Hailing from the North side of Newark, NJ, Khalil Jibran brings star quality in his lyrics and persona. Named after a mystical poet Kahlil Gibran of the mid 1900’s – the 22-year old emcee was destined to be a skilled wordsmith with songs like “Fuck 12” in which he describes as “KRS- One on a trap beat”. Labels or categories do not faze Khalil the free spirit will have you turn up on a conscious track while paying homage to his home state.
AAHH: What was your first introduction into music?
KJ: My first introduction to music was when I was about 3 to 4 years old and my dad used to pick me up on the weekends and on the rides to and from his house, the music was always blasting. From then on I was aware of the emotional impact music has on people. I always love how a well put together rhyme felt when it hit my ears. To me, rhyming is like making music with your thoughts. Having the ability to put images in people’s minds with just your words.
AAHH: I really dig “Thank You New Jeru” track, what inspired you to write the song? Who produced it?
KJ: It was really the beat. DJ Fade the Future produced the track & I absolutely got lost in the groove. When I came back to and conceptualized the sample the first four bars of the hook just oozed out of me oh-so effortlessly.
AAHH: How did you find out about Vibes in the City?
I actually found out about Vibes because of another open-mic that used to be at LaRouge. Quest has been my audio engineer since I first began to pursue music seriously. So being in tune with him & Broadway Blake, it was kind of inevitable for me to collaborate with them.
AAHH: Speaking of vibes, “Someday” brings good vibes – you exude authenticity of Brick City. What’s your inspiration? Who produced it?
KJ: As soon as I heard the beat, I felt it captured a certain essence. A feel of being complete, though misunderstood. That’s how I interpreted the someday portion of the sample. After all, no great leader was truly appreciated while they were still living. That song is me embracing that part of my destiny, of my legacy.
AAHH: Can you breakdown “Fuck 12” for AAHipHop?
KJ: 12 is what the south refers to as narcotic officers. Since the South is influencing Hip-Hop in a major way I decided to take their lingo & executed in a true MC sort of way. Think of it as KRS- One on a trap beat. The jewels are in the song if you want to dig for them, but if you don’t, you can still mindlessly turn up to it.
AAHH: What can you bring to Hip-Hop?
KJ: I feel I can bring what Pac brought to Hip-Hop, and what I mean by that is displaying the full range of human emotion. Pac spoke to different people on different levels, from “Hit ‘Em Up”, to “Dear Mama”. By him sharing all parts of his self his window for possible connection is much larger than any artist, ever.
AAHH: Describe your sound and influences.
KJ: Too many to name, from John Coltrane to Vivaldi, to Bobby McFerrin and many other genres. When I do my music, I reinterpret the emotions the world gives me into my own musical language.
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As you can see, Khalil Jibran is ahead of his time and speaks to those with a diverse pallet for Hip-Hop. You can zone out to Khalil versatile flow or take notes on his thought provoking rhymes.
Don’t hesitate to check out more from Khalil Jibran as he embarks on additional shows at RBG ball with the Libre Brand family on February 17th and the Winter Jam in D.C. on February 19th. If you’re in the area, go to LaRouge Lounge and vibe out with Khalil Jibran tomorrow, February 1st!
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Email: khaliljibran.1994@gmail.com
Twitter: @khaliljibran_
Facebook: Khalil Jibran
Snapchat: @khaliljibran
Website khaliljibran.com
Soundcloud: www.SoundCloud.com/KhalilJibran
