When many artists are feeling the pressure to confirm to a popular style in order to make it, 29 year old Kevin Lipsey has set out on his own path with his eye on the prize. A native of Canton, Mississippi he now lives in California and is getting major attention for his new single "Mississippi Po Boy". Being a student of the business, Lipsey is dedicated to perfecting his craft yet remaining true to himself, knowing that keeping his eyes on the prize will guarantee him the success he wants.
Lipsey is a proud supporter of the 25-state "Hiphop and Books" initiative that kicked off in April 2008 with the purpose of encouraging reading and the importance of staying in school. Look for him to join the project when it makes stops in Arizona and California in July 2008.
In this interview he talks about how his love for music began as well as why he takes nothing for granted when it comes to his career.
Click here What started you in the path towards the entertainment industry? My uncle use to work with the Canton Spirituals, and occassionally he would let me in on the studio sessions. I was only about 5, but that's when the bug bit me. I ran with it. When I was 13 I hooked up with my friend's big brother Gino. Gino was working with Ghetto Boys and some other artists. He had a home studio before it became popular. So he gave me my first lessons on the equipment.
Have you been surprised at how quickly your single "Mississippi Po Boy"
has taken off, resonating with so many people? Yes... It is a surprise. Not so much surprised about how it is taking off but how fast it is taking off. The song was released as a mother's day dedication. And it connected far past Mother's Day. I have been getting messages from a variety of people who have connected with the song emotionally. It's a real life song that many people can relate to.
For many artists success is defined by radio play or being on television.
What is success for K. Lipsey? I've had previous radio play and in 2006 I made my BET debut as a video director, which I also played the role of one of the characters in the gospel music video "You Held On Even When I Let Go" by Eddie Ruth Bradford. Even after that I didn't feel like I had achieved my goals. In 2002, I walked away from a career as an Electrical Power Engineer to start my musical journey. So my standards are extremely high. My success will be measured by the leverage I create as a company. The leverage that will give me the clout and finances to give other creative artists an outlet. So to accomplish that goal, I must first take care of some of the objectives like: how many lives we inspire, how many units we sale, and making sure we stay true to a quality brand of music and entertainment that will stand the test of time. It doesn't happen over night so, I'm in it for the long haul.
Being from Mississippi do you think the state gets a bad rap when it
comes to its reputation? Most definitely... Even with my life experience and college education, I find myself having to go above and beyond to prove my points. I even had people tell me that they thought I couldn't handle big city marketing repsonsibilities. It threw me for a loop for a minute. It's not my personality, but sometimes I have to get ugly to get my point across, even after I have proven myself.
What about musicially? We have produced some of the most talked about
artists, from Leontyne Price, B. B. King and David Banner. Do you find
that the love is there for these accomplishments the way you want it to
be? I like them all... I been a supporter of David Banner since the beginning simply because he was reppin the Sipp. Now looking at my situation, I feel I'm getting similar support. We just want to see someone from Mississippi make their mark in today's culture. So I can't complain. I say "Thank you" as often as I can. THANK YOU.
I contacted you after hearing your song in rotation on a Mississippi
station about the Hiphop & Books project. As you know, it's mission is to
encourage reading among lovers of the hiphop community. You have taken up
the charge of joining our cause of encouraging reading and the importance
of staying in school. Why do you think these are important, especially
for our young people? First of all we have to realize that the entertainment industry is still a business industry like any other industry. A sound education will give you a foundation when an opportunity presents itself. Investors feel more comfortable knowing that you have some sense of direction for you or your company. To stay up on the trends of the industry I'm constantly reading. I read the Billboard and other industry publications on a daily basis. It helps me be a better marketing professional within the industry. I always encourage people who want to be in this industry to learn the business. That comes from picking up books that explain the diffent components of the industry and when you're done with that one, find another one. If you don't understand a subject matter, do research on that subject until you have enough information to make you comfortable.
Kevin, after such a hot debut I know you have alot of events planned to
promote your music. Where can we go online to find out more about you and
the work you are doing? I'm online at Click hereand Click here
Thank you for your time. What would you like to say to your fans and
those who might be just learning about you through this interview? Thank you for your support. This one is for the HOME TEAM. So let's push forward together.
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