Following the release of his 2017 album, Dopamine, Khxos took some time to have a chat with Carib Voxx. Based in Miami, Florida, Khxos uses a fusion of sounds from Reggae, Dancehall, RnB and Pop, to showcase his versatility. Some of his most notable works include the ‘One Dance Remix’ with Trabass, ‘One Touch’, ‘So Loud’ and ‘Dopamine’. Here’s what Carib Voxx had to ask Khxos and what he had to say.
Carib Voxx: Who is Khxos?
Khxos: Khxos is a fun, humble music loving character who finds joy in making music and connecting with people.
Carib Voxx: Your album dopamine has been out for quite a while, what would you say about the feedback thus far?
Khxos: The feedback has been great so far and more people are getting to know who I am or want to work with me and that was one of the reasons I decided to create this album, to gain more exposure for my work and to share my sound and vibe with people.
Carib Voxx: What made you decide to call your album ‘Dopamine’?
Khxos: A friend of mine suggested it one day and I ended doing the song “Dopamine” that same day. The meaning behind Dopamine and the direction in which I want to go with the project. So, I went with it.
Carib Voxx: What is your favourite on track the album and why?
Khxos: It’s hard to really chose a favorite, I just have different songs for different moods and I think that’s how almost everyone feels about the project too. My top 5 though are: ‘Dopamine’, ‘So Loud’, ‘Nobody’ (feat. Chargii), ‘50 Shades’ and ‘Been on My Mind’.
Carib Voxx: Who were some of the persons you worked with on this album and who would you say had the most influence on curating the album?
Khxos: Chevaughn and Chargii were the only 2 artists featured on the album. LmrPro, Krisbeatz, Zimi Nick/Teflon (Zincfence Records) and Chargii were a part of production. My producer, Sean Alaric engineered 85%-90% of the project and mixed most of the tracks… He also produced 9/13 tracks too. In fact, he was the one who suggested I started doing music like this. He was also supportive of me doing the project and taking a different approach to the music. So, definitely him.
Carib Voxx: Your style of music is a little different from what the Jamaican culture is accustomed to but is slowly acculturating. Your music is recorded on airy, toxified beats with heavy kicks and bass guided by vocal samples, something that could be considered a mix between pop and dancehall. Why do you choose those kinds of beats as opposed to the traditional Dancehall, is it a movement? What is the thought behind it?
Khxos: Living here in the US has exposed me to so many different sounds and the Internet is now giving us a wider view of the world. So, seeing that I could go places with my sounds and ideas, I refuse to really limit myself to doing the norm and also, where I am it’s really hard to break as a dancehall artist. So, I have no choice but to be different.
Also, outsiders are adding a different flavor to our music and it sounds good… why shouldn’t we do the same? I really think we should make use of this wave that’s surrounding our culture at the moment. Who knows how long it’s going to last?
Carib Voxx: Being such a phenomenal artist do you think you’re getting that all-important attention?
Khxos: I can only make the music and hope to be a part of the right conversations. So far, I think I’m heading in the right direction. I’ve been getting lots of messages from people all over the world about my music and my album, ‘Dopamine’. I can literally see it growing and getting bigger as the days go by, so I think it’s all coming together. I just plan to keep doing good music in all efforts of boosting my following and having more people know about Khxos and this movement that me and my team have going on.
Carib Voxx: The aesthetics of your Instagram page is quite applaudable, it is something we noticed, why do you feel it’s so important to visually appeal to your fans?
Khxos: The internet has made it so easy for people to create music, everybody’s trying to be an artist. I have to find ways to make my work more appealing to the masses. I also find comfort in taking and editing pictures and I plan to help other young artist with the direction of their music later down the line… so I’m practicing lol
Carib Voxx: What’s the main highlight of your career?
Khxos: In 2016 when I did my first project, ‘Deception’, the video for a song on that project ‘One Touch’ was picked up by BET and MTV. The project itself also peaked at number two on the iTunes Reggae charts. I never really knew I’d get that much support so that was a highlight for me.
Carib Voxx: Tell us about your merchandises?
Khxos: I’m partnering with Big Dreams Clothing and we have Dopamine and Khxos shirts on sale. I couldn’t find the time to do it by myself and the owner, who is a fan of my music reached out to me and the idea sounded good. So, I was like “yeah, let’s do it. That’s going great! (we also ship worldwide, lol)
Carib Voxx: Do you have any upcoming projects that fans can keep an eye out for?
Khxos: I have a few collaborations that I’m working on and I also have a few that have been completed already. We also plan to release another album in 2019. So, there’s definitely that. Just keep your eyes peeled for new and exciting things. Carib Voxx will definitely be a part of future releases!
