up to release his next solo LP this fall and his Rare Sound label’s debut compilation project this summer. As an artist with over 10 years in the game, K Camp has grown into his role as a mentor for up-and-coming acts and enjoys investing in his artists.
“You can’t be the only one eating. You gotta put other people on if you’re really gonna call yourself a boss,” he explained.
Read our exclusive interview with K Camp below to find out more about Kiss 5, upcoming music videos, his Rare Sound compilation and solo album, how he’s spending quarantine, and more.
Congratulations on Kiss 5!
Thank you, appreciate it.
I saw you said that this is the last one in the Kiss series . What made you feel like it was time to finish the series and how did you make this one extra special, so that you knew it would be a good one to end on?
I just felt like, you know, I’ve been doing the Kiss series for about 10 years — since 2011. So, I think I did my time and did good with this project. With the fifth one, I put some features on there, I was satisfied, the music sounded good, the production sounded good, and I just wanted to end it on a good note.
You’ve definitely got some dope collaborations. You’ve got the song “Black Men Don’t Cheat” on the album with Ari Lennox, 6LACK and Tink. How did that collaboration come about?
Everything happened through email. I think the only features on the album that we actually [recorded] together was me and Jeremih. But as far as everybody else, on “Black Men Don’t Chat,” 6LACK emailed me his verse, Tink sent me her verse, and Ari was gonna send me her verse but she didn’t make it in time, but I had a voice memo from her on my phone. So, we put that on the track to solidify it. I think it came out dope.
Your song “Lottery (Renegade)” is a bonus track on Kiss 5, and that song first went viral on TikTok. How have you used that app to further your music?
I don’t really be on TikTok like that, to be honest with you. That was the kids, who did all that. They made that possible for TikTok to bring the awareness to the [music]. So, I don’t really be on there, but shout out to Jalaiah [Harmon] for making the dance and turning [“Lottery”] up to another level. It was already going, it already had motion. But, they took it over the top.
Summer Walker posted a video on Instagram playing “Ice Cold” off the album. Do you think there’s a potential for a remix there?
Yeah, I’m waiting on people right now tryin’ to make it shake! She’s tough to get in the studio, so we gonna try and make it work. I’m getting on that.
Has it been easier or harder to get collaborations during all this?
It depends on what kind of artist it is. If it’s a hands-on type of artist, who record themselves and do it all their self in the studio, it could be easy. But for artists who need engineers and can’t really do it their self, that’s probably the most difficult thing.
You recently dropped your video for “Rude Boy.” Where was that filmed?
We shot “Rude Boy” in the Bahamas. Right before quarantine — back when life was good! Luckily, at least I got one video shot [before quarantine]. I would’ve had no videos shot. I would’ve been hurting. So, I got one video shot, and when this sh*t over with, we gonna knock out the rest of them.
Do you think you’ll drop any lyric videos or anything like that in the meantime?
Yeah, we got some in the works. Those will come out soon. But, I’d rather have the real thing.
Are you spending this time working on anything new right now? Or are you just riding out this release?
I don’t ever ride no release! I got like three, four albums ready to go right now. I’ma drop two big albums this year. I’m gonna drop one of them in the fall. We’ve got a compilation album coming out this year — a Rare Sound artist compilation. I got a few projects, you know, I don’t ever stop recording. Kiss 5 was done in December of 2019, so I’ve had like six months [since then], so you know I’ve been in the studio.
Yeah, so you’ve got stuff in the vault.
Yeah, for sure. Big vault.
About your Rare Sound label, have you been signing many new artists?
Yeah, the gang is getting better and better. I signed Lil Bird, he just dropped an [EP] on May 1 called YellowBird. True Story Gee just dropped an album before the quarantine — and we’re still looking for new talent. So, we got new acts, and then, we’re also focusing on the main members, making sure they get their proper looks and all that.
You’ve been in the game for a long time. Do you like having this role as a mentor for your Rare Sound artists?
Yeah, for sure. It’s always good to try and help. But, it’s also good to get some money. You can’t be the only one eating. You gotta put other people on if you’re really gonna call yourself a boss, you know? You can’t be the only one.
How else have you been spending your quarantine time?
Sh*t sucks! Xbox, I’ve been recording, I’ve been reading. Yesterday I tried to teach myself how to play the guitar on YouTube. And my arms hurt now from strumming them damn strings so much. But, I gotta be doing something during this sh*t!
And you already produce and engineer your music too, so why not add guitarist to the list!
Yeah, I produce when I feel like it. But, I definitely executive produce, I’ll be all over the place.
How long have you had a hand in all the aspects of your music like that?
My whole career. A lotta people are just now figuring that out. I been doing this sh*t my whole career. A lot of my hit records that y’all love, I probably recorded.
When do you think you’ll start rolling songs out for your next album?
Probably after the compilation [album] in the summertime. Around the summertime, we’re gonna drop that compilation [album]. And then after that, we’ll probably drop the next one in the fall. It’s already pretty much wrapped up.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?
I love y’all to death!