Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaya 777.
Kaya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been around music my whole life; in a way you literally can say that it’s in my blood. I come from a very musical background on both my mom’s and my dad’s side of the family, mostly my dad. When I think back to my early childhood, I would always write raps. No matter where I was, I was always writing. When we used to stay in Conyers my older brother and some of his friends were in a music group called, “cakeboyz ent”. I just remember they would always come over to our house, make beats, write to them, then record. Keep in mind that this was in 2006. I would just watch them create, and it sparked something in me. I have seen the process from beginning to end, as our house WAS THE STUDIO. From there I would say that’s where a lot of my inspiration came from. In 2010, we moved from Conyers to a small town near Augusta, Georgia called Thomson, Georgia. The move made me the most depressed I had ever been in my life. We moved from somewhere that I would say was a decent mix of cultures and urbanization to somewhere rural and not so urban, respectfully. The change in locations left me heartbroken.
As a kid there wasn’t much I could do I just had to deal with it. The whole situation made me a bit anti as I felt I didn’t fit in. I stuck out like a sore thumb due to my clothes, the way I talked, my choice of music, etc… A way that I would just zone out was by dancing. Dancing opened many doors for me. I used to compete in the talent shows at school, which brought me lots of attention. So after a while, the move wasn’t so bad because I started gaining friends from dancing. From there people started knowing me as the kid that can dance so I took that clout and I ran with it. It wouldn’t last long though because around 2015 we would move AGAIN. This time, we moved closer to Augusta, and we were now on the border of Columbia County and Richmond County. It wasn’t until around this time I would start recording actual songs. It was 2015 Christmas and my mom surprised me with a Presonus home studio setup. I got straight to work from there. I created a SoundCloud account and began releasing music for fun. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but the more music I dropped the more my page started to grow and my stats started going crazy. I was like 14/15 so people was tuning in just because of how young I was. When things started getting serious was when I changed my stage name from Tntplug to Dieplug. Around that time was when I met some people that played a big role in why I am even able to do this interview today. Some of those names consist of New Sound Network, YAF, KapeThaGoat, Corey Lingo, Guala Gabe, KappCEO, Vagex, and Rsevn.
I ended up graduating from Lakeside High School in 2020. I was accepted to Morehouse College the same year. I was excited just to finally be moving back towards the city. It didn’t go as planned due to COVID. I had to spend my freshman year at home online. That experience was really rough because it was hard to focus not being on campus. The next semester was in 2021. It was supposed to be my first year on campus but unfortunately, I was left without housing. I had to find an apartment downtown which I wasn’t tripping about. I was honestly happy that things were playing out this way. I felt it was only adding to my success story. Around this time I changed my name to Kaya 777. The second name change was done in hopes to leave the past behind and starting fresh. I am no longer in school due to the loss of my grandmother being the final straw for now. I’m currently trying to make my dream a reality. If I don’t try I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I feel like music is headed in the wrong place for so many reasons and I want to be the one to save it. My purpose is to spread positivity and revert the game back to how it used to be. Although the scene is very saturated I’m not worried, as I believe raw talent cannot be ignored.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I experienced the death of my grandmother, internal bleeding in my stomach, and brief homelessness after college, all in the same year (2022).
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make music. I am known for my music on Soundcloud under the name (Kaya 777 aka Dieplug).
I specialize in making different sounds as I am very versatile.
I am most proud of my accomplishments throughout my music and having a helping hand in others’ success.
What sets me apart is my signature sound and the way I approach beats.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The pandemic really sat me down. I had no choice but to lock in and perfect my craft. It taught me a lot about myself and how to be a lot more independent. When you have nothing but time on your hands you just start picking up new hobbies and learning new things, because of that I feel like the pandemic was beneficial to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://untd.io/a/kaya777
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaya1up/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfBJOPTwZsmyJVG8Q_ZWqg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dieplug
- Other: https://untd.io/a/kaya777
Image Credits
I have right to these photos credits to Abalonegray Rsevn Stuntinflicks Imani Keiya Vanity Vexzhii
