In the music industry, rap has always been a genre dominated by black people. The younger generation in the black community has always looked up to rappers because their music is influenced by real stories and these stories are relatable.
Attending an HBCU, like FAMU, means that many people who attend the school are black. Regardless of race, it’s important to understand the dynamic that rap music plays in the lives of influencing young black students.
Jabari Capers, 21, who goes by Kyriq, is an artist from Miami, FL. Kyriq is working toward a degree in Electronic Engineering Technology here at FAMU, but is in pursuit of a musical rap career.
“What pushed me in the direction to pursue this career was when I started winning rap contests. It was confirmation that this is something I should be doing,” he said.
Even though Kyriq has made up his mind to pursue a career in music, he believes his school fits int
o the picture.
“School keeps my work-ethic high so that I might channel that same work-ethic into my music. It doesn’t seem like school and music are two separate worlds,” he said.
Kyriq could be described as a lyricist; his musical influences now are people like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. These artists and the way they tell their stories through music can be seen in the way Kyriq makes his music.
“People like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar are attractive artists to listen to because they tell stories from different perspectives and it captures the attention of the listener,” student, Darren Gambrell said.
Kyriq is part of Voices Poetry Group. This group is recognized as FAMU’s premier Poetry Organization.
“Voices is a way for me to be around people who will support the craft that I create but will also challenge it.” He continued to say, “I love my Voices family because we’re all skilled and are always finding ways to see who’s more creative.”
While being part of Voices, Kyriq uses his music to channel different emotions. He feels putting emotion into his music causes people to take certain things seriously.
Student Sylniqua Amos said, “Songs that are filled with emotion make music more relatable. I love being able to connect to an artist based on the way they express their feelings in their music.”
Kyriq can be found on Instagram under the handle @kyriqmusic, where people can also be redirected to his SoundCloud page featuring his latest song.