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Kalae Nouveau: An Unapologetic Soul

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It seems like just yesterday that I had my first experience as a member of Kalae’s audience, but it has been almost two years now. As I stood in her most recent performance at R Bar last month, I watched fledgling Kalae fans experience what I distinctly remember feeling too. I could describe it as childlike wonder, but I hesitate to say it’s that naive. These new fans, like myself at that first show, understood the complexity of elements that made the performance so remarkable. Kalae Nouveau, formerly known as Kalae AllDay, has something more than talent and so once again, I hesitate in choosing words. I hesitate to use such such trite terms for such a rare bird, but I can’t help feeling that the word I want to use is soul.

Kalae is not just a female MC (whatever that means anymore), not just a singer, not just a songwriter, not just a breathtakingly beautiful woman––Kalae is a beautiful soul. This aspect of the artist will always get lost somewhere in the depths of the iTunes store and so eventually, when the opportunity presented itself, I played my part to get that soul on film and spread the wealth. While on set with Kalae and the KGMM Recording Series a few weeks ago, I talked with her about what spurred the name change and the new sound, but then I asked some questions I wanted to know for myself. I asked Kalae about her home, about her past and her future, and most importantly, I asked her about that soul. I got every answer I could have wanted and more.

So former Kalae AllDay is now Kalae Nouveau; what was the reason for that change?

Evolution, as usual. Artists, we change, and so sometimes names change. Especially in hip-hop, a lot of people don’t have their original name to start with. I wanted something that kind of represented how I was growing into my music and into my groove, and I felt that Kalae Nouveau had a ring to it that was more adult than Kalae AllDay. And less kind of cliche […] it was very clear to me that Kalae AllDay was an MC’s name, and since I’m more than an MC, I wanted to have a name that was more broad and more of an umbrella over all of the genres that I do.

What was your reason for Kalae AllDay?

You don’t even want to know what happened. It was just Kalae, and I had been going by Kalae, so I basically decided that I was going to change my artist name to Kalae from whatever it was before–don’t ask–and I was making a MySpace band page. It said that myspace.com/kalae had been taken, so I had to write something in after that. So for one whole day it said “kalaebitch.” (laughs)

I think I hit up my nephew and told him that, and he was like “that’s lame” and I was like “you’re right.” Then I changed that shit immediately, to Kalae AllDay, because “all day” is kind of a hip-hop thing. All day is like all the time, you know? I thought Kalae AllDay had a good ring to it, so that was my steez from then on.

Do you think you’re becoming more acoustic or soul-influenced than you were before?

 A better way to explain it is that other people are getting to see this side of me more. My music has always been played with a live band. I’ve always done acoustic music and music with just my voice and acapellas and all types of things. A lot of people that are fans from shows know that about me and know that about my sound, and so I’m trying to bring that to my e-world so people can have a better understanding of who I am as an artist. I feel like I’ve always been this way, and I’m just now getting a chance to show people.

 
 

Do you feel like your online content was pushed more into the genre of hip-hop because they didn’t know where else to place you?

 Yeah. Yeah-yeah. It was kind of the box that was made for Kalae AllDay. I was shoved into a box and I didn’t like it, so I wanted out.

 What did you do to fight against it then?

Well Ben Tyree, who was the guitarist for “Word Theft,” I’ve known him since like 2010 so I’ve known him the entire time. I would say it was more of the decision in my head to put out something like that instead of putting out more hip hop songs. Then it became having more people come to my shows, then having it be a mix of all of these different genres and not being a synergistic marketing of Kalae AllDay.

What do you think of the model, or stereotype even of the female MC?

I never came into the game with the title female MC. That was a title that was given to me, not a title that I came for. Like I said before there’s what the public on the internet sees of me and then there’s who I am. For me, none of that’s changed, but for other people and how they’re perceiving it, it’s a whole different shift. It’s “oh so you’re not an MC anymore?” and I’m like “uh…I just am what I am.”

I would prefer not to be a female MC if being a female MC means something specific in someone else’s mind. If I can just be an artist, then I would prefer that so that way I don’t have to meet somebody else’s standards, you know what I’m saying? I feel…women are being packaged and marketed in the hip-hop industry and I definitely don’t want to be that. It’s very one-sided, it’s very over-sexualized, and not to say that we aren’t sexual beings, but rather to say we aren’t just sexual beings. We don’t have to just be that.

 
 

You’re from Harlem right? You still live there now?

I was born in Harlem, raised in Morningside Heights, and now I live in Manhattan Valley. And I never moved. I don’t know how this shit happens, but that’s what happens.

 What is your relationship with Harlem?

 (smiles) Jazz …is my relationship with Harlem. Growing up, a lot of kids in the neighborhood wouldn’t understand why I dressed the way that I dressed or why I’d present myself the way that I did, and I was not supported by the youth in my neighborhood whatsoever. But the old cats in my neighborhood…when I would walk by them, they’d be like “oh, Nubian goddess queen sista, please!” That kind of praise from the older generation I think definitely contributed to me growing into this person that’s very old school as well as very new school. And my family is from everywhere. I’m just a mutt.

Do you think that has an effect on your music now?

Oh yes. Everything has an effect on my music. I’ve always been very eclectic and so my music definitely shows that. I like a little bit of everything because I have a little bit of everything in my blood. It’s hard to not resonate with a lot of different things.

It’s hard for me to imagine now, sitting here with you, a Kalae that isn’t so comfortable with all the ways in which she is different. But was there a time in which you struggled with it, with all the parts of you and with being so unique?

Yes, every day. Every day. So many people are always trying to box people in.  People seem to enjoy one-sidedness, predictability, and just being able to go “oh, that’s who you are. Figured you out. Moving on to the next.” I think it gives people comfort. And so the fact that I have never been like that a day in my life, it hurts everyone around me. It’s uncomfortable. And so even though I try to make people feel as comfortable as possible, I can’t change the person that I am at the core. I am a Libra. I move with the winds.

I have a pleasant disposition and that’s all I can really promise you. It’s something that I’ve struggled with my entire life. Children teased me growing up consistently and there was some point where, and maybe still some point when I need to just stop thinking about what other people think of me. Just letting myself be true to my every rhythm, even if it’s polyrhythms.

I can’t force myself to be something that I’m not, so if my very presence disturbs you, I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can really do about that.

Kalae Nouveau (“All the link you will ever need” -Kalae)

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Article by Meghan O’Connor
Video by Kyle Gaughan



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