We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Khazm Kogita a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Khazm, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My debut solo album “Diaries of a MAD” was one of the most challenging and meaningful projects I’ve worked on to date. I’ve collaborated with alot of artists in different groups and collectives and am no stranger to the craft and the process of making music, but this project was different. It was personal. Perhaps too personal…

I began writing in 2000, making good progress, and even finished the album art in 2001. Never really satisfied, I would keep re-recording songs, scrapping it, then moving on to other songs. This happened for a few more years until I encountered a near death experience that landed me in a hospital for about 7 months. With a newfound sense of urgency, I ended up producing and writing all new songs during that time. My man Gabe Teodros brought the studio to the hospital and we recorded feverishly. Miraculously, I overcame rehabilitation and immediately upon getting out, I pressed up an abbreviated sample of the album on wax called “Preludes: Diaries of a MAD” in 2005, with the intention of releasing the full project the following year.

Unfortunately that did not happen. The years following was a flurry, between launching a new Hip Hop community organization called 206 Zulu, organizing and promoting events, producing weekly television and radio shows, producing music for several local artists, and an unending hustle to make ends meet.

I met this guy on Myspace named Dume41 who had such similar tastes and interest in Hip Hop, graffiti art, animation and just life in general. He too was a man of many hats and was a grounding force too many in his cypher, like me. We clicked. He was also an incredible audio engineer. He agreed to record me so I can have one less hat, and focus on my part as the producer and emcee. It was a fantastic partnership that would expand to other artists and projects. We would effectively join forces as Fresh Chopped Beats/MADK Productions to release several albums beginning in 2009.

Time would move on and my endeavors in music, art, and community organizing expanded to new and exciting directions. I would embark on some of my first international tours. 206 Zulu evolved into a federally recognized non-profit organization and was doing profound work in the community. By the early 2010s, we were working to save a historic venue and community space called Washington Hall, and participated in a massive capital campaign to restore the building to its original glory.

In a pivotal conversation, Dume noted that the Diaries album had been delayed for too long. Although there had been many successes and milestone achievements, this project was always put last to what was happening in the moment. He gave me one year to complete my album and cautioned me that if not completed by then, he would need to move on from the project.

Upon listening to the mixes of the songs and further introspection, I came to a realization that I was my own barrier the entire time. The album was very personal and heavy, so in retrospect I wasn’t ready to release that to the world. I came to the conclusion that it encapsulated the feelings and experiences at that time, and was something I needed to let go in order to grow. My caveat to Dume’s ultimatum was that I needed this album to be experienced in a way that was digestible to the public. I proposed that we turn Diaries of a MAD into a theatrical show. Thankfully, he agreed.

While it took another year to develop, I couldn’t have been more proud of its reception. Diaries of a MAD debuted in 2016, a theatrical show that included monologues, a full cast of actors, dancers, musicians, accompanied with projected visuals in an immersive experience. The two-day run was a tremendous success and various iterations of the show would continue in the years to follow.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a multidisciplinary artist, emcee and community organizer. Hip Hop is in my veins. From poetry and rhyming, beatmaking and collaborative production, graphic illustration and multimedia art, I live and work in an intersectional way that challenges myself in new and different ways. I’ve been blessed to grow my art into a career organically over the years, and with an unending focus, I’ve been able to persevere in ways I had never imagined. I’m always looking to create, collaborate and partner in different capacities. I’m passionate about utilizing Hip Hop as a tool for empowerment, innovation, and making change. My goal is to reimagine what is possible and expand upon a world in which we want to live in.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There’s so much we can collectively to do grow our creative economy. Think local, act global. Dig deeper into your local music and arts scene, and learn about the people in your own backyard. Follow their platforms, buy their art, attend their shows. We have moved so much into a digital age that we often forget the art of discovery. When Hip Hop was mad underground I loved being the first to hip my friends to the new new. While so much music and art has been commercialized and commodified, there is an entire universe of music that exists that is even better that appeals to all types of sounds, forms and sub genres. Go explore and learn for yourself what you love and gravitate towards!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I am deeply gratified to know that my music and art has made such deep and meaningful impacts to people. Meeting new people who have expressed their appreciation for certain songs and how it may have helped them during challenging times, or hearing stories about something I said or did that helped shape them or inspired them in ways to pursue their own creativity, it’s just surreal and incredibly moving.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kingkhazm.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kingkhazm
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingkhazm
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/madkproductions
• Other: https://www.206zulu.org/