We were lucky to catch up with Kiandre Jackson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kiandre, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I remember it being 2012 and Trayvon Martin had just been killed in Florida. I father had Nancy Grace on all the time because everyone was watching the trials. I remember being a young black kid and watching this and just feeling so angry, so hurt, and just grieving for someone I didn’t even know. I took those feelings and I just started writing a song. I put it all on paper at 11 years old and created a tribute to Trayvon. I hate that it had to be under these circumstances that I found out I was truly gifted in music, but this is one of the first songs I’ve ever wrote and I never stopped from here.
Kiandre, 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?
My name is Kiandre Aka Kijaay. I am 22 years old, from a small town called Fredrick, Maryland. I got into the craft of music by just falling in love with it at such a young age. I would write all of my feelings. Study older artist that were an inspiration to me, and then I created my own sound. I perform on stage and record songs in the studio. I make music that people can relate to. I make music that can turn someone’s day around. What sets myself apart from other artist that I’m not Afraid to sit with my emotions even on a song. A lot of rap artists don’t bring their emotions into a song too often anymore, but I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. I am most proud of my Album that released February 2021, titled “HIM”. It is on all streaming platforms. I want people to know that It’s okay to be themselves no matter what, and that’s what I do in this music industry.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As a music artist that identifies as a transman, things can get rough pretty quickly. It requires a lot of resilience because you have to put yourself out there for the world to see. You have to be vulnerable and the world is a judge mental place. I’ve had people not want to work with me because I’m transgender. People have said the rudest things to me on social media. However, I will never stop being myself. My craft means everything to me, and I create it walking in my true self every day of my life.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of music is looking out into a crowd where your music is playing and see people smiling, dancing, and just vibing to something you created. Also, I get a chance to tell my story through my music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kijaay/my-body
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialkijaay?r=nametag
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCIqkR2PE-rHTn0ta_04llGQ