A.K.A.
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Known as one of the few real emcees in the Seattle area, A.K.A. brings a rejuvenation to hip hop that has been missing for a long time. An avid storyteller he is known for the imagery in his lyrics, as well as being able to paint the perfect picture in his words. He is firm in the belief that hip hop is the greatest artform for expression.
Kevin "A.K.A." Johnson is the nephew of George Clinton, creator of Parliament-Funkadelic, It was his "p-funk" teaching that taught him the best lessons he has taken into his artistry. Raised with some of the best inventors of funk and hip hop music, A.K.A. lived for 4 years with his uncle, whom gave him a good education in how to make music and how to write. It shows that he was an excellent student and then some, he has since taken the lessons he was given and applied it to what he does now.
A.K.A. had this to say about his music; "I make music based on what I feel , with no gimmicks no corny dances. I am all about having fun and getting the crowd involved. I want people to have a mental picture in their mind of the story i am telling them and be able to relate to it if it pertains to them. I am here to show everyone that real hip hop still exists, there are those of us still true to the art form.
A.K.A. also counts LL Cool J, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Notorious B.I.G., Andre 3000 and a long list of others as his influences and feels his music reflects their flow and style. One listener of his music writes, "You wont catch him talking about gang banging or anything ignorant." Rather, he specializes in being a storyteller and has spread his talent throughout Washington state.
A prolific creator of mix-tapes, you can find his songs on many of the 12 mixtapes that he released in the summer of 2010.
He has performed with many PNW artists including:
JC FLOW
MIKE G AND MAR
LOUIS V
BAD COMPANY GANG
SHORTE
DIMSUM
DIGGZ DIME
KLYNTEL
NEEMA
SPAC3MAN
FAME RILLA
Q DOT
MIKE MACK AND HARLEM
EMAC
MYSTA MYSTA SMOOTH
DJ ROCAPHELLA
DJ QUIETSTORM
DJ AD
DJ NASTY BOY
DJ SOSEA
DJ NO MERCY
DJ DOUBLE DIP
Venues A.K.A. has performed at:
THE BALTIC ROOM (Seattle)
MONTE CARLO (Seatac)
HD HOTSPURS (Kent)
BB MCGRAWS (Auburn)
EL PORTERO (Tacoma)
54TH LOUNGE (Tacoma)
SHOTZES (Everett)
WOODSHED STUDIOS (Seattle)
JR PHINICKEY'S (Marysville)
RENDEZVOUS THEATER (Seattle)
ALLURE (Seattle)
NECTAR LOUNGE (Seattle)
SURREAL ULTRA LOUNGE (Tacoma)
Instrumentation
Discography
Indie Projects: Mixtapes/Compilations
Album
Resurgence (Released July 15th 2011)
EPs
"Here I Am : The Soul Sessions"
Mixtapes 2010
I Am Remix
If You Hear Any Noise It's Just Me And The Boys
This Is How We Do
Guess Who's In The Kitchen
Fresh Out The Oven
JL Official
When Styles Collide
Tac Town Rideers Vol 1.
We Still At It
Meet A Few Of My Friends
In My Own Mind
The Puget Sound Mixtape Vol 1.
Made In Ful (Prod. By Mooch)
Mixtapes 2011
The Puget Sound Mixtape Vol.2
Welcome To The Zoo