From Inspiration to Creation: King Zaae Shares His Artistic Evolution and Upcoming Ventures
By. Alicia Zamora
A Conversation with King Zaae
In the vibrant world of music, authenticity and vulnerability can set an artist apart from the rest. Rising star King Zaae embodies these qualities, bringing fresh energy to the industry with his unique sound and heartfelt lyrics. In an exclusive interview with Alicia’s Studio, he shares insights into his artistic journey, revealing the experiences and emotions that fuel his creativity.
King Zaae’s passion for music is evident in every note he plays and every word he writes. As he navigates the challenges and triumphs of his burgeoning career, he remains committed to staying true to himself. His ability to connect with listeners on a personal level stems from his willingness to be open about his struggles and triumphs, making his music relatable and impactful.
Join us as we delve deeper into King Zaae’s creative process, exploring the inspirations behind his work and how he strives to convey authenticity in an ever-evolving music landscape. This interview is more than just a glimpse into his artistry; it’s an invitation to understand the man behind the music and the journey that continues to shape his sound.
Diving In
Zaae: My name is King Zaae, and I’m an artist!
Alicia: What made you want to start music, and when would you say you started to take it seriously?
Zaae: Man, I've been taking it seriously since day one. I started when I was 10, so growing up, I listened to a lot of rap and old school hip-hop and R&B, and Migos came out, you know, the mumble rap was a thing, so I was like, 'Oh man, I want to make music like that so I asked my auntie for an iPhone, and I would make beats on an iPhone. I bought a shitty ass mic, and I’d be in the garage every day after school. This was like elementary sixth grade. Every day, I recorded music and made songs and albums. I dropped about seven albums that year.
Alicia: Wait, how old are you right now?
Zaae: I just turned 18
Alicia: Oh wow, okay, you’ve been doing this for a while.
Zaae: I'm coming on eight years now
Alicia: When did you first drop something where it was for everyone to hear and not just for yourself?
Zaae: When I started, I was like, “I'm a rapper, bro.” Yea,h it was bad. I was showing everyone. I even posted it on Instagram for everyone to see.
Alicia: What does your songwriting process look like? Are there specific rituals or habits that help you get into the creative zone?
Zaae: Sometimes, I like to call over Mr. BNH Deluxe. Oh yeah, it's a guest appearance. He's better at guitar, and I'm kind of shitty at instruments, but other than that, I like to listen to new music, and then I'll just be like “Oh, I gotta make a song like this,” and then I'll pull out the computer. I always have my computer audio interface and mic with me. So I pull out the computer, boom boom, find the sound, make a beat, make a song. I haven't really written a song since 2019, honestly. So it's really like whatever I'm feeling like, if I'm going through something, I'm in my feelings; I have to make a song about it. Sometimes, it just comes to me.
Alicia: Do you have a particular message or theme you hope to convey with your music?
Zaae: I love to be authentic and vulnerable; I like to talk about stuff that usually people won't even talk about, or sometimes it's hard for you to admit for yourself. I like to talk about how I grew up kind of privileged and like how that affected me and like my relationships with people and, you know, being a little bit selfish and working through how I can be more selfless and how can I be better to the people I love or anything you know what I mean like stuff that you probably wouldn't even hear in music like that but like you know stuff that's like real and not like oh they just got a broken hearted from a girl you know I feel like that stuff's like that's so fake and overplayed like yeah that happens, but like there's so much other stuff in life that's painful and like happy and sad.
Alicia: Can you recall a time when you were stuck creatively? How did you push through that block?
Zaae: Yeah, last year. I stopped making music mentally while going through some hard times, so I couldn't produce. I was like all this is ass. I'm producing stuff, and it's horrible. I couldn't make anything good, and I just felt like my confidence was low. Everything is bad, and actually, again, I call Mr. BNH Deluxe, and he appears. In my room, right here, and we made an EP last year and that kind of helped me get on my creative block. I just learned a lot from him. Like production and stuff, and you know it's different. Since then, I've collabed a bit more, but at that time, it helped me escape that creative block.
Alicia: How do you decide when a song is finished? Do you tend to keep refining, or do you know when to step away?
Zaae: Oh, that's a hard one. Sometimes I'll be like, 'Oh, this is so fire.' Late at night, I’ll make a song and then the next morning, I'm like, 'This is ass, bro.' It's never coming out. Or sometimes I'll be like, 'This is really good and then be like, 'Okay, next morning, it could use some tweaking. I'll go back and mix it a few times. There are some songs where I just like, 'Man, I have this one song, I'm gonna drop it.' But I was like, 'I went through 40 different mixes and was just not content with it. And sometimes you just need to take an ear break, and then I come back to him like, 'Okay, this is a good song. I'm tripping; I don't need to mix it 40 different. Other times, it's good like this, and so yeah, I know for the most part that this is good, but this is not.
Alicia: Diving into your recent single “Nothing about you,” what inspired the song and what’s the meaning behind it?
Zaae: So I made this song like a year ago and about a girl, and I really love 2000s R&B. I have another single where it was also about but the production wasn't good, so I was like, I need to make a better one, like I wanted to improve and show that I could do better and I made it, it was a solo song at first. I played that song for Eric Doa's manager.
Zaae: Then BNH added a guitar solo to it, and he added some more layers to it and made it better, and I was like, I gotta get a feature with Prime, so I was like, take out my second verse and I put Prime in ther,e and I was like, all right, it's done. And then it's like, I need to drop something, so that's right, that's what I did.
Alicia: Looking back at your earlier work, how do you feel you've evolved as an artist? What changes have you noticed in your sound or approach to music?
Zaae: So back then, I had a really bad problem copying other artists. At one point, I was obsessed with Juice WRLD, and I was just a Juice WRLD clone. I was obsessed with Lil Mosey. I was just a little Mosey clone, you know, whatever era I was in like the last one was Eric Doa, and I was just an Eric clone, and then Glaive and whatever, right? And so I finally found my own sound, and after that, it was finding the right production for me and improving that, so I'm in school for audio engineering.
Alicia: What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned since you first started making music, both about the industry and about yourself as an artist?
Zaae: Um, about the industry, it's kind of a foul industry, like there's a lot of fake people in here, and I think like your network and your people in your community is the biggest thing. I learned that you do need a community of people, and like one artist, hundreds of people are behind that one artist. It's not just that one artist. And yeah, and yeah, treat everyone nicely. That is because you never know what they can do for you, you never know like who they are and stuff,f so I think that's the biggest thing I learned is that you need to be nice to people; I mean, this is a basic rule that everyone should know but especially in the music industry because like I said you never know who knows who and your network is like where that's your net worth right there so yeah that and intentional, be intentional with music like good music that lasts a long time has a lot of purpose and intention into it if you're just making music to make like bangers or hits or whatever to like be famous then like you're not going. To have a lot of purpose and intention into it if you're just making music to make, like, have the longevity like somebody may be like, 'oh, like this was cool when I was a kid,' but like, are they gonna go be like, 'he made an impact in music probably not, you know what I mean?
Alicia: Have there been any defining moments in your career so far—either successes or challenges—that helped shape your artistic vision or your career direction?
Zaae: Like I said, the EP I did with BNH Deluxe. It helped my production because I was stubborn, you know what I mean. I was like, I'll do it my way, like this other way, like we argued about the song. I was like, bro, it doesn't need a layer, bro. Yeah, bro, I told you, and you said, do it. It'll sound better, and I was like, dude, that's stupid. I don't want to do a layer. I wanted to do it my way, and I ended up listening to him, and it was good. He was right, and I was all right. I was starting to learn to listen to people and not be so stubborn about my music and stuff because he's my homie. And he's just trying to help me. And you know people close to you and in your circle, just trying to help you grow. You have to be able to listen to people who know better than you in certain areas and be humble enough for that right.
Alicia: What’s your ultimate vision for your career as a musician? Do you have a specific goal or legacy you hope to leave in the industry?
Zaae: Oh my god, you know, honestly, I want to be at a point where I want to go on tour in like the next year or two. I want to be at a point where I'm like, 'Oh man, that's Zaae up there.' You know what I mean? Like I want to be like that. And ultimately, I want to make a long-lasting impact.
Zaae: Like Michael Jackson-type impact on music, or you know what I mean. Like they'll talk about me 10 years later, I want to do a lot [of] representing black music. And representing Chinese music, you know, Chinese people, and Asian Americans, and music too, and like culture, you know, authenticity. I don't know; I'm just [making] a huge impact. I want to go on a lot of tours and do a lot of shows. But you will only catch me at a stadium if they pay me. But I like the intimacy between [the audience]. I don't want to feel like I'm just this big guy. Do you know what I mean? It's too much like worshiping.
Zaae: I feel like we all love this song; I just happen to make it, and it's cool. You know, just sharing the love for the music.
Alicia: Okay, so you prefer smaller venues.
Zaae: Yeah, you know. I'll come down the stage and talk to you guys, or if it was less of me, like above people, I don't want to feel like I'm just like such a big star. I don't know. It just feels like, yeah, I get you, I get you. I want to feel like I make music; you guys love it, and it's cool. We all have fun, and let's sing along to the songs we love because we relate to them—that kind of vibe.
Alicia: If you could perform anywhere in the world, regardless of logistics or resources, where would it be and why?
Zaae: I want you to know that this is cliché. I want to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York or The Roxy in LA.
Alicia: How do you handle criticism, whether from fans, critics, or peers? Has it ever shaped the way you approach your art?
Zaae: I have a great story about this. I made an album in 2019 about how I was like this was like my juice real calm, fair era. I was so happy. I was like, oh man, the album's done, and I let my mom listen to it. She was like, 'This is ass. This is my album, this is my album, this is my album, this is his ass, and you need to go back.' My heart was so broken, but my mom was right. She was like, 'I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I feel like you can do better, and I feel like you it wasn't just this; is ass son,' but I mean that was part of it, though. That was the funny part. It helped me like I have to, and that's why I feel like I'm so now. I'm super intentional with my music because, like my parents, they always help, like you know. My mom shaped me like, oh man, I need to be more intentional. I was just throwing out music trying to copy Juice WRLD, and she was like, 'I want to see.' She wanted to see me in my music and not someone [else], so she tried to push me to that. Point blank. My mom would do her makeup in the bathroom, singing my songs, and I'd be like, 'That's nice.'
Alicia: How has your personal life and experiences shaped your music? Are there certain events or phases of your life that you draw from most often when writing or recording?
Zaae: Oh, that's a good question. A lot in my life happened. Whenever I go through something, I make a cliché song. Like I'm going through something, [for example] relationship-wise, or my dad just yelled at me about my responsibilities, I will make a song. And that's true. I like to make it sound like you wouldn't even know, like I have this one song where it's trying to capture 2010 pop vibes with trap drums. But I'm talking about, like, I just got [into an] argument, and my dad was like, 'You're not responsible. You need to be an adult. You're so privileged,' and I don't feel good about myself. I'm like, I need to put it on a song because I mean, he's not wrong, but I do need to change these, but sometimes I don't know how. Being vulnerable and honest, but you would never know you can interpret it in many different ways. Being vulnerable and honest, I feel like people don't know who sings about that; you know who sings about that.
Alicia: If you had to define success for yourself, what would it look like in both the short term and long term?
Zaae: Well, in the short term, in the next two years, be on a tour like at least four or five city tours and be able to sell [around] 100-200 tickets for each show cleanly. And be able to plan it well, not lose money, and have fun. Successfully do a tour in the next two years that's for short term. In the long term, having a career like yours can't knock me down, you know what I mean. Lil Uzi can't ever fall off; you know he's always gonna have fans. You see, he's gonna, you know what I mean, like big, like that, and being able to have longevity and [being] impactful. Like the Black community, Asian community, and, like, yeah, just being able to impact those communities positively through my music, and then impact the music community and inspire other creative people that look like me and want to sound or do music the way I do.
Alicia: What advice would you give to other aspiring artists who are just starting out?
Zaae: It’s your journey!! They should all quit and leave room for us because there are already too many. And I was playing! I think you just… practice. Treat it like people treat art. It’s like a sport. The more you practice, like I was at the beginning, the more you practice, the better you get. It’s like the way you would practice basketball. You would run drills every night, go whooping all day, and like a Kobe Mamba mindset.
Zaae: Kobe didn't start off the best. Do you know what I mean? He had to get to a point where he got there. So, treat it if you want to. If you want to be the best, you can be! You have to train like it's a sport. Put in your hours, and make beats. It used to be every weekend, and then I made six to seven beats every day till my head hurt. You have to be able to put in that work to get where you want to get, and you're going to be there after a while. So, have a work ethic because it won't come to you. It's not magic. It's like anything significant in life; you must work hard.
Alicia: If you had the power to change one thing about the music industry, what would it be and why?
Zaae: I would change the professionalism all right. Half of these managers don't reply to anything. There are no emails, and there is nothing.
Alicia: That’s so true. I struggle with that so much too, like when I reach out to people, it's so crazy. I feel like it's also I feel like for that at least the followers you have kind of counts like they look at numbers for sure like I know they open it and they're like nah
Zaae: That's what I'm saying! But it's also like if you see that I'm trying to be a young [artist], you know it's a business. You know what I mean? Like any other young entrepreneur and business person, you treat them with the same professionalism because if they go and tell other businesses this is how you're treating other companies, that's not going to look good. But there needs to be a change in the industry. It should be fine how many followers you have. If you're serious, and you got your shit together, and you're doing business in the industry, you need to be treated with the same respect as Justin Bieber. It's the same professionalism that you should carry, and even if you weren't going to work with that person, be kind enough and be professional enough to let them know and update them. That's what I think, because if you have to be floating in the wind, hoping and just like, 'Oh man, like you guys come on.'
Alicia: Oh yeah, I agree 100% with that. You're so real for that
Alicia: Looking ahead, what are the next steps in your musical journey? What are you most excited about in the near future?
Zaae: Oh, man! BNH Deluxe and I are dropping another album. I'm excited to drop some R&B.R & B. People love it, and it's attracting many more people than I ever got. I only got, like, a couple of hundred streams right now, but I caught 12 people listening to my song yesterday, and that's the most I've ever seen, so I think, um, this next EP album, whatever man, it's gonna be fire, and like we're bringing it back 2016 and 2018, like rap sound like, and like you know, just making it our own.
Zaae: I got BNH to rap, bro, and I did, bro! I got him to rap for real rap, like no auto-tune rap, and it's gonna be fire. I think, and just like bringing back that sound because I feel nostalgic now like that stuff was six to eight years ago. It's crazy, and like we're gonna have a release party, and I think I think I'm just excited for that. I'm excited for people to hear the new music and hear everything I got. There is so much stuff in the vault that I gotta release; I got stuff that sounds like Ariana Grande, bro, like I got stuff. Like, I'm trying to, I'm trying to. I'm the next Ariana Grande. Mark my words!
Alicia: If you could look back at this interview in five years, what do you hope has changed or evolved in your career by then?
Zaae: I'll say it again. I hope I'm on tour. I hope I've gone on tour. I'll be on tour in the next five years. I'm on tour in the next five years. I'm gonna be a little sad, I'm not gonna lie, if that hasn't happened yet. But I hope I'm in a completely different place. I hope, looking back, I'm like, 'Man, that's so far back,' and I'm just trying to put in my work, in my a thousand hours in it, and get to like I want to be full-time and get to a level where I can make music as like my passion and like yeah, like I hope in the next five years, man. I'm gonna fight somebody.
Alicia: What do you want people to remember about you as an artist, both in the short term and long term?
Zaae: I want people to remember that I don't know in the short term, like my authenticity and how I'm for the culture. I like Kendrick for the culture; I want to be for the culture and my people. I want people to remember that I think long-term too, actually long-term too, but like Tupac, you know, like for us in the Black community, like Tupac was not just like a good rapper. Still, he was for the Black community, which made him such an important figure, and maybe the language thing, in the short term. I'm trying to do the whole marketing thing. You know, I can speak a whole bunch of languages, and that's memorable.
Alicia: From all the songs you've dropped, which would you say best describes you as an artist?
Zaae: Oh, I don't think there's one, oh man. I don't know. I have too many. No, no, there are a few songs initially. "I think im scared" Yeah. "I Think I'm Scared" and this latest song, I think, kind of like, you know, like [incorporate] all my influence. I'm a rapper, an R&B singer, and a pop star. I'm just a bit of everything in that kind of box of things, and yeah, I don't know, like that's just me. Because initially, I wanted to be like Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars at the same time, and then "Nothing about you," I'm trying to be like B2K, you know, in the '90s, and then, "I think I'm scared," I think I'm Daniel Caesar, and Keisha Cole mixed. So it's just a whole bunch of everything I grew up listening to, and just like me, I'm talking about real stuff in those songs too, like really expressing myself.
Alicia: If you could describe your music in one word what would it be and why?
Zaae: Happy because i'm happy… wait no culture
Alicia: Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about?
Zaae: Oh yeah, yet again, Mr. Deluxe and I are releasing our album or EP here. At this point, man, it's an album. It's an album no different. We're the next rap stars, you know, I don't care what Polo G said, 'um that's us, and yeah, that's probably most excited about. I'm most excited about the listening party because we're trying to have many people. We're trying to have fun and show people our new music.
Zaae: I think people are going to be surprised about like what we're doing because I don't think anybody's going to expect this, to be honest
Alicia: Ending the interview off, would you like to say anything to the people who listen to your music?
Zaae: I would like to say thank you for listening to my music. Everybody go follow Alicia and listen to my music more because I got so much.
