Interview: 209 Central Valley, CA Based Rapper Kiilanda Discusses Her Newly Released Debut EP "31"

We connected with 209 Central Valley, California based rapper Kiilanda for an exclusive interview to talk about her newly released debut EP “31”. We also got a chance to learn more about Kiilanda’s creative process for the EP’s development, whether we can expect any visuals for the EP’s songs, and what her musical goals are for 2020.

After you read our Q&A with Kiilanda, be sure to connect with her on her website and social media, listen to the “31” EP and stream it on Spotify.

Where in California are you based and how would you say that the area and your life experiences are reflected in the music that you create?

Well, I’m originally from San Diego, however I’ve lived in the 209 Central Valley near Stockton, California for about 17 years. Being born in Southern California and growing up on West/East Coast hip-hop has had a major influence on my music. However, the town/area that I live in is a true family, farm, and blue-collar town, so not much really goes on out here. Everyone kinda goes with the flow of work, school, and sleep. There’s no real excitement or nightlife for people my age so I just used my life and my peers as examples in my music and mix that with my SoCal roots.

Salute to you on the release of your debut EP "31". Tell us about your creative process for the project. Were there certain themes or a sound you had in mind during its development?

To be honest, this project was really spur of the moment. My birthday was coming up (Oct 23rd) and because I was turning 31 and hadn’t put out an album since 2011, I wanted to name the project 31 in correlation to my age and my past life experiences. We are all human who go through shit and with this project being a true introduction to who Kiilanda is, I want people to know that it’s ok to be themselves, to love themselves and have fun while doing it.

Finish this sentence -- "When someone listens to "31" for the first time, they will ..."

Enjoy a great story, vibe out, and truly have fun while listening to it. The songs are hella vibey and relatable and my delivery on the project is very out of the ordinary. I’m not your average female rapper so to have that ambiguity in my music and personality is always cool.

You've got one featured artist on the "31" EP, DempseyRollBoy, on "Mid-Life Crisis". How did you two connect and what inspired you to write this track?

My producer, Musicality Productions, is actually friends with DempseyRollBoy and I just asked him if he wanted to hop on the track. As far as my inspiration behind writing “MLC”, I wanted to create a piece that people who are between the ages of 25-35, that live the everyday struggle of trying to be a responsible adult who works a 9-5, has kids, but also want to pursue their dreams and goals. It’s harder to be an adult now than it was 20 years ago, so I wanted to be a voice for that group and millions of millennials who struggle just to live.

Can we expect any visuals for the tracks on the EP? If so, which one(s)?

Yes! I’m actually excited because I’m actually in the midst of planning to shoot my first ever music video to “Mid-Life Crisis” this month, so that should be cool. I also have plans to a shoot video to “Decisions” and possibly “31” or “Forbidden Fruit”.

With 2019 winding down, what are some of your goals musically for 2020?

Some of my goals are to grow my fan base more, continue to get bigger shows, work with more talented artists, and to put out at least 3-5 more projects. It really humbles me when people show me love and just to hear that my music is positively affecting my listeners is an amazing feeling. I just want people to feel me. I want to be at a point next year where I don’t have to worry about filling out another job application, but rather a label deal of some sort. Can’t wait to look back at this interview and check these goals off my list.

Stream and Share “31” on Spotify

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