We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful K Hard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with K below.

Hi K, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

When I first began creating music, I wanted my music to have a meaning. I wanted it to be real and raw. I started recording in BLKMRKT studios when I was a first-generation student at Western Kentucky university. At this time, I was gaining more knowledge about myself and other user represented minorities. I knewI wanted my music to be for those people.

Now, just starting out I had yet to find my sound. I would rap or make pop hits. The inspiration and content was there. I just did not deliver it well. I remember good friends telling me ” No one is going to listen to this, they don’t want to hear you talking about this.” It got me down but set a fire to create better.

After stepping into my country roots, I was able to find a sound that allowed me to tell my story and deliver the message I wanted to. I could have given up, my best friend told me no one would listen. If I had listened to them, I wouldn’t be on the path I am. You can never let other perceptions of you stop you.

K, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started singing music and pretend concerts in my room at a young age. I wrote songs with my brother everyday after school. We were too poor for phones. I would take the schools laptop home loaded down with beats and sit for hours writing with my brother. When I had nothing, I had music.

You can learn a lot about my life through my music. I want to tap in to real experiences I have had. I’ve used my music to heal from past traumas and to grow. I grew up in an abusive house hold with both parents falling victim to addiction. I remember growing up listening to old country music, the music that painted the experience of those down and out. I listen to country music today and I don’t see that.

I want to change that. My music offers a place to connect for those who don’t have the country experience you hear on the radio. Don’t get me wrong, I still get down and have fun, but my music is to tell you that you aren’t alone. I want you to be engulfed in the song, the emotions and story I am telling across my music.

I have several songs set to release this year, they will tell you a story of perseverance through all odds. Of a little girl who grew up through a war zone of a home and through her music found forgiveness, compassion, healing and love.

I am a normal person like the next one, I work three jobs, I take care of my family, I put my pants on one leg at a time. Now, those pants my have some holes in them but that’s okay. If you have holes in your pants or dirt on your clothes, a life you don’t hear about when you turn on your radio, then my music is for you.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Back in 2020, I was 22 years old. I was a college student trying to graduate when I found out my bother could no longer live with our cousin. My parents had already lost custody in court due to drug use. It was foster care or me.

With in a month, I had left school and spent my saving account on getting a small one bedroom for my brother and I. At 22 I was a guardian for a 15 year old. This changed my life in more ways than one. We start sleeping on air mattresses, I had no job as I was a student worker before dropping out.

3 years later, Owen (my brother) has graduated high school early. I have three jobs and we live in a 2 bedroom apartment sleeping on real beds. There is nothing that will make you get your stuff together like being responsible for someone else. I would not be the person I am with out him.

Taking custody was a huge detour from what I planned for my life to be. However, when I moved into our first apartment, it was across from my producer and other musically talented friends. My producer BLKMRKT and videographer and artist Leo the Rapper lived across the street. This was a turning point in my life where I got ore involved with the music business. All because I took in my little brother.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Along with making music, I dj and host events and games at local bars. I branded myself as the PARTY GOD because I could throw down and create a party anywhere. This was all fun and games until my mother almost lost her life to drinking alcohol and pills. as well as losing several friends to drinking and driving.

As of today my mom is over 6 months sober. Over these months we’ve had the opportunity to heal our relationship. Through this I was able to understand my own relationship with alcohol. Addiction is seen around us everyday. It is the number one killer of people my age. I have two beautiful friends Nick Heller and Andrea Clan who have helped me dive into my spirituality and health. This experience with my mother and the help from my friends inspired me to make a change in my life.

This meant a change in my music and how I branded myself. MY music went from being about partying/drinking to a tool I used to understand addiction, to spread love and to heal others, I have a few songs coming out during Substance abuse awareness month. I show my journey of ending this ” Family Tradition” ( a song of mine) of addiction in my family. I show tell the stories of watching addiction as a younger kid follow me into the lives of the people around me, my friends, the kids I see, and the way the world reacts to this.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/thekhard
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekhard/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theKHard/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/thekhard
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRuu6A5soQDjWK44YJ7T72g

Image Credits
Kendall McCargo Photography, Leo the Shooter, Nick Heller, Shot By Flex