Nathaniel Roots "Killgxxd" - DJ and Producer

KillGXXD is  a creator with 11 years of experience. His primary creative work is music production & dj’n. His love & knowledge for music is unique in its own! Due to his father who is a Jazz, R&B, Funk, & Oldies connoisseur he was able to learn and appreciate different types of genres at a very young age. KillGXXD also has his hands in photography & ministry work. Choosing photography as his way of relaxing and enjoying nature & playing bass guitar with his local church’s praise team.

Contact Info:

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

In the last 2 years I made the decision to become a artist instead of just a producer & Dj. What fueled this decision was me hating the typical Dj role. Playing whatever the crowed wants to hear was the worst thing for me. I hardly ever like what the majority likes, so when I spin records its always a “love/hate” response from the crowd. Some think my style of Dj’ing is genius, creative, forward-thinking, fresh, & tasteful. On the other hand some people arn’t hip to the sound. They don’t understand it & it’s unfamiliar to what they know musically leaving a bad taste in their mouth. After dealing with this for 3 years I sat down and thought to myself “When people come to see an artist they don’t run up to the entertainer and request songs all night. They listen and enjoy whatever the artist performs. They are fans of the artist work”. I love that concept, “people coming out to hear, see, and enjoy the artist’s work”. Since I already produce music I just started putting my tracks in my dj set’s & created a unique show. Sometimes my show’s consist of all original content that i produced or I’m simply spinning jams that i love!

How does your personal story/background influence your work?

My pops is a music head. His love for music is something I always valued. Still to this day I want a record collection like his. lol. My pops would act out whatever instrument he enjoyed the most in a song, faking like he was a professional sax player. hahaha. That expression coming from my dad  inspired me to want to play real instruments. I didn’t have the money to get the instruments i desired so I settled to go digital and make music virtually. I would make stuff and my pops would come in my room and say “Dang son, that sound tight right there! You really love this music stuff huh?” lol.

Which of your works are you most proud of?

I would have to say “Tribe & Vibe” is my most proud piece of work. I actually played my bass guitar on that track which was something I always wanted to do but was scared. lol. “Tribe & Vibe” definitely broke the ice for me. Plus the track sounds really abstract and cool. 

What is the hardest part about being a professional artist?

To me its the emotions that's makes being a artist hard. A lot of the times my mood is determined on whether or not my music is getting any attention. If I release something and the number of exposure aren't good (According to my standards) I’m boarder-line depressed. I had to do some deep searching to control this which turned out to be the hardest thing.

What artists inspire you?

What advice would you give aspiring artists who come from minority or under-represented groups?

Love will drive you to do wonders! Make sure you love what you do!

Links to Your Work
Please provide, if applicable, up to 5 links to multimedia examples of your art (videos, audios, news articles, etc.)
Example #1:  https://soundcloud.com/killgxxd
Example #2: http://futurebeatsrecords.com/killgxxd-we-family/
Example #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg3Ui6c1txE
Example #4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lspbOPFamo
Example #5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1SUoWKLCp4

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