“I love how DOPE has this beach house. It’s a utopia of creativity,” begins Kyndall, a confident firefly personality with a wealth of talent and one of the year’s hottest projects in her Still Down EP. “I’m a creative being. I love to be surrounded by creativity like this.” Considered something of a phenom, the mature 19-year-old is romantically advanced, wise beyond her years in the lanes of love and relationships. As a result, the singer’s six song offering is an expressive audio experience which professes the rhyme and reasoning associated with loves ups-and-downs.
On “Call Away”, Kyndall promises her lover she will always be there. With “All Mine” and “Close to Me”, the Houston-native reveals a possessiveness any man would covet from his queen, then forewarns her many female fans that heartbreak is inevitable on “Bullet” and “Playing Games”. But it’s the EP’s titular track, “Still Down”, where the amber-haired starlet’s enchanting voice captures the true essence of classic R&B, putting a contemporary spin on 90’s era cadences by toying with several deliveries on one tune, mastering each.
Signed to Atlantic Records, Kyndall is currently working on new music, finalizing future projects, shooting new visuals, and positioning herself to present a groundbreaking debut album. For this sun-lit June afternoon on Venice Beach, Kyndall takes a break between looks at her Beach House cover shoot for Pure DOPE Magazine to formally introduce herself to the world. She loves her Kyn Folk fan-base, loves her city of Houston, and loves the art of young love.
Written by ToneSwep
Images by: Rocco Ceselin
Styled by: Ali Levine
Hair & MUA by: Anthony Pazos
Location: Mobli Beach House, Venice Beach, CA
(ToneSwep: TS) What’s up, Kyn Folk! Yo, we gotta talk about “Bullet”. That video is crazy, but “Bullet” is the song that first stood out to me off the EP because of the Nas “It Was Written” string sample. That’s a very grown, mature record from you.
(Kyndall: Kyndall) Bullet is a bit more sophisticated than the other songs on the EP. It was where I was at the moment in my love life. I was in a very romantic space. The song embodied a romanticism of where I was at the time. And it’s a lot more vocally challenging. I went there as far as melody goes. I didn’t have any ballads on the EP, and working with Babyface you feel like ballads, love songs, relationship material; those are a must. And I’m like: ‘I need a Babyface record’. And Bullet is about love, because love is great. Love is deep. Love is kind. It’s an emotionally deep record relatable to lovers.
(TS) Still Down is an impressive body of work. At 19 you are addressing seasoned topics like love and relationships in a manner that people more than twice your age can relate to. How do you know so much so early in life? Where does the wisdom derive from?
(Kyndall) I ask myself the same question every day. I think it boils down to being in this industry since my childhood, having to grow up quickly. Spiritually, I’m deep and connected. And I know that love and relationships have lasting, real emotions. I have experienced it in my relationships, and in life. And it definitely comes out in my music.
(TS) “Close to Me” is classic R&B. The sound, the message. Young love. Is that the main thing you want listeners to take away from these songs? That ride-or-die couples still exist.
(Kyndall) Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yes, Yes! I’m a rider. I’m from Houston, Texas. We stand by our men once we find that one who is worthy of our loyalty. My mom, my grandmother, we don’t give up on loving our man. Ever! Even after the wheels off, we find a way.
(TS) What’s next for you? Your popularity is increasing by the day and your project is steadily gaining momentum. What can you do for an encore?
(Kyndall) I’m currently working on another body of work. So you can expect new music. From the music, to the songwriting, to the videos, everything will showcase my taking the next step as an artist. I really want to turn the corner, advance, and push myself.
(TS) Is “All Mine” from a real relationship experience you had?
(Kyndall) Everything I sing is. I don’t sing it if I don’t relate to it. If it’s not real, it isn’t for me. I’m trying to convince ya’ll of something when I make a song, and you can’t do that with a made-up story. The overall flow of the EP was a lot of ups and downs, roller coaster rides, happy in the beginning then jaded by the end, relationship songs. Issues that arise like infidelity, flirting, lying, cheating. Catching n!99as in the act (Laughs!). Which refocuses you, you know, because at some point a woman will say: “I’m over the games. Either be All Mine or be gone.”
(TS) Who were some of your early musical influences?
(Kyndall) Janet. Janet. And more Janet! (Laughs!). I love a good Janet Jackson record. SWV, Shante Moore, Jhene Aiko. My list is super long and each for a different reason. I would mainly stick with Janet, though. I love her and her music. And I always admired how she emerged from her iconic brother Michael’s shadow. Few could have done that, but she did and made it seem natural to do so. Janet was destined to be great no matter what.
(TS) You have a diverse background in the arts and a broad mix of musical interests. Name a dream collaboration of yours, one few would expect.
(Kyndall) When I was in high school I was a little out there, way out in left field, super colorful, and I listened to a lot of rock. So I would say Red Hot Chili Peppers. Man! I have to do something with them.
(TS) For some, contemporary R&B is like this mix of rap and auto-tune. Instead, your music is straight R&B, an approach music purists can appreciate. Is this the main reason why so many are drawn to your material?
(Kyndall) I can’t say I’m too much of a formulaic artist. I work off of vibe and emotion and feeling. When we were going to mix and master the Still Down records, everything felt like it was in its right pocket. It felt safe, strong. It felt real. Like, these are the right records. This is the right music to tell my story. This sat well with me. R&B to me is about trying love again, learning yourself, taking some time off to figure yourself out, and coming back one thousand times stronger and even more determined to love.
(TS) You write nice songs, and each is different from the other. What is your creative process as it relates to selecting beats, coming up with concepts?
(Kyndall) It varies. It really does. For example, right now I’m in the studio with the producers who did “Started from the Bottom” for Drake. We’ve listened to probably 50 beats already. I’ll sing a tune if I hear something. I really try and get the feeling out. Next, I’ll write to it after I feel it and really understand it. But my creative process changes all the time. How I create and write is very specific to the record.
(TS) Your music videos show the story being told in the song. A true visual with a real concept. That’s the difference between a video someone watches once, and one they watch over and over for years.
(Kyndall) I have strong roots in music theatre. So before any of this I was a show kid, a stage actress. I truly want to start getting into skits, short films, and 1-Act plays. Very realistic. Be as informative while entertaining as possible.
(TS) In Hip Hop, Houston has its own sound, from chopped and screwed in the streets to that bounce in the clubs. What is Houston’s signature sound, though? Destiny’s Child?
(Kyndall) For me, I think it varies. My brother would probably say Bun B or Destiny’s Child. I like Zero. I love every Houston artist, but my ultimate favorite is Zero. He was incorporating melody into raps before anyone I can think of.
(TS) How would you describe your sound and style? You bring street edge in the “Playing Games” video, but in “Close to Me” you were more girl-next-door cute than glam.
(Kyndall) I kind of keep it simple and, not to use the word urban, but street. Sometimes when you say R&B, people will take it all the way back to another era. Street to me now is what urban was back then. With Drake and Fetty Wap and all the guys more so singing now, it takes some of the rough tomboy side out of what I do and blends it with a softer girlie side, but I don’t have to compromise style.
(TS) If you dropped an all Houston anthem right now, with just H-Town artists on it, who would you have on there?
(Kyndall) Young buzzing artists, an underground legend, and a superstar, and make it the face of the city. Slim Thug, Kirko Bangz, Zero, Just Brittany, and then Beyoncé would really take it there.
(TS) What’s next from you? What should we be looking out for from our KynFolk?
(Kyndall) There’s a lot of new-new with Kyndall. I just wrapped a movie called KICKS that we shot in Oakland. Next year I hope to do Sundance. I’ve been auditioning for a lot movies, different types of roles just to stay working and keep my options open.
(TS) What do you want from the game, the industry? What, in turn, do you feel the game wants from you?
(Kyndall) I want respect. I want to look up and be that n!99a. I want to look back and have worked my tail off and be content knowing I did this. To the point that no one can take that trophy from me. The game wants me to be that new-new. That next big thing. I’m going to give it my all.
(TS) What’s up with the “#KynFolks”, your fan base? Man they go in. They ride for you. Speak directly to them for a minute.
(Kyndall) Well, first off, thank you and I love you. I love all my KynFolks! Don’t know what I’d do without you. They give me an unreal feeling, to have random people rock with you and ride for you to the end; let’s you know that you must be the best type of person to deserve people gravitating to you and your work. I’m going to remain humble and modest and honest in my music so they continue to really ride or die for me.
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