00:00
DJ Beowvlf
This is DJ Beowulf with WKNC. I am in the HD-2 production studio, currently sitting down with Callisto Records to talk about King Gino performing at double barrel benefit 17 this upcoming February. We're going to get into everything the that the project does together and specifically how they formed and their history in a little bit. If y' all want to go down the line and introduce yourselves, that would be fantastic. Say who you are and what you do in regards to the whole project.
00:29
PM
My name is PM. I'm a producer, I'm an artist and I'm also an audio engineer for Callisto Records.
00:36
King Gino
I am Gino, also known as King Gino. I'm an artist, the CEO of Callisto Records and yeah, microbiology major here at NC State.
00:46
DJ Beowvlf
Too tight.
00:47
King Gino
Yeah.
00:48
Rasheed
I am Rasheed Divasco. I am the photographer and videographer. I do a lot of the image related stuff, graphic design, visual arts, something that I love to do. I just came across and I'm a plant bio major here at NC State.
01:00
DJ Beowvlf
Nice.
01:01
Astronate
How's it going, y'?
01:02
King Gino
All?
01:02
Astronate
So my name is Astronate. I'm a producer. I'm down. Got you.
01:06
Rasheed
Yeah.
01:08
Astronate
Appreciate that.
01:08
DJ Beowvlf
Just make things easy for yourself.
01:09
Astronate
Yeah, I appreciate that. You know, so I'm a producer. I'm also the DJ and I do a little bit of directing music videos every now and then. I'm an aerospace engineering student. So that's where the Astro came from.
01:21
DJ Beowvlf
That's crazy.
01:22
King Gino
Yeah, this man's out of this world.
01:23
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah, you're all studying like hard science, which is insane. Like even audio engineering is like hard science.
01:30
PM
I don't study it. I'm actually in fashion and textile management. I just do audio engineering.
01:33
DJ Beowvlf
Okay. All right. Y' all will relate because I'm also a humanities. So it's fashion humanities.
01:38
PM
It's a.
01:38
Astronate
It's a.
01:39
King Gino
It's a science.
01:41
DJ Beowvlf
Hard sciences. I'm literally a social work major. So like, if y' all can do math, you're better than me from the get go. But anyways, getting back into the nitty gritty, you're all part of Callisto Records, which is why you introduced the different things that you work on in regards to this collective. But specifically for Double Barrel, we'll be promoting King Gino as an artist. So let's talk about that first and then we'll go back into the entire record company that y' all have. How long has King Gino been either your stage name or the project that you've been working on?
02:12
King Gino
Yeah. So King Gino came about. Well, you Know, it was like my gamertag on like PlayStation since I was like 11.
02:20
DJ Beowvlf
Did they recently update so you can finally change your gamer tag?
02:23
King Gino
Change is the best.
02:25
DJ Beowvlf
But it's King Gino forever, you know,
02:27
King Gino
Like, I was like, you know, it's a classic now, but like, I used to like, rap in high school. I didn't have like a stage name or anything. And so I used to just like, when like the teachers would assignments, like, you can make a song for this. I'm like, bet. And I'd make a rap. Everybody would be like, yo, Gino, rap for the next assignment. And so like became a thing. But I really didn't start releasing music under King Gino until freshman year. I ran into. I was rapping on YouTube.
02:51
DJ Beowvlf
And you're a senior now, right?
02:52
King Gino
Yeah, so. Yep, senior now. Almost out of here. Be out December 2020. Fingers crossed. You never know. And like freshman year, I found Nate and Norm, who's not here. Ayo, Norm, shout him out. And I was like, oh, people who finally make original beats. Like, I can actually put out music and like, you know, Moving on from.
03:14
DJ Beowvlf
YouTube, Beats is a step up.
03:16
King Gino
Oh yeah. Oh y. Oh, yeah. And so like, I'd say like, what was that? December 2016 was like the birth of King Gino and been dropping stuff, doing shows ever since.
03:27
DJ Beowvlf
So really weird. Small world. And this is gonna be. I don't know if I've ever told this to you before. Actually, December of 2017. I was a freshman at the time and I was at some like, house party or whatever. Yeah, yeah. It was on like Bearskin court.
03:47
King Gino
Oh, okay. I know what I'm talking about.
03:50
DJ Beowvlf
And I just remember the entire room was like, Gino's gonna rap or something. Yeah, yeah.
03:54
King Gino
Oh my God.
03:55
DJ Beowvlf
I had no idea what was going on. I just knew the guys who lived there at the time, but like, they were all doing their own thing and I was like a freshman, like twiddling my thumbs next to the fridge.
04:03
King Gino
Oh, man.
04:04
DJ Beowvlf
And I just remember, like, I saw you like perform for like 6 minutes total or something.
04:08
King Gino
Yeah. Oh, yeah. From new beginnings. Yeah, no, definitely like.
04:12
DJ Beowvlf
And that's like how I knew that you existed.
04:15
King Gino
Yeah. Oh, that's super cool. Shout out, my boy. Samir and Jay. I think that's their house.
04:20
DJ Beowvlf
That was their house. I think they still live there.
04:22
King Gino
Really?
04:23
DJ Beowvlf
I don't know. I was friends with the two. They lived with two white guys named Alex. They were both named Alex and I knew both of the Alex's. And then they like, they had Some fight or whatever. So now they don't live together. So every time I see Samir at Chipotle, I'm like, hello.
04:38
King Gino
Yeah, that's my guy. We used to work at Starbucks, actually. Yes, he did.
04:42
DJ Beowvlf
Jay worked there, too.
04:43
King Gino
Yeah, and I used to work at Starbucks freshman year. And so we. We all worked at Starbucks together. And he was like, yo, come out to the party. And like, you're gonna rap. You're gonna rap.
04:51
DJ Beowvlf
And I'm like, that's such a Jay move.
04:52
King Gino
Yeah, exactly. You know Jay.
04:53
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah, man.
04:54
King Gino
And so I was like, most definitely. And then so I was like, hey, Jay, I'm gonna rap. He's like, yeah, bet. And he gathers everybody from the party, like, Gino's about to rap. Gino's about to rap. And I'm like, oh, you know, and it was great.
05:05
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah, no, that was. They had a very small house. It was really crowded. I was anxious in the fridge. And I remember this drunk girl came up to me and grabbed my face, and she was like, you're so pretty. And I was like, please don't touch me. And then immediately after that, she stopped touching me. Because you started rapping. And she's like, gotta go watch this.
05:22
King Gino
Oh, man. That's super cool. Small world.
05:25
DJ Beowvlf
Small world. Chaotic night, small house. But you've definitely stepped up over the years from playing, like, random house shows. Talk a little bit more about the facilitated events that you've done. Like, actual King Gino shows.
05:39
King Gino
Yeah, man. It was super cool. So we definitely started out in house parties, and then we, you know, we just tried to get our shows. We had, like, a show promoter in Charlotte help us get a couple shows, couple cool opportunities, like, we opened up for Cassidy.
05:55
DJ Beowvlf
Nice.
05:55
King Gino
Was that last summer?
05:57
PM
Yeah, it was last summer.
05:58
King Gino
Yeah. August 2018.
05:58
DJ Beowvlf
And if y' all are ever, like, part of these productions or anything, feel free to hop in and, like, add some extra details.
06:03
King Gino
Yeah, and. And so, like, we, you know, we started, like, just performing for other shows, like, opening up for people. And then it got to a point where it was, like, All Star Weekend in Charlotte. And it was a great show. Stunned for Vegas was performing, and it was a great show. It was All Star Weekend in Charlotte. It was super cool, but we didn't really enjoy the way things were ran. It was very unorganized. So were like, you know, we're just gonna start throwing our own events. And so we started small with house parties, and they were wildly successful.
06:36
PM
Very, wildly, very successful.
06:39
King Gino
And so were like, oh, you know, like, it Became a thing. And we just kept growing our fan base. And so now we had. Our latest Callisto hosted event was downtown at Emerge last month.
06:51
DJ Beowvlf
Nice.
06:51
King Gino
Which was great. And so we just tried to build our fan base into bigger venues, which is why I'm super excited to be performing at Kings. I actually met the owners not too long ago at the Library. State of Sound.
07:03
DJ Beowvlf
Oh, the Library.
07:04
King Gino
Cool. And so we performed at the Library, connected with Jason Evans, Groth over there and DJ Alex Valencia and just a lot of cool people. It's like those small opportunities, like people like, oh, I've seen you at this. You wanna. And then we just keep getting invited to stuff.
07:20
DJ Beowvlf
It's like building that network. Yeah, yeah.
07:22
King Gino
And so it's been super cool. So I'd say one of our coolest shows is we had a show, it was a competition here in Raleigh for. At the 4:40 nightclub. Yeah, yeah. And it was like. It was like. I mean, it was so many artists performing that day. It was like, what, 35, 40 people. And it was like, whoever wins gets a trip to the grand prize show. And I was like, all right, okay. You know, it was like right across the street from State. So we, you know, we hit the ground running. We sold tickets, really hit a lot of groundwork, and we packed the venue and, you know, we won the show. And so the next show was in la, which was super cool. Cause like, I brought my mom out.
07:59
DJ Beowvlf
And you already went to la. Like, this has already happened.
08:02
King Gino
Yeah, yeah. This was this past August. Yeah, yep. The Labor Day weekend. This past Labor Day weekend. And it was awesome to like, see out there. And it was cool because everybody who won their show in their own city.
08:13
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah.
08:14
King Gino
Like, was there. And so I got to.
08:15
DJ Beowvlf
You won the Raleigh one?
08:16
King Gino
Yeah.
08:17
DJ Beowvlf
Cool.
08:17
King Gino
And so everybody was there, like, to network. It was super cool. So I hope to keep, like some of those connections in touch too. So.
08:24
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah. And I know that WKNC as a whole is super stoked. We love being able to, like, catch artists, like, in their prime right before they blow up.
08:31
King Gino
Yeah.
08:32
DJ Beowvlf
Like, for example, a couple of years back, Mez, who is once upon a time King Mez, played Double Barrel Benefit, I think in like 2011 or 2012. And now he just played Dreamville and stuff. And we got to interview him again. And it was like, crazy to see that blow up. So we've got a really stoked line or stacked lineup this year that we're super stoked on. I totally switched that. Night one is the night you're performing, which Is like our hip hop alternative lineup that we've got going on featuring y',all, Pat Junior And DOTWAV Media. It'll be opened by Vacant Company. But this. They're more like punk than rap or anything like that. For the other two acts, have you had any experience with them or collaborated at all in the past?
09:12
King Gino
Oh, yeah, most definitely. Like DOTWAV, we've known a lot of these guys since just freshman year. Freshman year. Yeah.
09:22
PM
I remember we had constellations, and I think a few of them came out to that.
09:25
King Gino
Yeah. So we hosted this event last year in the Entrepreneur's Village, where we rented out an apartment, where at Innovation Hall. We plan to host it in the New Entrepreneurs Garage, which is exciting. So we want to do annual event where, almost like Revenge of the Dreamers, where we send an invite to, like, different artists. And we're really about, like, fostering that music community. I think, like, one thing we all feel strongly about is the. You know, the tide raised all the boats, you know what I mean? And if we could, like, lift the community up, we only ultimately lift ourselves and everybody else up. And so we sent the invite to everybody, and everybody on Wave got an invite. And so, yeah, some of them showed up. We see them at events.
10:10
King Gino
And Pat Junior. Actually, somebody put me onto Pat Junior about a couple months ago.
10:16
DJ Beowvlf
He's up and coming too.
10:16
King Gino
It's really cool.
10:17
PM
Yeah.
10:17
King Gino
New York City trip, and I was with Henry Boyd, and I was on that trip with him, and me and Henry hit it off. Super cool dude.
10:25
DJ Beowvlf
And then, yeah, he was so adamant. He was like, we are booking King Gino. It's going to happen. I was like, okay, sweet.
10:31
King Gino
Yeah. Shout out the man.
10:32
DJ Beowvlf
I know that name. Yeah.
10:33
King Gino
Yeah, he's awesome. And one of his friends, Drew Martin, who I think he works for Ad Hoc out in New York. He put me on. He was like, dude, you gotta check out Pat Jr. And Drew's. Drew's music knowledge in North Carolina was crazy.
10:45
DJ Beowvlf
It is crazy. I mean, he's, like, based in New York, but has such strong ties to North Carolina. Ad Hoc in particular, like, works really closely with Kings and does, like, all of their presents gigs. So, yeah, he's. He's got a footing for sure.
10:59
King Gino
Yeah. So he put me on to Pat Jr. I was like, oh, this dude's dope. So I went. Followed him on Instagram and just went back and forth. So I definitely look forward to collaborating with a lot of these local artists. There's so much talent just in Like Raleigh alone. And then, you know, you got Durham. There's so much talent in Durham. And then.
11:15
DJ Beowvlf
And you mentioned Charlotte like a million times. Last year we had Young Bull from Durham come out. They're tight.
11:20
King Gino
Yep, yep. Young Bull. We met Young Bull.
11:24
Astronate
When Track Girl came.
11:25
King Gino
Yeah, Track Girl came to speak at NC State.
11:28
DJ Beowvlf
Yes, I remember seeing that at the library.
11:30
King Gino
And so we got to speak with her, show her, showed us an unreleased beat. I was like, yo, were like super geeking out. And then Young Bull was there, so we got to network with him and.
11:39
DJ Beowvlf
They did a lounge session here with us after Double Barrel. Yeah. Super cool, guys.
11:43
King Gino
Super cool. Yeah, yeah.
11:47
DJ Beowvlf
Tangential question possibly. It has been a common trope as far as hip hop has been like a prominent genre to have, like, groups of artists, like, work together as a collective to like, push themselves forward and things. That kind of took an ebb in like the 2000s where like single brand name artists, like, really took off and it's. There's a resurgence again. Like, you see Brockhampton taking the stage. Not comparing all of Brockhampton because you make different music. But what are the pros and cons in your mind of like, that teamwork based effort in terms of like, getting your music out there?
12:22
PM
Well, I think we each have something different to kind offer that kind of collectively benefits us for, like, instance. For instance, I'm not really that good with networking, but I'm good with beats and making, you know, audio engineering and things. But Gino's really good with networking.
12:37
DJ Beowvlf
She's charismatic. Yeah.
12:38
PM
And if we. If we play a show, we need someone to dj, so then Astronate's gonna dj, then we need someone to shoot it. So, you know, Rasheed Divasco's gonna shoot us. Then we have. We each kind of play a role and we just kind of have one cohesive goal and we just. We just knock it out.
12:52
DJ Beowvlf
So how did Callisto come together? Obviously you've identified all of your strengths and it makes sense that, like, it's kind of like that DIY mindset. Like, why pay someone else to shoot your shows when you can work as a team and get it done? But how did Callisto specifically form and how long has it been a thing?
13:07
King Gino
Okay, so I say, freshman year, I met Nate and Norm, and we shout.
13:14
DJ Beowvlf
Out Norm yet again.
13:15
King Gino
Yeah, man, yeah.
13:16
Astronate
Hey, yo, Norm. That's my roommate.
13:18
King Gino
Hey, you better. And so I met them and were making music and I was already just friends with PM freshman year. But, like, completely unrelated to music, were just friends and then, man, I heard one of his songs on SoundCloud, and I could not stop listening to it. I could not. It disappeared the whole summer. I was like, oh, my God, dude. I was like, yo, send me the beat. I have to rap on this. And then so we did that. We linked up on that song, and then we just kept making more music together. And so then me and PM were making music, and then Nate, Norm, and I were already making music together. And then. And then that boy Rasheed was my roommate. And it was pretty funny how we.
13:57
Rasheed
Met, because the first time we met was actually I was on my way to work over at the exploratory studies building.
14:02
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah. Yeah.
14:02
Rasheed
This random kid with a pineapple head comes up to me, and he's all like, hey, you should peep a mixtape, man. With the biggest smile ever. And I'm like, sure. I take it. I look at it, you know, listen to it and all that at work. And then looked up, you know, my future roommates for the following semester. Because, you know, it was spring going and beyond fall. Lo and behold, it was the kid who gave me his business card.
14:25
King Gino
No way. And I was like, bet.
14:28
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah, you do be on that, like, business card grind, though. Like, we've got a couple, like, floating around the studio, and I'll just be, like, digging through our mail or something and be like, another one.
14:39
PM
We just leave them places.
14:40
King Gino
It works.
14:41
Astronate
Yeah.
14:42
Rasheed
And, like, it's face to name and all that. So the following year, you know, he was my roommate, and, like, he was, like, asking me for help on, like, how to work on the remix cover for Disappear.
14:51
King Gino
Yeah, the same song, the same beat, the same song. I was like, I had a cover. I was like, mm. I was like, yo. He was like, he just has a very artistic visual mind. Like, his photos, he just takes cool pictures. And I was like, you think you just help? Like, I don't know what to do here. And he was like, yeah. And then he gave me back the COVID and I was like, whoa. Yeah, that's crazy.
15:11
Rasheed
It's been like that since. Pretty much.
15:12
King Gino
Best cover artist in the game.
15:14
DJ Beowvlf
How do y' all differentiate yourself from other groups? Like, dotwave is a group, and they're also performing Double Barrel, but they're not the same type of music or anything.
15:23
King Gino
Yeah. I say each one of us really stays true to what we're comfortable with, and we all find our own pocket, and we sort of. We don't really overlap too much, but when we do come together, it blends really well. So I Say, my style is more like conscious lyrical rap. Something around there. And like, PMs. Like, real trap, especially with his productions. Like, real trap. Like, heavy bass hitting, you know, hitting hard. And then I like to describe Nate's styles. Like, he'll take a funky sample and just like, flip it and just make it knock. And you're like, oh, what? Houston's going hard. And then Ayo Norm's real, like lo fi chill hop beats, and he really goes in that realm. And as an artist, you know, like, as a rapper, I can rap on a trap beat.
16:11
King Gino
I can rap on a funky sample. I can rap on a lo fi beat.
16:13
DJ Beowvlf
Flexibility is key.
16:14
King Gino
Yeah. And Amir, he has, like, this, like.
16:17
PM
He's kind of like. Kind of like R and B a little bit.
16:19
King Gino
Yeah.
16:20
Astronate
R&B vibe.
16:21
King Gino
Like trapped. Soulish, but, like, real. Like, I don't know. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's, like, real.
16:27
PM
He kind of has his own lane.
16:28
King Gino
Yeah.
16:28
DJ Beowvlf
If you can't spit the word out immediately, there's just more to talk about, you know, Opens up that door to conversation. So what can an audience member expect from a show, either King Gino or Callisto Records?
16:40
King Gino
A great time.
16:41
DJ Beowvlf
Great time. Do y' all play with, like, live musicians, or do you have, like, a sample track that you use or.
16:49
King Gino
Usually we go off of our beats. We have Nate on the ones and twos on the DJ mix, you know, scratching a bit and pauses. And one thing that we all really understand and that we really try to focus on is every show, we're only half of the performance. Every show, you know, the crowd is always the other half. So we really focus on that crowd interaction and really getting the people into it. Because then when the people are into it, then we get into it even more, and then it's just feeding off of each other. Yeah. And it creates a good vibe, and it really resonates, and so we really try to get the crowd into it.
17:25
DJ Beowvlf
Now, one thing we talked about behind the scenes is that a lot of your lyrics focus on mental health and particularly heavy subjects. How do you turn that into music that people can dance to or that are actively engaged in? If it's such, like. I hesitate to say heavy because it's not like you're being sad about it or anything, but, like, it is. I'm just gonna use a cinnamon. A synonym. It is like a weighted topic to discuss.
17:52
PM
Well, I mean, I. For me, personally, I kind of. I'm kind of more trappish. So mine kind of Just, it's not really perpetuating anything necessarily. It's kind of more like telling my story.
18:03
DJ Beowvlf
You know what I'm saying?
18:04
PM
And I think that each one of us kind of can kind of relate to that. We kind of just tell our own story and we just kind of put it out. Some people, you don't like the story. Some people may not, you know, they may not resonate with them, but that's all we can really do is just provide the story to people and. Yeah, yeah.
18:19
King Gino
I feel like, especially with the trap Mr. Rogers so with me.
18:24
Astronate
Cause I produce. Whenever I try to put out a project, it's hard for me to tell stories. Cause I have no lyrics. So my project that I first released is called the trap Mr. Rogers. And I wanted to tell a story about like a black kid in a rough community. Because you think about Mr. Rogers when you grow up, you watch him and he talks about all sorts of problems that kids face and whatnot.
18:43
DJ Beowvlf
They just made a movie about him.
18:44
Astronate
And I'm gonna go watch it.
18:46
King Gino
You're go see it too. You have to.
18:48
DJ Beowvlf
You have to.
18:49
Astronate
But I wanted to kind of take it in a route that. What if Mr. Rogers was talking about, you know, that kid that, you know, he can't go outside. Cause the neighborhood's not safe.
18:57
DJ Beowvlf
Right.
18:58
Astronate
And just like handling all the different emotions that, you know, a person goes through. And so, like, every track I try to. Through the sounds, I tried to create, like, what kind of emotion. I remember, like, as a kid, I was feeling like when I couldn't ride my bike around the corner or something like that.
19:12
DJ Beowvlf
Right, right.
19:13
Astronate
And just like, hoping that maybe there's some other kid out there that feels the same way. And I can really, like, resonate with that.
19:18
King Gino
And I think ultimately that storytelling and that just expression of those, like, especially like, sometimes like kempt up feelings, like, makes for great music. And then it just resonates. People are like, man, this is tough. Like, you know, like sometimes you're upset and you just want to like, just like, you know, vibe in it or like, you know, just express it. And then, you know, people could really resonate with that.
19:38
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah, yeah. What kind of audience feedback have you received thus far through your career?
19:42
King Gino
Oh, man, it man so much different ways.
19:47
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah. Probably a mixed bag for sure. You're talking about some people who can or cannot vibe and things like that.
19:52
King Gino
Yeah. I say, okay. My favorite thing that's happened so far with. With. With a fan interaction was I performed at the Stem Media success Summit, right. With Dr. Nehemia Mabry. And he invited me. He was like, I'm a microbiologist. You rap. We want you to perform. And I was like, bet. And yeah, I was like, bet. And there was a lot of kids in the crowd, right?
20:14
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah. If you weren't also a microbiology student, that'd be kind of like left field. Like, you rap. I study microbiology.
20:20
King Gino
Yeah, yeah, perfect, right? And so it fit. It fit really well. And it's cool. Like, the kids can see. Like, I'm a scientist and I pursue my passion and do music. And that's sort of important for me to show, you know.
20:34
DJ Beowvlf
I mean, Megan Thee Stallion is so upfront about how she is currently getting her degree, like, while being on the road.
20:40
King Gino
And it's super cool. That's like one of the reasons I do like, Megan Thee Stallion's like, wow. She's in college. She's actually doing the thing.
20:47
DJ Beowvlf
She posts videos of herself, like, doing homework before she goes on stage.
20:51
King Gino
And it's super cool. So when I did a show, when I did that show, a kid, he, he like during the show, he made like a paper, you know, like the unfold me, like, little things from like, elementary school.
21:04
DJ Beowvlf
The little like fortune teller thing.
21:05
King Gino
Yeah, the fortune teller thing. So he made one and it's like opened. It opened and he was like, you're a great singer. And then he signed it and it was like Armand, age seven. I was just like, oh, age seven. Yeah, I know. And I like pinned it to my board just to see.
21:19
DJ Beowvlf
You could have just changed his life. Yeah, yeah.
21:21
King Gino
And exactly, like, just to see, like, it resonate with somebody so young and they just, they really appreciated it. I think that was like my favorite. But I mean, I've gotten love from people I've never expected to, like, that would like it or, you know, like the reaction. It's always crazy. Cause like, sometimes you just feel like you're putting stuff out there. Nobody's really, you know, it doesn't resonate with anybody. You're just shooting it, you know, shooting into the dark. But then you get that feedback. Or like somebody tells you something, you're like, whoa. Or like, recently, the Spotify. The Spotify Wrap up.
21:54
DJ Beowvlf
Your artist. Wrap up.
21:54
King Gino
Yeah. I think some people like Norm and Nate were like somebody's number one artist.
22:01
Astronate
I had a couple people that. I was on their top five list. And when I was in class and I saw it on someone's story, I was like, that's unbelievable.
22:09
DJ Beowvlf
That's crazy. Yeah.
22:10
Astronate
That's something you would never think would even happen to you until it happens and then you don't know how to feel about it.
22:16
DJ Beowvlf
And did you know the people that you were their favorite artist?
22:19
Astronate
A couple people I knew, but I would have never expected that they were listening to me on a regular.
22:24
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah.
22:24
Astronate
Yeah, that surprised me.
22:26
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah, That's a really empowering feeling just to like get that much positive feedback. Since you are on the up and coming and things. Name some artists that you may aspire to be like in the future or that you're really interested in emulating some of their work.
22:41
King Gino
I say personally, a couple of my favorite artists. Well, you know, I like.
22:45
DJ Beowvlf
Who's your Spotify number one?
22:47
King Gino
Who was my Spotify number one? Oh, my. I don't use. I use Apple music.
22:52
DJ Beowvlf
I also use Apple music. Yeah.
22:53
King Gino
So like, my numbers are skewed.
22:54
PM
I think mine was mine, actually. Yeah.
22:56
King Gino
I'm not gonna say, you know, King Gino was my number one artist of 2019. Naturally. I think Norm and Nate were two and three. But like, I really love. Yeah, I'm a big fan of tde, Kendrick Lamar and tde. And it's super cool. And I like how they're sort of attacking it as a collective as well. I think most of us are big fans of like ASAP Mob and Tribe Called Quest and sort of groups like that. I just love hip hop in general. Like, I just love hip hop. So, you know, the greats of the greats. And there's so many artists. I could go all day. J. Cole, of course, what he's doing with Dreamville is super cool.
23:39
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah. Now, similar subject, but returning back to something that we talked about earlier. So as I said behind the scenes, you mentioned that a lot of your music talks about mental health. And my follow up question was, is it in general or specifically regarding the black community? And then returning to. And you said it was specifically your own experiences which are naturally targeted towards people who have shared similar experiences. And then regarding artists that have influenced you recently, I saw that no Name doesn't want to perform shows that are predominantly like white audiences and things. She did like a whole interview on it and it was really well thought out and really informative about how her music is regarding her black experience and singing it to white audiences that don't really get it. It just felt like dehumanizing to her.
24:26
DJ Beowvlf
Is that something that you're not. When you make music about your experience, are you specifically targeting it to a group that can like emulate that and empathize or are you just trying to, like, get out your own catharsis and things?
24:40
PM
I think for me, personally, I'm just kind of trying to just.
24:43
DJ Beowvlf
I apologize if that was like too heavy, by the way. That was like a long winded question.
24:50
PM
I think for me it's just kind of just putting it out there, just getting my feelings just kind of on a track. Because I think for me, I make music for therapy. That's just for me, like, I just kind of have it in me sometimes. I don't really want to talk to anybody about it, but I can just record it. And it just feels like my struggle wasn't for vain. It was for no reason. I made art out of it.
25:08
DJ Beowvlf
You made something. Yeah.
25:09
PM
So I think that's kind of what it is. And I think for performances, I wouldn't really not perform for a wide audience because I think after the song is made, I just kind of enjoy the song and just kind of vibe out with it. So I think it's just great to share that with any kind of audience that I can.
25:24
DJ Beowvlf
And that's just absolutely her choice. It's what makes her feel comfortable and that's like the integrity of her work is just something that she wants to uphold. So. Yeah, yeah.
25:33
King Gino
I say I definitely use my music as expression. Like, there'd be some days, man, you know, you going through it especially around October, middle of the semester, man, midterms.
25:44
DJ Beowvlf
And then again like a month and a half later.
25:46
King Gino
Yeah. And like, you know, just like not too long ago, like, I was. It was having, you know, just, you know, a bad day. Just a bad day, really, in my own head. And then PM's is like, hey, I forgot to send this to you. And it was like, what I needed. You know what I mean? Like, that I was like, man, that's what I needed. And it's like I really use it as more for catharsis. And I feel like once you put out your music, it's sort of like the worlds. You know what I mean?
26:10
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah.
26:11
King Gino
And so, like, whoever resonates with it, you know, that's in. I feel like that's one of the.
26:16
DJ Beowvlf
Really powerful things about music is because, like, you can write it with a specific, like, memory or thought or instance, like in your mind, but when someone else hears it, they're going to be thinking about something else.
26:25
King Gino
Yeah.
26:25
DJ Beowvlf
And like, the meaning changes individually. And it really is like you said that like shared therapy while where it's like, for you to get your feelings out, but it could be anyone's after that, which is really cool.
26:37
King Gino
And I think. I think that's why hip hop resonates with so many people in general, because a lot of it is of the struggle, and not. Not everybody has necessarily gone through that exact struggle, But a lot of people can relate collectively struggling. Yeah. In their own way. You know what I mean? Everybody has their own struggle, I feel like.
26:55
DJ Beowvlf
Let's wrap up with a more positive note. What is one thing that Callisto Records or being King Gino has done positively for your life?
27:04
King Gino
Oh, man.
27:06
DJ Beowvlf
Or many things. List whatever you want.
27:08
King Gino
I'd say confidence is the biggest thing for me. I don't know. I was pretty confident, but it definitely. Confidence and humbleness, it's always a balance. The most socially anxious thing I've ever done was give away those mixtape cards. The first time I went to tally, I was shaking. I was like, I made a mixtape. Do you.
27:34
DJ Beowvlf
And you were doing it at Dreamville, too, right?
27:35
King Gino
Yeah. So went. And Dreamville was.
27:37
DJ Beowvlf
Because I saw those everywhere, too.
27:39
King Gino
Yeah.
27:40
PM
We actually did a performance, like, right outside of Dreamville. They didn't let us in at first.
27:44
DJ Beowvlf
Yeah.
27:45
PM
But were outside with a speaker performing our hearts out, and people were out there doing their vibe camera, and it was a great time, and it, like, resonated with people. We were like, he's gonna bring 40,000 hip hop fans to one spot. To one spot across the street 10 minutes from my apartment.
28:01
King Gino
Like, yeah, we're gonna be out there and promoting and marketing our target market. And it was great. It was even better than I could even imagine. Like, people really liked it, and they were like, oh, we have something to do in line. Like, they were already hyped up for the show gets them ready for the rest of the day.
28:14
King Gino
Exactly. It was great. And so we got out so many cards and a lot of followers and a lot of listeners, too, from it, which was great. But after I gave out the cards, it was hard to give them out at first, but now, man, if you see me, just throw them. Oh, they're everywhere. Like I said, you can find them almost anywhere. You know, I'm very like, oh, here, take a card if you want it or not. I don't know, Just take a card. But that confidence is like, if you don't want it, recycle it. Yeah. It's like, I'm gonna keep doing what I want to do, and I'm confident in myself to just pursue what I want to do, and that's how it's helped me for sure.
28:51
DJ Beowvlf
Anyone else have any commentary on that specific question?
28:55
Astronate
I would say for me, I've always loved music. I've just never been really able to make it. I had a guitar in, I think it was like middle school. But I was never the best at playing guitar.
29:04
DJ Beowvlf
No one's ever the best at playing guitar.
29:06
Astronate
Right. You know, I tried and it was. My thing was always hip hop and I always wanted to do it. I just needed like the community around me to like really do it. And so when I met Norm and Amir and everybody else and Gino and we really started taking it serious, I was like, oh, this is something that we could really do. And so that alone just motivates me every day to like try something new. Whether it be a new sound, you know, or new inspiration or just trying to tell a new story.
29:34
Rasheed
So yeah, for me it's about a matter of self expression because, you know, there's a lot of things that I feel, a lot of things that I think about, but I don't really share with people. Even if they do ask me. I'm like, oh yeah, I'm fine or anything, but like having that artistic outlet where it's like completely visual is something that I feel like. You know, Callisto Records and, you know, having these brothers here, you know, it's amazing for me to have this, you know, mode of expression pretty much. So it's been kind of like a really sweet release. Every time I release a project, you know, or work on a new one.
30:07
King Gino
Yeah.
30:08
DJ Beowvlf
That everybody.
30:09
PM
And I think for me, this kind of.
30:11
DJ Beowvlf
You have to talk.
30:12
King Gino
Yeah, yeah.
30:13
DJ Beowvlf
It's not all Gino this time, I.
30:15
PM
Think just kind of going off of what Nate said, just being able to just want to make music and actually being able to do it. And I think for me, because I'm a producer and I write the raps and then I rap it, then I record it, then I like mix it. So it's like being able to just get from an idea in my head and just to a finished product, it's like a beautiful thing to me. It's kind of like your baby and then you put it out to the world and people really like it. So it's just like just being able to express yourself and just having this creation that's all you. That's just one of the most beautiful feelings in the world for me.
30:42
King Gino
Yeah. Well, you can go. Yeah. One thing they sort of touched on too is like, it's like now we're like this. I feel like I Got a family. You know what I mean? We definitely foster that family environment. So it's like, you know, it goes. You know, it's. It's. It goes way beyond the music. You know what I mean? Like. Like, you know, we just have each other backs for, like, anything, you know what I mean? And so just, like, having, like, a team of trusted people you could always rely on is, like, it's irreplaceable, you.
31:12
DJ Beowvlf
Know, in 2020, other than playing Double Barrel Benefit, what's one goal you have or one thing that you're excited to do?
31:18
King Gino
Oh, man, I got a list.
31:21
DJ Beowvlf
Give me the list. That's fine.
31:23
Rasheed
Yeah.
31:23
King Gino
So we have constellations. I want to do that again. Constellations. Second year, we're going to keep that being annual thing. I had a couple ideas. I haven't shared them with the team. I was thinking about doing a show at a prison, and I feel like.
31:39
DJ Beowvlf
Well, the NC Central Prison is, like, right around the corner, and they listen to KNC all the time.
31:43
King Gino
Yeah. And it's, like, right up the street. And I feel like they make this.
31:46
DJ Beowvlf
Really awful joke that they're our captive audience. No.
31:55
King Gino
Oh, man. That's. That's funny.
31:59
PM
You didn't lie.
32:00
DJ Beowvlf
Thank you.
32:01
King Gino
Oh, man. Oh, man. I feel like. I feel like that'd be cool, because I want to bring attention to that. The criminal justice system. So I feel like, how else better to do it with my music and I have attention. So, like, bring it there.
32:12
DJ Beowvlf
It probably also would, like, make the inmates day just like that. Little bit better.
32:16
King Gino
Yeah, yeah. What else? I want to do a Callisto beach retreat where we get the whole team, we go to somewhere for the beach. Somewhere to the beach, probably in spring break or summer, and we just all lock in and just make some art while we're all sort of away from our regular duties and lives.
32:38
DJ Beowvlf
And we just like Beach House Fever instead of, like, cabin fever.
32:40
King Gino
Yeah, exactly. And I think that'd be cool.
32:45
PM
I think doing a North Carolina tour is something that we really want to do, too. Cause I feel like in Raleigh, people know who we are, but are across North Carolina. You know, we might be liking the audience. So just doing a North Carolina tour, that'd be real cool for us.
32:58
King Gino
Yeah.
32:58
PM
Just to kind of get our name out there.
32:59
King Gino
And I say 2020 is a big year for visuals.
33:03
DJ Beowvlf
Absolutely.
33:03
King Gino
You know, definitely want to get more video content out there. You know, I feel like that's. We're working on it right now, and we're gonna be pumping out a lot of great stuff.
33:12
DJ Beowvlf
In the future, y' all should definitely talk to dotwave and see how they get stuff done. Like, I was looking at their website earlier today. They have, like, a video where they use, like, a drone or something. It's. It's for quid pro qu. They're like, out in, like, a desert or something. And it's a super tough music video. But I'm like, how did you do this? You're all literally in college.
33:33
King Gino
How did you do this? Nah, drum footage is always super cool. Had a little bit of that in c. Smoke video. Yeah. Yeah. So it's a lot of plans. There's a lot of new music coming very soon.
33:47
DJ Beowvlf
Well, we are super stoked to see it, especially at Double Barrel Benefit. But just like watching local musicians grow, WKNC is beyond excited to have y' all play. For audience members who are listening and really excited about this, it will be February 7th at Kings in downtown Raleigh.
34:03
King Gino
Be there, be there.
34:05
DJ Beowvlf
Gino and Callisto Records are gonna be playing night one. They are the second act of the night. So come early for baking company. Stay the whole night. It only gets better as the lineup keeps going. But of course, everyone playing are all stars.
34:20
King Gino
Oh, yeah.
34:20
DJ Beowvlf
Can't compare.
34:21
King Gino
It's a great lineup. Honestly.
34:22
DJ Beowvlf
It's gonna be sick for sure. This has been WKNC 88.1, an Off the Record interview with King Gino.