Chats with Nylez K
I never thought I’d get to enjoy the likes of Drake, Usher and Kanye West when I descended the stairs of the Biltmore Cabaret. Winner of Play Surrey Contest, Nylez K delivers when it comes to hip-hop and R&B tributes. Opening the night with Kanye West and closing with Ginuwine’s “Pony”, the Vancouver native knows how to work a nostalgic crowd. While well-versed in the classics, he holds his own performing his own tracks including “Remind Me” and “VibeTing” and kept the crowd chanting “Nylez, Nylez, Nylez” throughout the show. We were all begging for an encore at the end. I caught up with Nylez after the show:
A: You just played two back to back shows at the Biltmore and at Surrey Canada Day. How was the Biltmore show different from Canada Day?
N: I could personalize and be more intimate with the crowd. I was more emotionally connected with the audience. This was the first time I played with a full band, except for back in the day when I used to do Bollywood songs. I never imagined I’d have my own band and do my own songs.
A: What was it like playing at Rifflandia?
N: I was able to bless the stage thanks to my really good friend DJ Hark. Me and him produced the song “Remind Me”. We did that track together and when he told me he got an opening for Rifflandia, I said “heck yeah we’re going to perform this song”!
A: What was it like going to the Much Music Video Awards?
N: Getting to experience the red carpet…it was very very special to me. After that moment, I knew that I wanted to be who I am today. I knew that I wanted to make sure music is my main thing. I never wanted to look back after that
A: Your dad is a performer. What did he do?
N: He was mostly in the Bollywood genre and did a lot of Hindi songs. Back then, he used to do a bunch of stage performances, fundraisers, stuff like that. For him, it was always for fun
A: Do you have any shows coming up?
N: Not as of right now. My main focus is I want to finish off this project I’ve been working on. I’m trying to come up with an EP right now. I really want to hit the hearts of my fellow R&B and hip-hop listeners. I really want to home in on who I really am in this new EP and show, here’s what’s missing. That’s actually the title of the EP.
A: Last question. Bud Light Lime or Craft Beer?
N: I would say Craft Beer. If it’s from Vancouver, I’m definitely going to be drinking it.
Watch for his EP, dropping by the end of the year.
Review + Photos: Ashley Yip