KAE EM
REPRESENTS returns with the ’94 Mozambican musician, Kevin Emanel Marrengule commonly known as Kae Em who is part of the music group VAM (Valuable African Musicians) that currently resides in Pretoria, South Africa. Listening to the variety that held his parents’ playlist, amongst them Andrea Buccelli, Roxette, Celine Dion, Macy Gray, at a young age established his life-long passion for music. Kevin still remembers his first hip hop album by Ma$e that was given to him by his mother. The vast exposure then targeted his sole love for hip hop at the age of 6.
He had a distinct ear for the infused instruments in the composition of a song at an early stage, post-discovery of the same he decided to join the Uplands’ choir, the boarding school he attended back then in Nelspruit, South Africa. He returned to his homeland at the age of 10 when he then met Emblazon who introduced him to the artistry he is now known for. Both standing in the common ground of liking of recording rap songs and making beats – basically making music, Kevin learned from him how to work the famous production software, FL (Fruity Loops) Studio. Together with his friend and rapper HTD, in 2007, a few songs were made and released online but that had a short life span as the duo broke into individual careers to build.
The following year from the partition, Kevin focused in the development of his production making use of Youtube to watch studio videos of his favourite musicians and tutorials and in that absorption loads of beats was piled daily. Again moving but within the borders of Mozambique to Matola he then met Brand New, a group composed by his friends: Er Kay, Hussla (Beat Service), Fillas and Sinall, with whom he worked with too. Late 2011, Er Kay showed the Sameblood artist, Lay Low, his beats. Lay Low identified potential within him and had him working with various in-house artists at Sameblood apart from the external artists he managed to work with at the time. Kae Em tells REPRESENT of the favourable outcome that was his participation as producer and artist in Lay Low’s mixtape Intelligent Ignorance, of buzz on social networks, in 2012.
Moving to Pretoria in 2013 brought the rippling of Kae Em’s productions reaching local artists such as Da L.E.S, Khuli Chana and others. In-studio sizzles Kae Em’s first album still shifting through different sonic forms to be served with many videos and singles in 2015.
Get to know Kae Em
REPRESENT insightfully shares quoted from the inspiring visionary’s words.
Source of talent: ‘‘God. He placed me on earth for a purpose and a mission.’’
Achievements: ‘‘I’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of artists I admire and I was nominated for both, Pretoria Music Awards and South African Music Awards. ’’
Inspiration(s): ‘‘A lot of things inspire me from family, friends, situations, emotions, movies, books, music and the list could go on. ’’
Difficulties in your area: ‘‘Lack of support from family and friends regarding me following the artistry career path and lack of appreciation for art being it in Moz[ambique] and Africa in general. Most people take it for a hobby, while people on the inside can visualize themselves living off it. ’’
Hobby/Work: ‘‘It all started as a hobby and now it’s more than a hobby due to the fact that my vision is clear and I can picture myself doing this for the rest of my life, it will always feel amusing and new to me. ’’
Plans for the future: ‘‘I plan on releasing my first body of work this year called Home Alone, perfecting the other side of my craft like: business, visuals, live performance, marketing and communication. Either than that I plan on achieving what is yet to be claimed, motivating generations through this form of expression, taking advantage of the benefits that technology offers us in the new age, chasing knowledge constantly and learning from mistakes. ’’
Do you want to be seen as a rapper/producer?: ‘‘I want to be seen as both, if not, then I want to be seen as more than that, as time goes by I’ll become interested in other paths and occupations in which can be placed next to my name. ’’
Any last words: ‘‘I pray REPRESENT keeps on rocking and exposing the value in art. ’’
Reach out for Kae Em through the following:
Twitter: @kevinemanel Instagram: @kevinemanel Soundcloud: kae94 E-mail: [email protected] and/or Twitter: @producedbyvam