Adebowale Osunbiyi was born and raised in Toronto and goes by the professional name K.H.R (King Has Returned). His name is actually the English translation from Yoruba. Growing up with a diverse list of musical influences, K.H.R leans towards hip-hop, R&B and afropop. Although music was always a large part of his life, K.H.R didn’t start making music until his decision to leave university and pursue his passion. K.H.R dropped out of university and moved downtown to meet artists to produce and mix for, as well as further establishing his own sound.
“The North” ft. DomBank$ is a catchy hip-hop track all about the Raptors winning the NBA finals. The flawless verses are about the pride he has for his city. Toronto took on a different energy after taking the NBA finals. K.H.R had faith in the team all along and mixes bar after bar over a dope and alluring beat. This song perfectly highlights the never ending ambition and pride that Toronto has for its team. “The North” shows off K.H.R’s insatiable skills that have manifested into a prominent career in the music industry. “The North” has a dark and haunting trap beat fitting to K.H.R’s overall aesthetic. It’s hard hitting, edgy, current, and all around dope track. Prolific rhyme slinger DomBank$ spits addicting and relatable lyrics for all his fans to vibe to. He’s a talented rapper and lyricist and his artistry and grit shines through in “The North”. The track focuses on the monumental and legendary Raptors win that will go down in history, just like this track.
Check out “The North” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you start by telling our readers how you got started making music?
I was in school for Nuclear Engineering and one of the people in my dorm was an audio engineer and I would watch him mix and make beats. Eventually i started making beats so often that I wasn't interested in school anymore and wanted to focus on learning to mix and make beats. Eventually I dropped out and started making beats for different artists in Toronto. The more I worked with rappers and singers, the more I got the urge to execute my own vision for songs. I'd always loved freestyling and writing poems so when I would make a beat for someone or mix a song, I'd already have lyrics in my head for a track before the artist did so one day I made a beat and freestyled a track. I showed it to my homies and they wanted me to drop it right away so after that I started recording myself everyday to develop a sound.
We’re really into your song “The North”! Can you tell us more about it? What's your writing process like?
I've been a lifelong fan of the NBA and was watching the raptors play against the Golden State warriors in the NBA finals. It was game 3 and I was making beats with a producer from Toronto named Dombanks and we were inspired by the reaction in the streets from the raptors performance. We were hearing honking, yelling out the window. So we named one of the beats "raptors". Later on game 6 I was watching the game on a TV and flipping through beats till I came across the raptors beat we made and I pulled it up and started recording the song during the 4th quarter when I had a feeling we would win. And when we did win seeing the crowds reaction inspired the hook.
How have your Nigerian roots inspired the music you create today!
I grew up listening to the music my parents would play. In particular my mom would listen to Ebenezer One, King Sunny Ade, and Fela Kuti. They are very famous in Nigeria and we'll respected across the world. The music they made laid the foundation for the state of African music today and it influenced the types all of the rhythms and grooves that I like to use in beats.
Where do you see your career headed by the end of 2019?
By the end of 2019 I'm looking to do more performances across America and to network with creatives in America that make videos, clothes, music, and other forms of art.
I have a collective of creatives called Osun Tribe. We do events and design different projects in Toronto and I'm looking to expand my team and allow members in who's goals align with ours.
What’s next for you?
I have singles dropping soon and I'm currently working on my first mixtape "paper cranes" it'll be a good way for people to understand who K.H.R is as an artist, producer, and engineer.
Connect with K.H.R on social media
www.instagram.com/khrsound