Interview: Mykii J Discusses His Visual For the Remix to "And That's It!", Featuring The Kelly
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“I could not be more proud of myself for proving that I am capable and talented enough to create industry-level music without the backing of a corporate giant.”
Congratulations on the release of the remix to "And That's It!", which features your sister The Kelly; describe for us your creative process for the original version and why you decided to record a remix.
Thank you so much. I've always known I wanted to do a song using the title “And That’s It!”, especially since it is my official catchphrase. I started using the phrase at the beginning of all my freestyles to engage the audience.
I don’t know why, but I knew that I wanted a dark, low-slung beat, and that I wanted it to be a fly and flashy, braggadocious record.
I crafted the melody and lyrics for the hook first, then built the rest of the song around that. After recording it, my sister heard it and immediately said it was her favorite record on the album, so it was only fitting to have her on the official remix to the song.
I have always loved female rap and the excitement that female emcees bring to hip-hop records. When considering a female artist to feature on the remix, I figured, who better than my own sister, The Kelly? She’s so fire.
The music video for the remix is incredible; tell us about how you and the director, Mariah Carroll, came up with its treatment. Also, how long did it take to shoot the visual?
Thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it! My sister, The Kelly, and I developed the concept for the video together. She also directed, and starred in the music video (talk about “I'm Every Woman” ... sheesh!).
I typically provide my sister with a general idea for my videos and scout locations while she develops the treatment. I told her I wanted the music video to reflect the vibe of the song. I wanted to create an atmosphere that screamed dark, edgy-fashion. That was the inspiration behind music video.
It was a 10-hour shoot that required more than 20 hours of editing to complete.
The original version appears on your debut album “Music 4 Mutants, Vol. 1”; what are you most proud of with this project, and is "Vol. 2" currently in development?
Yes, the original version of the song is included on my debut album “Music 4 Mutants, Vol. 1.” What I am most proud of with this project is that I did it by myself (meaning without a label or writing team). From writing, recording, designing, distributing, marketing, co-producing, and assembling the right engineering team, all of it was done by me.
I could not be more proud of myself for proving that I am capable and talented enough to create industry-level music without the backing of a corporate giant.
There eventually will be a Vol. 2; however, I can’t promise that it will immediately follow "Music 4 Mutants, Vol. 1." I never like feeling forced to write and create projects based on a specific topic or theme. I like it when ideas come to me organically without them feeling forced or contrived.
As far as the next album goes, I’ll have to see what direction the universe takes me in while writing.
What is it like working on the creation of new music with The Kelly and when did you both discover that you were musically gifted?
Developing new music with The Kelly was so much fun. My sister and I share the same sense of humor, so we're always in the studio cracking jokes between takes (and sometimes during takes), which I’m sure drives my engineer crazy, but it’s that kind of energy that keeps music and our relationship light, loose, and fun.
We each discovered we could rap just a couple of years ago. I’ve been singing in school choirs since middle school and writing/publishing poetry since 2018. My sister has been acting and directing her entire life, so the entertainment industry has always been something we've been interested in.
I think both of us being HUGE Nicki Minaj fans is what eventually inspired us to try our hand at rap. This is the 2nd song we’ve done together, and the reception from the public has been wild. Hopefully, we can make more music together in the future … that would be dope!
With the remix clip now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of this year?
Well, I am currently in nursing school full-time, so my goal is to finish up my final year of the program. However, I plan to continue promoting my previously released music while writing/recording new music for my next project.
Again, I have no specific timeline for when I plan to release my sophomore album. What is more, I have neither a theme nor a solid direction I would like to take my next project. I’m just letting the universe bring me more wonderfully organic ideas and taking it from there. I can’t wait to see what the future brings!
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