Rising Stars: Meet Keith Queener of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith Queener.

Hi Keith, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started music in the 8th grade with my best friend Noelle Sinclair. We made music in her basement for fun and the more and more we made the more serious it got. I stared my music career under the name Lamar Jr (Which was mu middle name) and as I was going out into the public it felt weird people calling me my middle name. My whole life peope have called me KJ (Keith Jr) and I decided to switch my name to KJ The Cool Nerd. This was based off of my favorite artists like Chance The rapper and Tyler The Creator. I loved the three part name. After the rebrand is when things really stared to kick off. I went to Capital University for Music Tech and this where I found my circle of musicians to grow with. I Met AR!YAH, WANYEH, J.SOL., Bitty OTW, Anthony Dake and many more. This is the period of my career where I started to play out with a live band. I always loved the way musicans playing freely sounds. This made the songs I make as a blueprint for them to build on while we are playing live. All this builds to the present day where we are playing festivals and spreading music and joy for others to enjoy.

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?
The struggle I’ve had in the music world is finding spot in the community. I am a rapper first and formost but when I make music I love the blend genres. A Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin is as much as a influence on me as a Biggie, or Kendrick. My love for music knows no genre. This has made it where sometimes I’m a little out there for Hip Hop crowds and little too Hip Hop for the rock crowds. The cool thing about this is that I can see I open a lot of people minds by the way we play.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Im a Rapper and Producer that plays out live a a rap funk band. We are known for our energetic stage presence and music that even if you don’t know word for word you can still dance to. I’m proud for the amount of community we have been able to build in such a short period

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Connections, connections, connections. You will get so much farther but being a good reliable source of vaule for people. Make friends becuase even if you are the most talented person in your field if people don’t like you no. one will hire you. Lead with kindness and honesty. Id rather you know nothing and love every seconds of the learning experience then know everthing and make it everyones problem. Also run your own race. A lot of what we see on the internet is smoke and mirrors. Camera angles, that make things look bigger then they are. The more you play into the narrative that you are not enough, the more it becomes true.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kj_thecoolnerd/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LamarJr614
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KJThecoolnerd614
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YksEOxxxNN0uBWy8op3bd