One of the Dungeon Family’s finest, KP The Great, has continued to cement his legacy in the music world with his numerous skills in the industry. From being a world-renowned DJ to a producer, KP has the skills that every creative would crave, especially working with some of the biggest artists in the industry, such as Kendrick Lamar and Usher. At the National Black Arts Festival gala, KP spoke with rolling out about his career.
Why was it important for you to DJ at the National Black Arts Festival gala?
It’s the National Black Arts. I feel like I’m an artist musically, and it’s important to be around other creatives and to be able to spin and get everybody’s mood right. In the creative space, that’s just always a good place for me because [you tend to] be able to play different music when you have more creative people.
Where did you start your DJ career?
I started my career in Atlanta. I started as a DJ in the group Parental Advisory, which was one of the first groups out of the Dungeon Family. We were actually the first group to get signed out of the Dungeon Family. I started my career at LaFace Records, and since then, I’ve grown to be an executive producer and writer. I’ve done pretty much every job in the music business at this point, and I think I’ve excelled and reached the highest levels, such as being the Grammy Award-winning writer for the Kendrick Lamar song “Alright.”
What does 50 years of hip-hop mean to you?
Hip-hop is everything to me because I just turned 50 years old this year, so I feel like I am hip-hop. That is a big deal, and here in Atlanta, we’ve put a chokehold on hip-hop for the last 30 years, I believe, from OutKast to even the invention of trap music. We’ve done a lot, and Atlanta’s strong in hip-hop, so 50 years means a lot to us.
Where do you think your legacy stands within 50 years of hip-hop?
Our legacy in the Dungeon Family is just Black excellence, and it’s Southern hip-hop at its best. It’s sustenance, creative, and boundary-bending. We just try to keep pushing that line.
