Kevin Pollari, 24, isn’t a rapper. Well, not exclusively at least. To the Atlanta native turned Los Angeles resident, rapping is just his latest endeavor. “I started out selling and trading clothes. That was my street hustle. That’s how people got to knowing me.” In just a year and a half, Pollari has garnered a respectable Soundcloud following (just over 13,000 followers) and has worked with some of Atlanta’s young elite including Father, Playboi Carti, and Lil Yachty, as well as budding producers Metro Boomin, Hurtboy AG, and DP Beats.
I spoke to Pollari right before he set off for SXSW this year, where he performed at a slue of showcases and parties. “I did some shows last year but it wasn’t like how I’m coming this year.” He seemed to be going through his everyday LA routine as we spoke over the phone, but he remained focused and attentive throughout our discussion. “ I came out to LA when WEDIDIT hit me up to work. They basically found me online and got in contact with me. After they heard what I had been working on, they signed me.” I couldn’t help but note how humble he spoke about becoming WEDIDIT’s first hip-hop signee. For a label who has worked closely with rising R&B stars like Tory Lanez and Jeremih, it’s impressive Pollari was chosen as their first hip-hop release.
“Sonya goes in a more artistic direction than the music I’ve previously put out. After Sonya’s out, I’m gonna put out an EP called Top Down In Winter that’s gonna be full of shit like the Pollari people fell in love with. It’ll basically be the follow up to Off With His Head. I just had to get on my artistic shit for the album to show people where I wanna take this, but I still have to give everyone what they fell in love with.”
Saying this as an Atlanta outsider, it seems to me that the limelight was destined for Pollari. Through his fashion trading and designing, he opened doors that later helped him splash into the music world. The sudden success, however, was not planned. “I was really just making shit just to make it and then my friends started telling me more and more I should drop stuff as I got better and better.” The same has been said about his close collaborator Lil Yachty. It’s a common phenomenon amongst today’s up and coming rappers. The attitude and character of the artist is developed far before the actual music starts being made. Sure, sometimes the music suffers when artists focus more on their image than their work, but for Pollari, his image and character seem to come so naturally, he can focus on his music full time. “I’m hella keen on aesthetic. I look up to Kanye for his music and the way he knows exactly what he’s going for. It’s not like I ‘make’ music, I want to compose music.”
As impressive as the roads he’s paved for himself in his short music career is the amount of legitimate fans he’s garnered along the way. It’s not uncommon these days that we see artists who predominantly release music via Soundcloud who struggle to create real fan followings. With Pollari, however, it seems to be the opposite. “My fans have taken to referring to me as Kevin the Sea Cucumber of the Jelly Spotters from Spongebob Squarepants. I don’t know why or how it started but people really fuck with it. I fucking love Spongebob.” Just last week, before dropping Sonya on Soundcloud and all major streaming services, Pollari tweeted out to his fans to tweet him photos of their favorite Spongebob characters, resulting in a tidal wave of Spongebob pictures, clips, and meme’s across my Twitter timeline for hours. It was then I realized the kids really, really rock with this dude. And he’s not just some cartoon enthusiast. “I can’t speak on who or how it happened, but the artwork for “Off With Your Head” is a real, commissioned piece by George Condo.” Yes, you read that correctly. The same revered artist who created the art for Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” designed the cover for Pollari’s first project. Again, I blindly say that Pollari was destined for stardom.
As we wrapped up our conversation on the phone, it occurred to me again how much I felt Pollari was destined to be here. Often times when interviewing artists, getting solid answers out of them can be like force feeding vegetables to a stubborn toddler. With Pollari, it was much more of a conversation than an interview. As a social person, I connected with Pollari and could tell how easy socializing came to him. And that’s his biggest asset. Is Pollari the best rapper doing it right now? Probably not. Is he on his way there? Definitely. In the music scene, knowing the right people is more than half the battle. Luckily for Pollari, that’s the part that comes easiest. As his music continues to get better and better (and damn if it isn’t already cracking), Pollari remains in the right places with the right attitude. Frankly, it’s hard to not want to see someone like that succeed. And I have a feeling it won’t be long until he’s out performing everyones expectations.
You can listen to Sonya on Soundcloud (below) as well as on Apple Music and Spotify. The project is also available for purchase on iTunes and at www.wediditcollective.com.
