Kendrick P is a busy guy – between getting his music featured on BET and MTV to releasing his first album to advocating for gun safety, we managed to get him to slow down long enough to answer five questions for We Are Memphis Music.
Tell us about your album WYAF – how long have you been working on these songs?
It took me about a year to write all the songs and put the project together properly. W.Y.A.F. is an acronym for What You Ask For. It came from me wanting to give the people who have been listening to me for years what they had asked of me musically. My first project was geared mainly toward the ladies. A lot of people liked that sexual, sensual sound I had and they wanted me to get back to that. They wanted music they could vibe to when sitting at home with their man or woman. My songs “W.Y.A.F.,” “Those Jeans,” “Fallen,” “Vibe Slow” and others have received a lot of love so I’m glad I listened to my fans. But I threw a few songs in there for the fellas, too, that I’ve gotten good reviews on as well.
What does it feel like to see your music featured on BET and MTV?
It feels crazy mane….almost surreal. It’s an amazing accomplishment. To see myself on TV shows that I must be doing something right. I’m extremely grateful, and I use this as motivation to keep working hard to reach the highest level I can in the industry. I want to elevate to the point where when people think of artists from Memphis my name comes to mind.
You’re an advocate for gun safety – when you talk to young people about this, what do you want them to know?
I want young people to understand the power of a gun and how quickly the misusage of them could result in horrible consequences that cannot be fixed. They can cause real damage, and it’s important to make smart decisions when it comes to using them or even having them around you. I had a good friend die because of playing with guns. I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.
What does it mean to you to be part of Memphis hip hop community?
It means everything to be accepted for my sound in my city. Memphis isn’t an easy city to please musically. We have great artists from here and living here so we know what good music sounds like. If Memphis co-signs on your talent then you know you’ve got real talent.
You’ve had your music on national music networks and hit millions of streams – you’ve accomplished so much already! What should we expect from you this year and what are you working on now?
This is only the beginning, and you can expect to see bigger things from me. I just released my single, “Where the Love At” and I did my first animated video to promote it. I’m looking forward to venues opening back up so I can travel and perform. In the meantime, I’m doing media interviews to let people know about me and my music. I’ll connect with people the best way I can until we can see one another face to face. I’ve also been in the studio creating more music and more content for the fans to enjoy. We’re deciding how and when we’re going to release it now. I’m excited and motivated and always on my grind. Expect to see a lot of Kendrick P.
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