Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with C.K.G. from Chicago

What is your earliest memory connected to music? My earliest memory was going through my parents records, seeing and  Listening to Prince, Michael Jackson etc. And as far as hip hop, It was  LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, etc. I remember my cousin 

Brought over a tape of BDP and NWA. That was my introduction.  

How did your passion for creating music begin? High School. I really starting rapping hard etc, and to go back, when I saw EPMD’s “You Gotz 2 Chill” video back when we were living at my grandmothers house,  that’s when 

Hip hop blew my mind. I never heard the funk like that, it blew my mind.  

What’s the story behind your current music project? Right now, I’m working on dropping singles, and wrapping up “For The Music  Supervisors-The Lost Tapes Vol.2”. 

I do a lot of sync for movies and tv shows, so, it’s a lot of music. I have almost  1,500 pieces of music and a lot 

Of those have been licensed. Many are just for the shows so, unless you saw the  show (a lot of shows overseas) 

You won’t know the songs so, I’ve been trying to drop a “The Lost Tapes” series  for songs that people MAY have heard, 

But didn’t know I wrote and produced them. I rap, but I also song write and  produce other genres (pop, R&B, country, 

EDM, etc) so, I use the “For The Music Supervisors” series to showcase my talent.  

How would you describe your sound to someone who has  never heard your music 

before? 

My style is a mesh of things. I would tell them, put Jodeci, Prince, Nas, Kurupt,  Eminem in a blender, 

Sprinkle some funk/pop/jazz etc, and you would have me. I’m a mesh of things.  

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely  changed the way you make music? 

Well, once I learned that marketing and promotion is EVERYTHING in the music  “BUSINESS”, it made me look 

At creating music differently. Once I learned that it’s NOT about talent but it  SHOULD be, it made me look at  

The music BUSINESS differently, and it made me gravitate more towards sync 

licensing.  

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your  creative process? 

Sometimes I use live drums, bass guitar etc, sometimes I used everything on my  keyboard/laptop.  

I use FL Studio, Logic Pro etc. As long as I have my sounds, I can create what “I”  feel will work. No specific 

VST”s but, just my personal set of sounds.  

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now? Besides me, I would say “Kate Clark” as far as country. She’s going to be big. Mark  My words. Shout out to David Huff. I Like Amelia Moore’s stuff, (IDK if Amelia is  indie but…).  

Take Van has some dope stuff, etc. Those are the ones off the top of my head.  

How have your personal experiences influenced your  music and artistic vision? 

Definitely. I try to speak from real life experiences, whether it’s stuff that I’ve been  through or stuff that I’ve seen 

Or people around me are going through. I believe the more people can relate to  your song, the more popular it will 

Be. I make music for EVERYONE, so, I want EVERYONE to be able to get it so, I try  to make it relatable. 

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take  from your work? 

I try to make motivational music. Stadium music etc. Music that has HEART.  Whether it’s a love song I wrote for 

A tv show brief, or something more “angry”, I always try to write from a point of  “this is what I went through”, and if it’s 

Something more destructive, I try to relay the message of “I went through this and  did this, DON’T do what I did” or “you can be better than me” and take the higher  route. I want to inspire people, and I want them to have fun and laugh. 

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you  so far? 

Music has taught me you can play certain chords or sounds that make people cry,  make people laugh,  

Make people want to start some type of violent behavior etc. Music is powerful,  and that you have to be careful

How you use it. It’s also taught me you can be from different walks of life, but  certain songs can bring different 

Worlds together.  

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to  perform at? 

I would just love to rock a crowd, 50,000 people front to back, and have them  shouting out my hook/song. 

And at the end, just motivating them. I want them to leave pumped up and  inspired.  

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present,  who would it be and why? 

Past, would def. be Prince. He was a Gemini like me and his music was ALL OVER  THE PLACE like mine is 

Lol. But I get it. As a Gemini, I can be on one thing, and switch to another in a min.  Some people may not understand 

That but I do. I think I could learn so much and it would be a dope song.  

As far as present, I def. Would love to work with Nas, to work with Amerie, Mariah  Carey,  

Eminem etc. Also, as far as a producers, I’d love to work with Dj Quik, DeVante  Swing,  

Timbaland, Primo, Jermaine Dupri, Large Pro, Pete Rock, Dr Dre, etc. 

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links) 

www.ckgonline.net 

instagram.com/ckgthedon 

https://tidal.com/artist/5265542/u

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/c-k-g/289891101

And all other streaming platforms.  

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the  next chapter of your musical 

journey? 

I think I would probably sign a pub deal or some type of artist/label deal. I feel I’m  at the point I’ve done all  

I can on my end, as far as by myself. I’m an ASCAP Plus/LA music award winning  artist. I got chose to be 

A part of Grammy award winner Timbaland’s “Beatclub”, and I’ve had music  licensed in over 60 countries 

Since 2010. In addition to that, I’ve been praised by various grammy winners and  nominees so, I’ve done all 

I can on my end. I think having a machine behind me can push my music further  out than I can on my own at 

This point. 

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along  the way? 

I hope they discover I’m a regular person with talent, who’s probably done some  dope songs you’ve 

Heard that you didn’t know he did, and that I’m just like them. I work, I sleep, I eat  etc, I just have a certain 

Talent that GOD gave me, but I’m dope, and I want to see everybody win. 

If you want here you can add a representative Youtube  video to insert below the 

interview 🙂 

Check out my latest music video, “Stuck In My Ways”