From SoundCloud era stars like Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert to TyFontaine and other rising trendsetters, KEY!‘s cultural impact is felt amongst many generations.
His influential album ‘777’ — produced by Kenny Beats — is not only considered to be the Atlanta native’s magnum opus, but has altered the landscape of hip-hop at its core. Even KEY! acknowledges that he hears his cadences, flows and production style within rap’s current wave, but it’s always love from the iconic producer-rapper. He’s born and bred ATL, showing appreciation to bubbling movers and shakers like Bear1Boss and Tony Shhnow, who KEY! refers to as the “future Curren$y of Atlanta.”
Whether he’s tapped into his “Keyonce” or “Keyangelo” alter egos, KEY!’s colorful personality speaks to his eclectic taste and desire to craft more “meaningful music” down the line as well as take up a role as an executive. “I want to evolve my music with my life,” he told OGM host Hakeem Rowe. “I want to executive produce more than I want to sign artists [at this stage]. I was once the headache, and I want to show others how to own their headache.”
Touting pipelined projects with the prolific DJ Mark B and his idol DotDaGenius in his vault, KEY! and Keem chopped it up for a rare conversation, speaking on KEY!’s influence in the game, 777, new music, Kenny Beats, Atlanta and so much more in this Our Generation Music exclusive interview.
Watch KEY!’s OGM exclusive below!
