We’re working on releasing our music app at SNOUNDS, and as part of that, we’re interviewing various musicians about their music and perspectives on the music industry. This time, we had Jermaine, our CEO and Founder, interview Koz about his new music and some of his thoughts on the music industry. The entire interview may be found below. Let us know what you think about this interview in the comments section.
“Far From Average.” This isn’t merely the title of the latest track from Koz.Me. It’s who he is.
Koz.Me is far from average. He’s got international swag!
The music Koz.Me makes is too big for one genre. It’s hip hop, R&B, pop, kizomba, Afrobeat, dancehall, reggaeton, trapton, club. It’s all of the above.
For about three years, Koz.Me was cooking in his lab to develop his own unique, international sound. He experimented with fusing different genres and like always, hard work paid off.
A singer, songwriter, beatmaker, he also mixes, audio engineers, and produces his own music as well as that of other artists from all around New York. “Far From Average” was written, co-produced, and mixed by the artist himself.
In addition to music, Koz.Me choreographs his own videos, including the just-released “Far From Average.” In other words, Koz.me is an all-round artist and total entertainer.
“Far From Average” may show off Koz.Me’s big-city smarts, but he got his swag from the tiny island of São Nicolau in Cape Verde.
Growing up, music always guided his spirit. Even though as a young boy he was involved in music in his church, it was in his early teens that he started on his musical path. He formed a hip-hop crew that performed in local community festivals. Koz.Me soon discovered he had bigger and broader dreams. He didn’t want to be defined just by hip hop even though hip hop is part of him. This revelation led him to his next move.
He became a drive-time DJ at Radio Cidade, one of the country’s major radio stations, with the goal of to connect with national and international music personalities. During this period he was able to be surrounded by music, study music styles, and define his target audience.
Recording and singing under the name ELL Cosme, he released his first professional single, “Koza Sab” in 2014. It was an instant hit in Cape Verde and generated international media attention and radio plays in Portugal, The Netherlands, France, other parts of Africa, as well as in NYC, Boston, and parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island. The song stayed at No. 1 on radio and TV for months, driven by public demand.