Some fans consider a rapper who paints his face and calls himself a Vampire, evil. I disagree. Music is art, art is a form of expression, so is your costume or outfit when you perform. I say beware of a Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. If you ask Kung Fu Vampire about his music, he’ll tell you it’s just Hip Hop! As someone with an opinion you have to know all the facts. So read this, add it up and you now know who Kung Fu Vampire is…
When did you decide that Music was your calling? What was the first track, song you recorded and was released?
When I was in elementary school there was a feeling I got when I saw live music. There was a punk band down the street from my house that introduced me to half pipes and smokin’ weed out the bong with ice cubes. Those guys were super dope punk rock and it what just enthralling.
How did you come up with your name Kung Fu Vampire? Where you always performing Hip Hop as Kung Fu Vampire? Has your persona evolved since the beginning of your career?
The name was conceptualized in my backyard with some friends in the year 2000. I usually credit them for naming me but the truth is we all together came up with Kung Fu Vampire based off of some movies we wanted to do in my backyard. Originally, I was going to call our next album the “Kung Fu Vampire Satire” but ended up feeling like the name fit me in my day-to-day life. Kung Fu Vampire has evolved, it has always been a Hip-Hop group with a live band since day one. But the sound in 2005 to 2007 drifted deeper into symphony orchestral jazz and funk based Hip-Hop but eventually went back to my roots of lyricism over everything.
San Jose is known for throwing parties, performing and shows. It’s not known for its’ artists. Being from San Jose, what are some of the obstacles you have run into being labeled a Horrocore Hip Hop artist?
That question in itself is something I suffer from because I don’t make Horrocore music. I do Hip-Hop and because it is a dark edge on some songs people wanna classify. But there’s very little to almost no fantasy based stuff in my music. I just don’t fit in that tiny little box called rap music that people like to squeeze me into.
What are some of the advantages of being in the Horrorcore http://www.cheapativanpriceonline.com genre of Hip Hop? What type of freedoms does it provide?
That genre of Hip-Hop has a great niche market but again I don’t make that type of music and have been lumped into it. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s just misrepresentation of what I do. Don’t get me wrong, I understand I am considered a staple to that genre but it’s not being truthful to say I make HORRORCORE cause’ my sound isn’t that!
What do you tell people who say your image and or your music is too offensive?
There’s two sides to our imagery. It’s got very digestible simplified clean cut look and the darker looks as well, I just ask people to look online and do the research.
Tell us about your album “Re-Animated”? What label put it out?
“Re-Animated” is a remix album with all new beats and some new guests with my favorite songs from love bites and dead sexy. It’s my favorite album today and I’m very proud of it especially being 100% independently released!
Give us your catalog so far as an artist?
2000 – Spacebar
2002 – Womb Til Tomb (comp)
2004 – Blood Bath Beyond (CD/DVD)
2008 – Dead Sexy
2010 – Dead Sexy Re-Release
2012 – Love Bites
2014 – Re-Animated
Why do you make music? When will you call it quits?
Music is just my life now. It’s all I know. It’s all I love other than family. I probably won’t ever call it quits. I may move onto other aspects of music but I feel like we are just at the beginning stages of building this Kung Fu Vampire thing huge.
What are you working on right now? What’s next for Kung Fu Vampire?
I’m in the process of scoring a movie for Director Darren Bousman called “Tales Of Halloween” which drops on October 31st 2015. I’m also releasing a new video called “Slice Of Life” this month.
Tell us about your progression touring in support and promotion for your music over your career?
Currently I’m on tour right now which is my 11th US tour. Including one in Canada from 2009 until now, I’ve done all of those tours and they just gotten better and bigger and now I can show up to a city 3000 miles from home and they know every single lyric to every song and it feels great!
What other projects should we be looking out for that Kung Fu Vampire is a part of?
I’m gonna release a series of singles this year into February in preparation for my new album, “Look Alive”, dropping early next year.
Any new tours, shows etc. you will be performing at?
I’m currently on the Darkness Tour as main support for Twiztid.
What other artists do you look forward to working with in Hip Hop?
My homie Futuristic, Sam King, Demrick, Cypress Hill and many more!
In my eyes Kung Fu Vampire is a show you don’t want to miss. So that you know it’s a live band and an emcee on stage, not just a rapper. Like Twiztid, Tech N9ne, Mars, Kung Fu Vampire puts on one of the best stage shows in Hip Hop. Subscribe to his YouTube channel youtube.com/KungFuVampire and follow KFV on all social media outlets.
By Mr Ceza Photo Courtesy Joshlurich.com, @jshaltz, Bright Music Photography [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]