KILLY

KILLY Toronto, Ontario has a thriving music scene, spawning superstars and nurturing longevity in music careers. It’s home of gatekeepers like Drake and Maestro, but that’s no longer enough to be the capital ofhip-hop in Canada. More artists must flourish and that’s exactly whatKILLY, also known as Khalil Tatem, is achieving with his breakoutsuccess. After generating heavy Soundcloud buzz, soon enoughKILLY had an audience large enough to fill up a stadium.

KILLY began propelling to new heights with his ambient 2017 single “Killamonjaro,” which deals with love and remedies to ease the pain. The track has garnered nearly thirty million Youtube views since its release and highlights a very prominent moment in KILLY’s career. It appears on his 2018 debut project, Surrender Your Soul, a metaphor for the ultimate sacrifice many artists make to be successful in this music industry. If one thing is for certain, Khalil was built for this game. “I was born an artist and had to find my way here - I don’t think I would have allowed any other type of outcome.”

Before the fans and astonishing bright lights, KILLY was much like every artist during their teenage years. “I remember being twelve, thirteen years old wanting to rap so bad; me and a couple friends saved up to buy one of those USB Blue Snowball Microphones for a hundred dollars and would use it every day after school, looking back the quality was terrible, but it was still good practice.” Elsewhere, he reminisces about having very little studio time: “I used to write a lot because studio time was scarce. So I’d have whole songs ready for whenever I could get in. But now I'm in the studio making music 24/7.”

While Surrender Your Soul is filled with standout cuts, the trajectory of songs like “No Sad No Bad” and “Distance” are unmatchable. The long-awaited tape reflects on KILLY’s past experiences and references his mentality towards the end of the world, or doomsday. With production from Wondagurl, 1Mind, Boi-1da, and more, KILLY rejects the typical emo stamp, shaping his music into a dark, melodic harmony that pleases the ear. It wasn’t long after until KILLY embarked on his first headlining world tour across Europe and North America.

“Having my first one be a World Tour was amazing. I had never travelled outside of North America before so it was great to see how far my music had gone and the impact it was making so far away from home.” Since then, it feels like he’s been on tour non-stop. “I brought my whole gang out in a sprinter van we went all the way across North America—we had a bunch of sold out dates, the fans were raging at every single show and the energy was crazy.” The Toronto-native is currently readying to tour with Machine Gun Kelly and Young Thug which he describes as “legendary.”

In mid-2019, KILLY inked a deal with major record label Epic Records years after taking the industry by storm with “Killamonjaro.” Control is key, and that’s what ultimately helped KILLY leverage terms that would be fit for him. “Labels work off data so when they made offers after my first song went viral they weren’t providing what I was looking for yet. I knew I had so much more in store,” he explains. “I stayed indie for a while executed my plan and when the

time was right I met with all the labels again. Epic Records understood myvision and the partnership came to life.”

“Light Path 8 was a transitional project. I recorded songs for it in so many different settings all over the World and weaved them together,” KILLY speaks on his summer 2019 release. The thirteen-track offering serves as his impressive sophomore album. “It represented how I dedicated my all towards my art and pursuing the life I wanted. Light Path 8 is my perspective now that I’m living it and represents the transition between my old life and my new life.”

What’s success without glistering new rocks to put around your neck? KILLY most recently took a trip to Avianne & Co., one of the music industry's leading jewelers, an ice himself out with VS quality diamonds. They put together a custom chain that depicts the popular anime show Deathnote. “I like Anime. I used to have a lot more time to watch and keep up when I was younger,” he explains. It includes large rubies in the eyes and heart-shaped diamond earrings as a unique addition.

KILLY has strived through the ins and outs of his early career, now we want to see what’s next for the Ontario artist. With hit records under his belt already, where will KILLY’s forthcoming releases land him? The 22-year-old rapstar is poised to join ranks with some Canada’s greatest acts.