“I Listen to That Song 100 Times, It Might Be More”

In an oversaturated music industry where massive social media followings are often bought instead of earned, acquiring an organic fanbase and making a hit record can often feel like a herculean task. Though the process of finding an audience is overwhelming for some artists, veteran engineer, rapper, and songwriter Kameechi isn’t worried about having trouble breaking through the noise. Instead, he’s rewriting the rules of the game by ignoring industry gimmicks and making the creative process his sole focus.

The laser-like focus Kameechi applies to his art is starting to pay off, with his latest material winning the co-sign of several well-established industry vets. The recent radio smash “16 Diamonds” serves as a shining example of his ability to make an impact without a massive advertising budget or marketing push. Instead, his song found a way of getting in front of the right people when legendary Hot 97 FM DJ and radio personality Funkmaster Flex first discovered “16” on SoundCloud.. With one of the top DJs at New York City’s #1 radio station backing the track, “16 Diamonds” quickly climbed to #9 on Hot 97’s playlist.

Although the validation of Funk Flex restarting his track multiple times and dropping bombs over it was much appreciated, Kameechi knew he had a hit with The Superiors-produced “16 Diamonds” long before it had any support from Hot 97. “When I first put the beat on, it had a extraness that was calling out to me. Kind of like it was tailored to me,” Kameechi says.

The extraness provided by The Superiors inspired him to come up with a captivating chorus to match their flawless production. Coupling his ear for distinct melodies with a strong attention to detail, Kameechi started developing the hook for “16 Diamonds” with some simple improvisation. “I did two takes of freestyles on the track,” he says. “I just pressed record and I freestyled. I’d be mumbling but having a couple of words in there, enough to draw up something. So after I did the freestyle I listened to it and worked it out pretty fast.”  

Showing off his understanding of the songwriting process and his knack for engineering, Kameechi added further sound and texture to the hook by layering his own background vocals underneath. By emphasizing words and phrases like “16” and “cocaine seats” he took the emotion and energy of the chorus to a different level. “As you hear it you get that rush of multiple emotions and activate certain sparks in your brain,” he says.

Listen to “16 Diamonds” on SoundCloud now

Kameechi’s ability to activate spark in the listener’s brain didn’t just happen overnight.

Growing up in Queens, New York, he first developed a love for rap music and hip-hop culture in his early years by listening to his father’s Eric B & Rakim albums. After relocating to Baltimore MD in 1997, Kameechi decided to test the waters of the recording industry by joining the group Duece Tre Duece with his two brothers. In a short time the group achieved considerable success with “Hands Up Thumbs Down” and the #1 regional hit “Backies”.

Though the members of Duece Tre Duece eventually went on to pursue different endeavors, Kameechi believes his experience with the group and subsequent time spent paving his own way have helped him immensely with developing his craft.  From engineering, producing, and even shooting and editing his own videos, all the years of deliberative practice paid off. “That allowed me to become this powerhouse of creativity,” he says.

And more than just helping him become a creative force to be reckoned with, Kameechi’s experience and time spent in the studio lets him successfully put all of his ideas into action. “I call it breaking it down into a science,” he says. “When you’re behind the engineering, you’re unlocking a certain level of experience in your ear and you can’t get that from not doing it. If you do your 10,000 hours, it’s engraved in your system—in your core. That’s why there’s really no skipping that step.”

Even though he now considers himself a powerhouse of creativity, Kameechi is still as detail-oriented as ever when recording new material. When he finishes recording each song, he puts it through an exhaustive critiquing process to make sure every aspect of the record is flawless. “I listen to that song 100 times, it might be more. Each time I listen to it in a different way,” he says. “I listen to it from the fans perspective, I listen to it through my perspective. Then I just listen to the beat, then I listen to just the lyrics. Every shoe I can fit in, I listen to it from that perspective.”

It’s this painstaking commitment to quality and self-analysis that lets Kameechi effortlessly flex a broad range of styles. On his new single “El Jefe”, we hear Kameechi tackling a much darker Superiors track than “16” with equally impressive results. And though the first verse of “El Jefe” gives off a party vibe, Kameechi manages to sneak more emotionally raw verses into the song that address topics like “all this poison” in his system.

Listen to “El Jefe” on SoundCloud now

With lines like, “Tired of being patient/Just a fancy word for big ass waste of time,” we get the sense that Kameechi is tired of the waiting game after years of paying dues—he wants to seize his opportunity in 2018. This formula of switching up between serious content and lyrics about excess and partying is something he prides himself on, saying that he aims to “get people crunk and at the same time get crunk to something they can relate to.”

With a music video for “El Jefe” shot and nearing completion, Kameechi’s next step is launching his Kameechi.live web experience. Aiming to provide fans with one stop shop for quality interviews, photos, music, videos, and other top-notch content, Kameechi hopes his web experience will blow traditional websites out of the water. In addition to his current singles and videos, fans can also expect a slew of new content in the not-too-distant future. “There’s gonna be an exclusive mixtape that I drop,” he says. “There’s gonna be an EP coming specifically tailored for the whole ‘16’ movement. I’m hitting the fans with a package when Kameechi.live drops. You’ll really be able to see my artistry.”

Looking to further boost his visibility when the web experience goes live, Kameechi signed and is currently working with industry veteran Roget Romain and his Black Count Imprint.  He also has additional tracks in the works with the legendary hip-hop production team The Superiors, multi-platinum producer The Specialist from early Pink fame, as well as material recorded with D12 collaborator Mr. Porter. As if that weren’t enough, one of his records will feature a mystery Grammy Award nominee.

Based on his recent output, 2018 looks to be a huge year for Kameechi. And though he doesn’t get into too many specifics beyond the aforementioned songs, he indicates that what we’ve heard from him so far is only the tip of the iceberg. What he has hidden in the vaults, only time will tell.

For now, Kameechi is content furthering his quest to master the music he loves so much. “It’s pretty deep,” he says. “But it ain’t deep when you really just drown yourself in it.”  

Written by Gino Sorcinelli

Gino Sorcinelli is a copywriter and freelance journalist who specializes in engaging, narrative non-fiction stories about the creative process and inspiration behind specific albums and songs. A former DJ and lifelong music enthusiastic, much of his writing focuses on rap and other sample-based music. He has bylines in Cuepoint, HipHopDX, Still Crew, Passion of the Weiss, Samplified, and Trackd. Check out his Micro-Chop publication to learn more about Gino and his work.