These days everyone is familiar with rap music, which is an emerging branch of hip-hop that has dominated the music industry for the past couple of years. While many people still find it challenging to understand rap music, its fan following has increased rapidly. This genre emerged in the early 1970s at block parties in New York City. Since then, we have seen rap artists like Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dog, and many more take the music industry by storm. In fact, they have proved their mettle and shown how versatile rap music is. And one thing is sure that many young and upcoming rappers are all set to carve a niche for themselves in this cutthroat industry. One name that has already started making waves is Joseph Morales, a.k.a Kakazi.
Joseph Rey Morales is a young American rapper with immense talent and incredible songwriting skills. According to Kakazi, he always felt inspired by music, especially rap. Coming from a musical background – his cousin being part of a Spanish rock band and his brother known as ‘Richie the Rhymer’ out of Houston, Texas – music was something that came naturally to him. “I never had any formal training for music and didn’t start rapping until I was 16 years old. For me, rapping was truly an inspiration and a dream,” Kakazi stated. He further went on to explain, “I saw it as a heartfelt conversation between the artist and his fans. This genre allows the rapper to share their life experiences, motivations, and regrets in the verses of their tracks, and that is so beautiful. Understanding the depth of rap made me fall in love with it even more, and I decided to pursue it professionally.”
It is no secret that many artists go for unique stage names that become synonymous with their success. Just like Eminem’s real name is Marshall Mathers, and Snoop Dog is an alias for Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, Joseph Morales knew he needed a stage name that would make him stand out from the rest. Initially, he adopted Kawasaki, but because a famous Japanese bike company already uses this name, it was taking the spotlight off of Joseph. “Ironically, I was playing with a toy piano that was branded ‘Kawasaki,’ and I liked how it sounded, but when I chose it to be my stage name, people always referred to me as the motorcycle,” Kakazi revealed. “I was not too fond of the fact that it reminded people of something other than myself. I was searching for another name, and once, I was freestyle rapping, and accidentally ‘Kakazi’ came out. I immediately stopped flowing and didn’t think twice about that being my permanent stage name,” he added.
Many new and aspiring artists look up to their idols as a motivation and inspiration for their art. They follow them and dream of being just like them. For Joseph Morales, one artist that truly inspired him, especially when it came to rap, was none other than Eminem. Talking about his idol, Kakazi shared, “Eminem is the rap god. I have always admired his versatility throughout the years. Like many, he, too, came from nothing and climbed to the top. Being raised in the slums of Detroit, he managed to showcase excellence throughout his career.” He continued, “From winning Oscars for his track ‘Lose Yourself’ to creating a jaw-dropping song, ‘Rap God’, where he shows off his incredible vocal skills. He showed me how we could have success through lyricism. His lyrics were always heartfelt, emotional and truly motivating. And that’s exactly what I want to achieve in my career.”
As for the problems that he comes across as an emerging rap artist, Joseph Morales stated, “Finance is a big challenge for young artists/musicians. Even though the internet has helped us get recognized anywhere in the world, it has also brought massive competition in the industry. There was a time when America was the king of Rap, and while this is still true, other countries have shown some good potential, making it even tougher to showcase our talent to the world.” Kakazi is of the view that young artists like himself need financial freedom to be fully creative with their work and that they require brand endorsements and sponsorship to survive in the ever-so-competitive music industry.
A passionate and hardworking soul, who is always determined to meet the high goals he set for himself, Kakazi is undoubtedly an inspiration for young talent who want to achieve success. In fact, his efforts and dedication clearly show that he is on his way to becoming the next big thing in the world of rap!
