Conversations with Papi K

Today we’d like to introduce you to Papi K.  

Hi Papi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota to an Ethiopian father and Yemeni mother. I grew up for a short period in Boston, then moved to Columbus, Ohio at the age of 6 years old, where I would grow up until my early twenties. I skipped the first grade due to my proficient reading abilities thanks to my mom who homeschooled me in pre-school and made sure I had a good start in education. Throughout my elementary years, I would go on to participate in spelling bees which made me understand and memorize big words as an adolescent. This, I think, led me to begin doing poetry in middle school, where I would perform poems at my school, local events, and even once at my local mosque for the city’s mayor. It instilled the confidence in me I needed with public speaking. 

High school came, and I started dabbling with freestyling. Whether with the homies or in front of a group, I was one of the best freestylers over a beat or in a roast battle. Towards the end of high school, I started writing raps emulating rappers I grew up on starting from J. Cole to my last challenge: Eminem, lol. Once I got into college, I went to The Ohio State University at Marion where I met friends with a similar creative interest in music, and we started making it happen. My first song I recorded was on an Xbox headset microphone on Audacity (a basic recording software on computers), where I’d click record on the laptop then run in the closet to get the best audio quality since our apartment complex was loud. We worked with what we had. 

From there, I began dropping singles on SoundCloud. After the first year in college, I moved back to Columbus and started recording in professional studios. Within a week of me recording & releasing my first song on all streaming platforms “Cycles,” I was offered to open up for MadeinTYO, who me and the homies were listening to all the time our first year of college, which was crazy. A lot of people ended up showing up for me, and it gave me the drive to take the music seriously. Then on, I went through management teams where we would continue to release singles & perform in cities all around the nation. 

One of those shows resulted in me opening up for Waka Flocka Flame, where I ended up securing a feature from him. This solidified me as an artist with a big-name cosign, and people in my city & outside of it began taking notice of Papi K. Overtime, however I knew I needed more exposure in places where music was the hub, so I packed up and moved to Los Angeles, California in the heat of COVID-19 September 2020. Being there, I put my expertise of audio engineering and songwriting to work by creating relationships with big hitters in the industry. All while creating my debut album, “SH*T’S DIFFERENT” which reflects on the world since 2020 and having a positive mindset to truly blossom and prosper in this ever-changing world. 

This was the main reason of me being in LA, so once I solidified the relationships I needed, I left. Being back in Columbus for the following year, I went on to working on a preceding mixtape called “WHAT’S DIFFERENT?” that includes hits straight through my fans want to hear from me from track one to the final to build the buzz for the album. Once the year was over, I had my eyes on New York City due to its fast, hustling lifestyle that I needed. I ended up completing WHAT’S DIFFERENT? here and plan to release it spring of 2023, looking to land a distribution or publishing deal for the album in the months following. I plan to have a big and impactful rollout for SH*T’S DIFFERENT because this is truly an album that will be a contender, if not the winner, of Album of The Decade. And right now, it’s me and my supporters that will take it there! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not; but that’s not a bad thing. I’ve dealt with managers who felt they owned my work and tried to work behind my back to take more money from me. Friends who switched up due to jealousy or not believing. A lot of attempts on my end of thinking “this single is the one” to it plateauing after a few weeks. Being alone a lot of times with only your overthinking thoughts, etc. This industry is not easy. It’s cut-throat, superficial, and you must stay on your toes and stand up for yourself so you don’t get walked over. BUT that doesn’t mean what you’re doing is wrong. I always say if you have good intentions, true work ethic, hustle, & a savvy business mindset, then you will be good. You can’t let the actions of others influence who you are. I think it’s more impressive and makes for a better story down the road when one goes through much hardship and is STILL standing at the end, confident and stronger than they were before they began the journey. So, it’s true, there is beauty in the struggle; you just have to be courageous and persistent to truly reap and witness the rewards of your hard work. And I hope you do. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve always been a deep thinker but also a jokester growing up. My teachers hated me. Just kidding, but I was definitely the class clown in my school years. I would ask my parents anything that came to my mind because I would think in the clouds, I don’t know how to describe it. But one time my dad always brings up is when I asked him, “why did God make me black?”… He was so confused by my question, now whenever he mentions it, he just starts laughing like what was I supposed to say? I don’t blame him; even writing this out, I can’t think of a smooth answer to reply to that haha. I was also heavily interested in soccer and loved playing striker so I could do all the cool tricks and break ankles. Basketball too, and as a kid my mom signed me up for Tae Kwon Do which I despised but ended up being a second-degree black belt. So shoutout Mama! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an artist who makes Hip-Hop and R&B records, a songwriter, and an audio engineer. I record, write, mix & master all of my work. Among artists, I am equally known as an artist and audio engineer since I would record sessions for numerous artists in Columbus and Los Angeles. 

I’m most proud of the reaction I get from new listeners or fans/supporters in general. Whether when a friend tells me they were out of town and while with a friend group, who doesn’t follow me, plays a song of mine and my friend asks, “wait you know Papi K?” and their friend replies, “yes! I love his music”, that just makes my day because it’s crazy knowing people who don’t know me and whom I don’t know enjoy my art. Or when my listeners tell me how good the song sounds, and I know deep down that it’s because of the countless hours and sleepless nights I spent on the mix (sound quality) of the song, just makes. my. day. 

What sets me apart from others? Like my brand name: DIFFERENT, that is truly what I am. I like to make music that motivates, inspires, and that can be played around anyone no matter their age. I make sure each of my songs are a hit in their own respect and songs that I want to hear but haven’t heard yet; that is how I think every time I’m in the studio. Also, I want to make soulful music that gives goosebumps, something that is missing so much in music nowadays. Lyrics from the soul that cover topics that people think about subconsciously that they can’t put into words. That’s where I come in. Listening to my discography, not one song sounds like the other, and I do that on purpose, so each song serves as a different wave of emotions we go through in life, whether introspective or turn-up. The Album, however, will truly encompass that, and I believe it will impact many younger and older people’s mindsets to become better, and I can’t wait for that. That’s why I’ve been taking so long with this album. (And my fans have been WAITING so patiently for it & for that I love them, and they’ll understand why soon. 🙂 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onepapik/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnePapiK
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRzolVFwLrfzYTUswLksluw
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/papik614
• Other: https://dot.cards/onepapik

Image Credits
Matt Valletta
@capturedbywes
@shotbygotti
@svintxclaire
@sweetchxrrystudios