Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
Kera Jo's heart beats Hip Hop. Rapping since age 12, she was one of the only females writing rhymes in her notebook, influenced by Nas, Rakim and KRS. She began her singing in church. She did collabs for mixtapes while dancing on tour for reggae artists Super Kat and Mikey Jarrett. She has appeared in independent films, and on the television show "Cultural Xpressions", as well as television's" Law & Order". She competed at the World Famous Apollo theater Amateur Night Showcase in 2010 for her spoken word and won 2011 Artist of the Year for the DJ Cisco Radio Show. She's currently completing her first album "The Gem" a mixture of R&B, Hip Hop and Spoken Word. Her music is available on iTunes.
What's up Kera, can you introduce yourself?
Kera Jo - female lyricist, using a song, a poem or a rap for artistic expression.
Where in the Carolinas are you located?
I live in Fuquay Varina but I mainly rock out in Raleigh.
How would you describe your style?
I'm versatile with many styles. When I sing, I like to rock Neo-Soul or R&B but I will hop on a Rock song in a minute. I rap with a commitment to some type of wordplay and meaning, I have Old School, Dubstep and commercial songs. My spoken word is Rap with an inconsistent flow.
Who or what would you say are your main influences?
My main influences center around the theme of giving a voice to the voiceless, the story of the oppressed amplified by a microphone - like "Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge" or Nas "One Mic". Those songs influence me to make my songs say something to speak of our struggle, our joy, our victory over rhythms of bass and strings.
What was your first song that you dropped?
My first Rap song was a collab with a rapper named Kai and it was called "Kera-Kai". The first song that actually dropped was "Every Other Love", talking about my dude and how every other love played him but I didn't.
How many songs do you have completed?
I have completed countless songs over the years but for my new project, my album "The Gem" I have eight songs completed.
What is your favorite group?
Favorite hip hop group is a toss up between Public Enemy and Wu-Tang for different reasons.
Who would you like to work with?
My ultimate dream of all dreams collab would be Nas. OMG, that would be just too ill!
What was your greatest accomplishment?
Umm, that is tough. I have to say raising my children is my greatest accomplishment but musically, I won a spot to compete on the Apollo, that was what's up.
What do you like to do when you're not recording?
I like performing and interacting with other artists who understand the grind, the struggle of the independent artists and those who share the love for music.
What do you think about the current state of Hip Hop?
I think that Hip Hop is always progressing. I don't believe it is dead, I think it is a matter of where you look for it. If you only listen to mainstream music, then yeah it is either dead or on life support but if you listen to underground music, dope artists in your own city and independent music on internet radio (like IllMuzik), YouTube, Reverbnation etc., you will see Hip Hop alive and thriving.
Will you be touring in the future?
We are in the process of planning a united tour with a few other artists, hopefully that will pop off as soon as possible, as early as the summer 2012.
Any Shout outs?
Definitely wanna shout out my engineer Tucker the Remedy, Diverse City, City Live Studios, Big Tyme TV, DJ Cisco Radio Show, R&B Addiction at Pitt Bar & Lounge, HHDG fam, Filthy Finesse and so many Raleigh artists.
