We recently connected with King I Divine and have shared our conversation below.

King I, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve been musically inclined all my life, but i first started learning how to produce music in 2006 using Garage band on my room mates computer. I also attended Berklee College of Music (Online) receiving a maters certificate in Music production.

I think having basic understanding of music theory goes a long way into helping you become a better producer.

When i was younger my parents got me into piano lessons but i didn’t take them seriously. I had an ear for music so i practiced more playing by ear than actually reading music . Reading music is one skill that i wish i had under my belt

One of the obstacles that kept me from learning more was not being able to dedicate more time. I would actually practice making beats while on the job.. I was dedicated to working on music as much as i possibly could.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My Name Is King I Divine and I’m a producer from Queens, NY. I’ve been producing music for about 20 years now. I’ve always had a love for music and was musically inclined since a kid. In the 2000’s a lot of Hip Hop producers I admired became more accessible via internet. YouTube was really booming at that time and I decided to upload a video of myself making a beat on my MPC 1000. One video turned into scores of videos and over a million views. That’s where I’d say King I Divine the producer was born. Over the years I’ve performed over seas, gone on to work with accomplished, notable artists/engineers, some with Grammies and other awards- but I’m forever grateful for my humble YouTube beginnings.

I have an appreciation for all types of music. So, although I’m known primarily for Hip Hop, I like to incorporate different sounds into my beats and experiment with making different styles of music. I’m versatile while still staying true to my essence. At the end of the day, anything I make still sounds like King I Divine.

I’m always told that the main feature that stands about about my production is the drums. Percussion is the bedrock of most beats, especially in Hip Hop, so drums that slap are a must, in my book!

One of my proudest accomplishments is my work with ScienZe and our Divine ScienZe series. As a producer it was important for me to find a dope artist and make meaningful music that our peers would enjoy. Fully producing 3 complete projects and having one on vinyl is definitely a dream come true and a huge personal accomplishment. I would like for anyone who listens to my music to know that it came from my soul and my love for production.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

One mission thats been driving my creative journey is to be inspiring. Creating beat videos and sharing the process of how i produce has been a great way for me to inspire and engage with other creatives. What’s crazy about inspiration is how cyclical it is. The same folks I inspire inspire me, so it’s a beautiful give and take.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I started making beat videos back in 2008 I wasn’t really sure of what to do. I was just really excited to share my beat making process with whoever would watch. I’ve learned over time that with anything one of the keys to success is consistency. I made sure to put out quality content on a consistent basis and I saw the views and followers grow. Being true to who you are and not chasing numbers is also important .Staying consistent and doing it for the love is good place to start growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kingidivine.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingidivine
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kingidivine
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kingidivine
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/kingidivine
• Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/kingidivine

Image Credits

7 Photos by BLCTXT
1 Photo by Sokai Yoon