“He signed us because we’re different, he signed Janelle (Monae) because she’s different. We sound so different, and that’s the thing with Vonnegut, you can’t really put a finger on it. It’s like ‘there’s a band, but he raps, is it pop? I don’t know what it is?”’
It’s Sunday afternoon, the final day of Lollapalooza 2011, and Kyle Lucas just finished his second consecutive appearance at the annual summer festival. This performance was alongside the producer Captain Midnite, while in 2010, Kyle took the stage as part of his band, Vonnegutt.
In between his two performances, Lucas released the project The Sky is Falling and I’m Fine with Captain Midnite, and welcomed the chance to exhibit his talents to a young and eager Lollapalooza crowd, which is part of his efforts to becoming “The most versatile rapper” he can be. “People know who we are. People came to us. I saw on twitter, people’s itineraries that they wanted to see us, and like people hitting us up after, looking into the crowd and seeing people know the words to “Going Home” blew my mind,” Lucas recounts, speaking to me within the Semi-Truck filled streets of Columbus Avenue on a utility golf cart.
It’s been two years after he signed to Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon Label, and with a loyal fanbase at his wing, Lucas is back at home in Georgia. He is recording the next Vonnegutt album, and prepping for a 2012 tour. Read on as Lucas delves into the emotions surrounding his singing to his hero’s label, the differences between working with Vonnegutt and Captain Midnight, as well as his sentiments towards the city of Chicago.
Ruby Hornet: Can you explain the parallels and differences between working and Vonnegutt and Captain Midnite
Kyle Lucas: I’ve been with Vonnegutt for 3 or 4 years now, that’s the band that got me this record deal. It’s really my pride and joy. We’ve been touring heavily, but I’ve been doing a bunch a solo stuff on the side. I did a mixtape called Kyle Lucas is Still My Favorite. Midnite had sent me, I think we linked up through this guy named T. Mills one of my boys, and he sent me some beats and I rapped on one called “The Adventures of Kyle Lucas and Captain Midnite”, it’s on my mixtape… And then a year later I went through this really horrible breakup. So I took all my stuff from her crib and went to Seattle on like a whim. Me and Midnite had spoken about actually doing a project together, but this is when it actually came into fruition. My goal was to make it like 808’s and Heartbreaks, but over his grimy ass Hip Hop beats. So I went to Seattle, slept on his floor for eight days and came up with this thing called I Brought Dead Flowers to a Funeral and it sold so much. I was so shocked because it was just a concept record, nothing to do with Vonnegutt, just a concept record. So fast forward two years later, and Vonnegutt had been doing really, really wel,l and we were on tour with Chiddy Bang. I had 10 days off starting X-mas eve, so I flew back to Seattle, slept on his apartment floor, and I wrote this record called The Sky is Falling and I’m Fine, and we just now put it out on DJBooth. Shouts to DJBooth, Z, and all them.
RubyHornet: I feel it’s good you can sort of have two different outlets to release music on.
Kyle Lucas: Yeah, I feel like most other artists have that too, because you know Vonnegutt is the check-writer. Vonnegutt is what I tour on, and we’ve been doing very well, but to maintain my sanity, you know, I have to do other facets of art. And that’s it right there.
RubyHornet: Can you talk about linking up with Big Boi and signing with Purple Ribbon?
Kyle Lucas: Yeah I mean Big Boi is my hero. Coming from the suburbs of Georgia, called Marietta, it’s skateboard kids, you know blink 182, Sublime. But then everyone of my friends knows every Outkast song. In Georgia they are the reason people listen to Hip Hop. And not to mention, worldwide, 50 million records, 9 Grammy’s. I mean, they‘re like my heroes. And still to this day, I’ve been signed like two years, it’s been like a dream come true. That’s still the homie, he’s like my big brother now, my friend, and my boss, but also, I idolize him.
RubyHornet: Bet. We spoke to Big Boi recently and one of the big things he emphasized was the importance, as a young artists, in finding what you want to do, and that is different from other acts. So can you sort of explain how you try to to that in your own right.
Kyle Lucas: I try to be the most versatile rapper on the planet. I want to be the most versatile rapper. I know I said that before, but I’ve done T. Mills, the millionaires, and then I’ve rapped on songs with Big Boi, Mic Terror, you know, Hip Hop s**t. And with Vonnegutt you know, he signed us because we’re different. He signed Janelle (Monae) because she’s different. We sound so different, and that’sthe thing with Vonnegutt, you can’t really put a finger on it. It’s like, “there’s a band, but he raps, is it pop? I don’t know what it is?” and that’s our goal, you know that’s what Outkast is.
RubyHornet: Can you speak on your time in Chicago? I know you’ve been here a bunch. Are you a fan of any artists out here?
Kyle Lucas: Mic Terror is one of my favorite rappers and like my fam. I’ve done three songs with him. I got a record for his record that made the album, so I’m super stoked for that. Shouts to Hollywood Holt. But yeah, Chicago’s the s**t, Lupe’s s**t, Kanye’s the s**t, we covered “Heartless” to bring back that Chicago s**t.
Ruby Hornet: So this is your second year in a row at Lollapalooza, How do they compare?
Kyle Lucas: Night and day man, night and day.
Ruby Hornet: How So?
Kyle Lucas: People know who we are. People came to us. I saw on twitter, people’s itineraries that they wanted to see us, and like people hitting us up after, looking into the crowd and seeing people know the words to “Going Home” blew my mind. Last year nobody knew who we were. Me and Neil were in the hotel talking about how crazy one year makes.
Ruby Hornet: So what is in sights for this next year? For Kyle Luacs?
Kyle Lucas: For me, really it’s just recording. I’m just trying to be the best rapper I can. I’m really just trying to perfect the craft, and that’s what this Midnite, my solo project, and Vonnegutt has spawned. It’s not like im trying to go solo, I just record every day. So I’m just trying to to be as good an MC as I can. I’ll be home until December finishing up this Vonnegutt record, single drops in October Feat. Big Boi, and hopefully touring again starting off in 2012.. Goddamn that’s crazy, that’s the first time I’ve ever said that.
