Daily Inspiration: Meet Kyle Lucas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Lucas.

Kyle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Kyle Lucas. I’m a recording artist, songwriter, and actor from Marietta, Georgia.

I started rapping in middle school, but it was in high school that I truly fell in love with it. I became obsessed with honing my skills, focusing on compound syllables, internal rhyme schemes, and lyrical structure. At first, it wasn’t even about the beats. I just wanted to write the sharpest, most technical verses I could. I was completely into rhyming.

After high school, I went to Kennesaw State and kept releasing music, but nothing really took off. At that time, the Atlanta scene was all about snap music. I was working at DTLR in Cumberland Mall, trying to hand out my introspective lyrical emo rap mixtapes. It just wasn’t the right moment for that. Then I discovered Gym Class Heroes, and everything changed. Rap-rock usually had mixed results, mostly misses. But bands like The Roots, Linkin Park, and Gym Class Heroes showed it could actually work. That motivated me to start my own band.

Soon after, I met guitarist Neil Garrard, and we formed Vonnegutt. This led to a deal with Big Boi’s label, Purple Ribbon Records. We toured for a few years, appeared on Big Boi’s single “Follow Us,” and eventually released our full-length album, Falling Up the Stairs. Being in Vonnegutt and signed to Purple Ribbon taught me a lot. I learned how to tour, perform live, and create music outside of the boom bap style I was used to. The other guys in the band were incredibly talented, and being around them helped me grow a lot as an artist. Working closely with Big Boi during that time was a dream come true since Outkast has always been my favorite group.

While I was with Vonnegutt, I also released solo projects and collaborated with several artists, including G-Eazy, MGK, Blackbear, STS, Outline in Color, Weerd Science from Coheed and Cambria, D. Woods, Shanell, Will Pugh from Cartel, and more. I spent a lot of time in the studio with producer Simon Illa. For almost a decade, if I wasn’t touring, I was likely at Simon’s house recording. He was involved in nearly everything I released until he passed. I just want to give him a shoutout. Rest in peace, Simon!

After Vonnegutt, I teamed up with Jonny Craig. We first worked together on a track for one of my mixtapes. Then he came to Atlanta, and we recorded his project, Find What You Love and Let It Kill You. That sparked a long creative partnership. We toured a lot and worked on many different projects, from his solo work to the first two albums from his band Slaves. We also released a joint album called The Blueprint for Running in Circles. That’s when I really dove deeper into co-writing for other artists and bands while exploring different genres.

In 2015, I released my first solo album, Marietta, Georgia: The Album, followed by Almost Famous, Almost Broke. I toured constantly for the next few years. Then, when the pandemic hit, everything came to a halt. I decided to focus on songwriting, production, screenwriting, and acting.

That brings me to my current project: Uncle Apple. It’s a children’s hip-hop project and animated series. I first developed it with my childhood friend Isaiah Lester. We wrote the show and successfully pitched and sold it to a major network. While we eventually parted ways with the network, the response we received in those meetings confirmed that I was onto something. I chose to keep the momentum going by focusing on the music portion of the show.

As I started releasing more Uncle Apple songs, the project began to gain real traction, leading to a partnership with SBG Records. Our first single, “Big Feelings,” was named one of Spotify’s Best Kids Songs of 2024, and our debut album, A is for Apple, drops on August 25. After the album release, we plan to finish the pilot episode of the animated series and work on getting the show picked up by another network.

I’m really proud and excited about everything happening with Uncle Apple. It’s been the most fun I’ve had making music in a long time.

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?
It hasn’t been an easy journey. Honestly, I’d be surprised if any artist said the road was smooth for them. For much of the past 15 years, my career has always felt like one step forward and two steps back. Which can be extremely discouraging.

At first, I thought getting signed would be the toughest challenge. Getting noticed and convincing a label to take a chance on you feels nearly impossible. But once you achieve that, you realize it’s just the start.

I’ve co-written songs without getting credit, including an entire album where I didn’t receive any of my writing or publishing share. I’ve seen record deals fall apart at the last moment, along with acting roles in TV shows and movies that vanished. There’s a record company that still owes me a significant amount of money. Those are just a few examples. I could go on and on about the negative side of the business.
But the truth is, that’s part of the game. My story isn’t particularly unique. Setbacks and disappointments are almost typical in this process.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an MC at my core, and I approach every song from that writing style.. Over the years, I’ve learned to branch out into different genres but I still instinctively start a song from an MC’s perspective.

One project I’m particularly proud of is my solo album Marietta, Georgia: The Album. It took a long time to complete, but I put everything I had into it. The record combines a variety of sounds, from boom bap hip-hop to pop-influenced tracks to darker, more introspective songs. At the time, I believed it might be my only full-length album, so I considered that. I wanted it to show the full range of my abilities, and I think I succeeded in that aspect. Even though some time has passed since its release, I still feel the impact of that album. It opened a lot of doors as far as being hired to co-write for bands and rappers. Which then led to opportunities in sync and commercial placements. I also still get a lot of love from fans about that album. It’s dope.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are way too many people to name. I could easily spend a whole day talking about the individuals who’ve impacted me and helped shape my career. But right now, I want to recognize my girlfriend, Sunny Sultana. She’s been my partner and my rock for almost eight years. I honestly can’t put into words everything we’ve been through together or how deeply she’s supported me. I’m a very lucky guy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.KyleLucasMusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylelucas
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleLucasHipHop
• Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/KyleLucas
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/kylelucasofficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kylelucasofficial

Image Credits
Sunny Sultana