aK Conversations: A Kid Named Breezy
aK Conversations engages artists in intimate dialogue about their craft from early inspiration to future aspirations. In this edition the KIDZ catch up with up and coming rapper A Kid Named Breezy.
Born and raised in the DMV area Bradley Hunt, points to his father, a self made entrepreneur, as the catalyst for most of his musical passion. At age 11 Breezy discovered his gift for writing poetry and by 15 he began writing songs.
A student at Montgomery college, Breezy, already has the world at his feet. His accomplishments as a basketball player attracted some of the top schools in the country and the founder of Suave House Records, Tony Draper, has signed on to manage his music career.
Breezy counts artists like Tupac, Nas, and A Tribe Called Quest as major influences and currently has a mixtape out called Snapback With a Life Full: The Tape. He’s also working on his debut album which is slated to feature heavyweights like Pusha T and Rick Ross.
aK: When did you fall in love with hip-hop?
Breezy: Ever since I was a kid. Like, me and my pops would always listen to old hip hop in the car and it was kind of like our way of bonding. Hip Hop kind of created that aspect of togetherness and community and it kind of just built over time.
aK: So your father is very supportive?
Breezy: All my projects he’s behind the scenes. He’s a part of everything I’m doing.
aK: You lost your mother to drunk driving when you were very young. How did that tragic experience affect your music?
Breezy: I think it brings a lot of emotion into my music. I wasn’t really raised by a woman so I feel like I can express those emotions because they have been hidden for so long.
aK: It’s interesting that you weren’t raised by a woman when, largely in hip hop, there’s a focus on absentee fathers. Do you think your upbringing has shaped your voice in hip hop?
Breezy: I think it gives it a different light because there’s a lot of people who talk about how it was to grow up and to not have a father or to have a single mother and watch her struggle to raise however many children, you know. I think growing up with a single father gives it a different aspect because a lot of people don’t know what it’s like to grow up with just a father. So I think me explaining those hardships and my community with my father in my music is just something that’s different.
aK: So what was life like living in AVA, Alexandria Virginia?
Breezy: Man, I love Alexandria! I wish I never moved man. All my friends are over there. We played basketball everyday. We always used to go to this carry-out called Blue and White’s. It was like everybody that I knew would always go to the same place all the time whether it be community basketball leagues or anything, man. It’s just a great, great city. I feel like it’s on the come up too with me, Black Cobain. Even though it’s a small city.
aK: Let’s talk about collaborations, you had Pusha T on your tape too. How did that come about?
Breezy: Well, my manager is Tony Draper and Tony Draper was the Clipse’s manager, so they have a great relationship with Push and he came to my birthday party—him and Malice and they performed at my birthday party. Then later on we collectively made some dope music so…
ak: How did you amass a fanbase with only one mixtape, Snapback With a Life Full?
Breezy: Well, I’ve been doing stuff around the area and people know I go to New York or LA so they’ve been seeing me around making music and have wanted to come along and be a part of what I’m doing.
ak: The mixtape is called Snapback With a Life Full and you call your fans “Lifers.” Where did that term, those terms come from?
Breezy: Well, of course you know, we’re in the era of snapbacks and old hip hop coming back and I really wanted to give people a portion of my life through my music which is the metaphor for the snapback. I put my life in the snapback, otherwise known as the tape, and just shed light on what I go through, or what I think is dope or just hip hop. And Lifers is just… People have fans but I have “Lifers.” I think people that listen to my music have a great aspect on life because I talk about so many topics and people can relate to so many things I talk about.
aK: Your name A Kid Named Breezy, where did that come from?
Breezy: Well growing up all my boys called me Breezy, but then you know the whole Chris Brown thing so I had to change it up a little bit. My favorite hip hop group is A Tribe Called Quest and I wanted to give my name a sort of feel like that.
aK: Finally, is there anything you want to add that we left out? Any songs on the tape you want people to pay attention to?
Breezy: Yea, all I’m gonna say is “Whoa There”. The record called “Whoa There” because there’s something big about to happen to that record…. Give it a month and it’ll probably be reposted with something new on it.
As Told to The Doc and DECEMBER
Bonus Feature: aK’s own DECEMBER challenges Breezy to an impromptu freestyle
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