Ian Kelly on Life At Jamla Records, Remaining Fearless & The Freedom Of Artistry

Hailing from Oakland, CA, Ian Kelly’s smooth and fluid sound fits right in with the soulful intentions of Jamla Records, with whom he's been officially signed to since 2018 as a result of the success of his hardworking efforts in previous and future promising releases. Kelly’s time at Jamla has placed him in the midst among some of Hip Hop’s greatest talent; he has earned his unique place as the ill vocalist of Jamla among acts like 9th Wonder, Rapsody, GQ, and tight production unit The Soul Council. 

Ian Kelly can be heard on the compilation album, “Jamla Is the Squad II” in which he appears on two songs: “Welcome to JamRoc” and “Do Something”. With Jamla behind him along with the Soul and Hip Hop edge of his latest project “Kells is D.E.A.D”, Ian Kelly is proving his worth among some of the greats in his field. 

‘Kells is D.E.A.D.’ is a testimony of the constantly evolving Ian Kelly, narrated by Champ Green. Throughout this audio experience, listeners are able to get a peek into the Oakland rapper's life as he opens up about moments that impacted him, broke him, but ultimately left him “Determined Evolving Ascending Destined”. Doing all he can to help analyze and break down the depth of a man, this EP echoes “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.”

This EP is produced mostly by 3x Grammy award winner Eric G of Soul Council and fellow member of Jamla, with a track from legendary producer and founder of Jamla, 9th Wonder and one from Zenan of One Day Soon (ODS)with features from fellow Jamla artists Reuben Vincient, GQ and Heather Victoria. 

Catch Ian Kelly’s Hype Off Life exclusive interview, where he gets more into the makings of “Kells is D.E.A.D”, life at Jamla Records and his love for Oakland. Right now and only on Hype Off Life 👊🏾

Thanks for coming thru! How has 2021 been treating you so far?

Thanks for inviting me. 2021 so far has been really good to me. I’ve been getting a lot of work done so that always is a good thing.

What do you love most about your hometown, Oakland?

What I love most about Oakland is the mentality we’re raised with. I can speak for every generation that has grown up in Oakland, but I feel like we’re raised tough in The Town. Oakland breeds resilient in which the mentality is “ima get it where ever I’m at”.

Your music is very smooth, with substance. Who are some of your musical influences?

Thank you I appreciate that. That list is long but Jay-Z, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, André 3000, and Kendrick Lamar more than likely are my top influences. 

Which album made you say, “yeah I want to do this too”?

Jay-Z’s the “Black Album” was the first album that made me want to Rap. Hov had a song titled “December 4th”, which is my birthday, so I immediately tuned in like “let’s see what he has to say”. Then outta nowhere his mom started talking and mentioned not having any pain given birth and I was hooked in ever since. 

So, you just dropped a new project, ‘Kells is D.E.A.D.’ What does that acronym mean to you?

The acronym in “Kells is D.E.A.D.” means, determined, evolving, ascending, and destined. For me the D.E.A.D. aspect of the title is actually rebirth. I believe we all have parts of us that die in order to grow into who we really are. 

The project gets very deep, diving into different personal moments from your life. What is the overall message that you want to get across to listeners?

The biggest message I wanted my project to convey is that you never have to live in a box that people created for you. People miss out on a lot of opportunities due to fear. The project is really about growing into self, so that I can continue to grow for the next part of my journey. Having expectations can be dangerous, but being accountable for your actions and who you are as a person will open your world up. 

Music can be therapeutic, strengthen relationships, and even lead to self-discovery. What place does it have in your life?

Music for me is definitely therapy. There was a time period in my life where I wanted to give up everything. Nothing at times seemed to make sense, but the music. At the moment for me I realized making music was more giving back versus what I can obtain from it. 

How has life been different for you since signing to Jamla in 2018?

Life has definitely been interesting since being apart of Jamla. I get a lot of DM’s with beat proposals. The dopest part about being signed to Jamla is the fact I get to be a fly on a wall at times and watch legends in the game work. Jamla taught me how to push more as an independent artist being on an independent label. Even with a team I realize you get farther when you are active right along with your team. Being on Jamla also taught me that building relationships are everything. Investing into yourself is key, but building genuine connections can take you just as far. 

In your opinion, what’s the best part of being an artist?

In my opinion the best part about being an artist is the freedom. The ability to create freely is something that artist cherish. I have moments where I’ll wake up at 3am and just start writing. For me, being able to turn words into art keeps me excited to make music. 

Any message for your fans?

The biggest message I have for my fans is thank you for supporting me and continuing to help elevate me. This really all goes nowhere without the listeners so I’m appreciative. And the last thing I’ll say is that Kells is D.E.A.D. is me scratching the surface of who I really wanna be as an artist so I’m excited to see people’s reaction for things to come.