Koz.Me, Music’s New Renaissance Artist, Proves He’s ‘Far From Average’
New York-Based Cape Verdean Singer/Rapper/Producer Drops Hot New Hit Single And Video
Q: Please introduce yourself to the readers and how you first got into this field of work and who were some of your influences growing up?
Koz.Me: “I got into music when I was 16. I moved to a different island and there I connected with a group of guys. We created a hip-hop crew. We started to perform at local festivals. Not long after, we split up. I wanted to do more than hip hop. I took a break from performing music and went to work as a radio DJ. Once I had developed the style of music I wanted to create, I started recording songs again. The first song I dropped as a solo artist became a №1 local hit in 2014. I was called ‘Koza Sab.’”
“I used to listen to a lot of G Unit rappers. I listened to a lot of 2Pac, Eminem, and Papoose. I also listened to a lot of American pop artists like Usher, Chris Brown, and Cape Verdean artists in general.”
Q: What kind of training have you had, if any?
Koz.Me: “I have taken singing workshops with a program by Boston’s Berklee College of Music conducted in Cape Verde. I also worked with a vocal coach. When I moved to NYC, I attended SAE to learn audio technology and became a certified audio engineer and producer. I have also taken a lot of online music courses and self-research. As a musician, I can record, mix, master, produce, and make beats.”
“I also studied hip-hop dance at Alvin Ailey Dance Studios and today I choreograph my videos.”
Q: What has been your favourite project to work on so far?
Koz.Me: “I don’t have a favorite project. I just love music in general. Everything I do is a favorite. Every time I do a new song, it’s my favorite song. What matters the most to me is that I am growing and doing something different. Some songs come from different places and mean something different to me, but I love them all equally.”
Q: What sports do you enjoy watching?
Koz.Me: “I am a Cape Verdean and in Cape Verde our favorite sports is soccer but I also like boxing, basketball, and I like watching people doing calisthenics.”
Q: What has been one of the biggest highlights/achievements of your career?
Koz.Me: “I have been having highlights since the beginning of my career. I had a №1 hit in my country on my first single. I performed in major music festivals nationwide in my country. Then in 2021, I released my first single in the U.S. and it made the Top 200 global charts.”
Q: If you had a chance to work alongside anybody who would that be?
Koz.Me: “Drake. I think everyone wants to work with Drake. But for me, it’s just for the music. I would like to see him in the studio, see him on the mic, and how he works.”
Q: What projects do you have coming up?
Koz.Me: “So far this year I have released two singles — “Far From Average” and “Bling Bling.” I have another one coming soon, and I will keep releasing new songs. Right now, I am not thinking of a compilation project, but maybe before the end of the year I will release a. hip-hop and R&B collection of music.”
Q: Who is your inspiration?
Koz.Me: “Myself. I am inspired by my life — from where I come, working from the bottom to get to where I want to go. Music, for me, is the way I chose to get there. I put myself into my music 100 percent.”
Q: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week?
Koz.Me: “The other day I was in the subway and saw the most amazing hip-hop dance performance.”
Q: What are your favourite venues to perform in?
Koz.Me: “I love to perform at festivals because they usually have a lot of people and are high-energy events. I also like clubs — a lot of the music I do is for the club, so I like to feel my music when people are enjoying it in a club.”
Q: Social Profiles:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ell_cosme/?...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Gsk4Tr4oH34VAmfgVzGdI?si=q6NLsqYSTmi_koynMl9vdw
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/koz-me/1551227121
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/eder-cosme/tracks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellcosmemusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ell_Cosme
YouTube:
Q: How did you come up with the idea for your Music video?
Koz.Me: “It’s organic. Of course, I brainstorm looking for ideas until I find the vision I want to follow. In the video for ‘Far From Average’ I wanted to be simple and to introduce myself to the scene as the elevated artist I am right now. I did about a month of rehearsal because I came up with my own choreography and the rest is what you see. Hit #1.”
Q: Do you have any advice for young music makers like yourself?
Koz.Me: “Don’t procrastinate; use the time you have to your advantage. Don’t think, ‘Oh, I’m young. I still have time.’ You have to do it right now; you have to put the work in. Dedicate all you got for music. Music is alive, you gotta keep feeding it otherwise you won’t see the evolution. You have to stay consistent.”
Q: Who were the biggest inspirations for your career?
Koz.Me: “Guys like Jay Z, 50 Cent who started from literally zero. Kanye West, a kid from around the corner. Just the fact that whatever they went through in life they built themselves up.”
