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Toronto Rapper KILLY Talks New Deal With Epic Records and His Appreciation For the Simple Things

Armed with an addictive flow and an unmistakable sense of style, Toronto artist KILLY is just getting started.

Armed with an addictive flow and an unmistakable sense of style, Toronto artist KILLY is just getting started. Shortly after releasing his newest project, Light Path 8, the rapper recently announced he has officially inked a deal with Epic Records. KILLY first stormed onto the music scene back in February 2017 with his viral hit, “Killamonjaro,” which now sits at over 28 million YouTube views. 

The new stepping stone in KILLY’s career is a prime example of perfect timing, as the rapper remembers his series of label meetings he had years ago. Finally, he found the team that made him feel free of restriction. 

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“I had a meeting with Sylvia [Rhone], and what’s crazy is she said to me, ‘You’re back!’” KILLY recalls. “Two years prior, when I was first blowing up, I went to see all the labels. Epic was obviously one of them. But at that point in time, it just didn’t feel like the right time in general. Fast forward two years later, we met again with all the labels and I just really felt that Epic really supported what I’m doing and not try to change it and just add to it. They’d let me be the artist I want to be.”  

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Through the whirlwind of events, KILLY remains level-headed and full of gratitude. No matter where he goes, he often stops to look around and remember to take in every moment. 

“Coming from where I’m from, I remember never going on vacation and stuff, so being offered simple things like choosing between sparkling or distilled water, I appreciate all of it a lot,” he reflects. “Those little things represent to me the life that I’ve envisioned myself living. Even just being able to travel wherever I want, whenever I want, I always stop and have that moment of, ‘Damn, I’m really here.’”

The title of KILLY’s latest project, Light Path 8, is inspired by his interest in numerology and his discovery of his life path number. The Bajan-Filipino artist credits his diverse upbringing as a big factor behind his undying appreciation for the career path he’s lucky to be on.

“My whole family is just… with the shits,” he laughs. “I know people may have a misperception of me because the people who look like me, may not necessarily have the same walk of life as me. I look Filipino, but my whole family I grew up with is Black, has dreads, all that, which has given me this firsthand appreciation of the culture that some people may assume I wasn’t involved in because of how I look. You just can’t judge a book by its cover.”

You can catch KILLY out on tour currently with fellot Canada native, NAV, and also at this year’s Lollapalooza festival.