Billionaire Boys Club launched their “Boys of Tomorrow” interview series recently, featuring commentary from artists that they handpick. Additionally, the series includes the production of a printed zine to accompany the insight obtained from the interviews.
For the second edition of their series, BBC highlights Kirk Knight of Joey Bada$$’s Pro Era collective. The producer/rapper spoke details his life, including his Caribbean roots and the respective contributions each of his parents made to his upbringing.
“My mum always had a vision for me. She was the one who bought a piano, before I was born, and a guitar, before I was born, but my father didn’t really want me to live that kind of lifestyle,” Knight says.
Kirk Knight embarked upon an unconventional journey during his teenage years. Thanks to a nudge from Pro Era leader, Joey Bada$$, he found his spark through rhythm and pursued musical production. As a producer first and a poet second, his musical production skills are completely self-taught. “Joey called me like ‘Yo! I’m starting up this sh*t, it’s called PRO ERA, I want you to be one of the producers in the group!’,” he recalls.
Kirk’s unassuming persona and calm presence adds significant wisdom and wittiness to the Pro Era group. He distinctly focuses upon creating an uninhibited space solely for him and his teammates to create. Rather than creating a realm of facade or fantasy, his creative production space maintains a landscape that influences others and allows Pro Era to thrive. “I’ve never put myself in a situation where I’ve had to work for anybody. I’ve literally just sat here and created a landscape for all of my brothers to thrive on and that’s what everybody should strive to do… facts,” he explains.
You can read the full feature in the FW17 BBC zine, which is available now online and at the London flagship store on Marshall Street.
In addition to the interview, Knight is featured in this season’s BBC Holiday 2017 lookbook, which carries an extraterrestrial theme. Subversive messages found upon the sleeves provides commentary on the turbulent social state of inclusion.