Crash Out Music
Exploring Baby Kia Within The Labels of: “Crash Out” Drill genre
Drill music has been influential for over a decade and is known for its bold, controversial lyrics and documentary-style visuals. Originating in Chicago, the term "drill" refers to shooting a gun, aiming to evoke intense reactions from other artists and getting turnt up from its distinct beats. Drill music has surged into Atlanta, with artists putting their spin on the genre, creating a "crash-out" wave. Crash-out music tends to energize listeners with lyrics about making irrational and costly decisions. While many artists fall into this category, West Atlanta artist Baby Kia has become the face of crash-out music. This article explores Baby Kia's influence within this subgenre and ways of implementing mindfulness before releasing projects to ensure self-expression does not lead its listeners astray.
Baby Kia's Journey: The Influences and Evolution of a Rising Artist
At 18 years old, Baby Kia embodies the spirit of a young adult navigating the path of self-discovery, driven by curiosity, finding joy in spending time with friends and being immersed in their music. Unfortunately, he lost his mother during the most crucial years of his adolescence. In his recent song "Life Lesson," he reflects, "I miss mom dukes, I'm by myself and no I can't sleep." The journey of coping with the loss of a loved one, especially a parent who takes care of you, can leave a young adult feeling lost, often suppressing emotions and making choices with a sense of having nothing to lose. Yet, despite his pain, Baby Kia has cultivated a fan base that extends far beyond his city, who passionately embraces his music through the vibrant energy he brings and the shock values from his lyrics.
Baby Kia never envisioned making a career out of music. However, in a recent No Jumper interview, he mentioned that music and taking walks provided a much-needed escape, helping to lift his spirits during tough times. He expressed an exceptional work ethic regarding his newfound craft in this interview. Many fans appreciate his music’s high energy, consistent cadence, and catchy punch lines. He also has a great sense of personal style that is not highlighted much within the media yet.
Baby Kia acknowledges that his music is explicit and believes young children should avoid it due to its graphic content and the impressionable nature of their minds. While his lyrics often reflect the crash-out genre, Baby Kia indirectly noted in his No Jumper interview that he does not want to be directly associated with this label. Through his interviews, it's evident that Baby Kia possesses a strong potential for growth, both as a person and an artist, and can evolve beyond the crash-out genre stigma that his lyrics currently embody. Baby Kia shares his aspirations of becoming wealthy by leveraging his opportunities from music and utilizing his platform to spread love to others.
Baby Kia talks about his work ethic as the new wave of Atlanta drill artist. #CrashOutMusic.
Cultivating Mindfulness in Drill Music Culture
Drill artists, especially those in the new crash-out sub-genre, must prioritize mindfulness before releasing any project. The power of vulnerability within one’s body of work is undeniably essential for self-expression and artist development. However, it's crucial to be aware of what you extend to the world, as it may inevitably impact others positively or negatively.
Some ways to ensure your body of work contributes in a transformative way:
Reflect: Understand that your art is not just a form of self-expression but also serves as a powerful tool that can shape perceptions and influence society. This realization should instill a sense of responsibility and accountability in your artistic process.
Challenge yourself to gradually or jumpstart the process of creating music and conducting interviews with a sober mind: With a sober mind, you are more likely inclined to put more effort into what you say than you usually do with substance enhancement. This may be a con to artists who found their flow within a substance, but when you think about the sober mind, it can make you put more thought into decisions for a reason. In interviews where people aim to understand your art and authentic self, it's crucial to answer specific questions clearly and concisely. Some questions might be designed to trip you up or subtly attack your character based on assumptions, so responding thoughtfully is essential.
Be cautious and discerning in your choice of platforms and interviewers, as they can significantly impact the narrative around your art and your community: The team behind drill artists must stray away from doing interviews with people like NoJumper or Vlad, who tend to stereotype many black entertainers and set up their questions to get them entangled in criminal confessions. For instance, Young Thug had avoided doing interviews for a long time. However, when he eventually decided to do them, he and his team intentionally selected Big Boy’s radio show because his interview style did not exploit or steer the conversation toward stereotypical portrayals. Although NoJumper and Vlad are popular platforms for many entertainers, these specific interviewers do not represent black art and artists in a positive light, which tends to push out the narrative of negative influences within the black community even further.
