“I’m doing music with a purpose,” says our #artist2lookout4. “I make global music, I’m an international artist—I want everyone from the diaspora across the globe to connect with me.”
Photograph by WIRE
Say hello to Atlanta based, Dominican Republic rooted artist & creative director, KATONTHEMUV.
Kat is an Afro-Caribbean Latinx rapper & songwriter who blends dancehall, reggaeton, and afro-pop to create positive, energetic sounds with a message. Her lyrics speak to womanhood, resiliency, power, and self-love.
Press Play 🎵 ~ KATONTHEMUV
In a time when women’s rights and autonomy over our bodies are constantly being threatened, Kat’s music serves as a reminder of the fortitude of the divine feminine; that no one dare take our voices or choices away.
Through her music, she paints a picture of a day in the life of Kat, her experiences as well as the experiences of the women around her. She says, “If you’ve felt how I’ve felt and been through what I’ve been through, then you’ll understand.”
Photograph by WIRE
She is heavily influenced by Lauryn Hill, Ivy Queen, and Celia Cruz (just to name a few), stating, “I respect the queens that have come before me. It’s all about women empowerment. I want to open the gates for girls to feel ok and to feel empowered.”
The majority of Kat’s catalogue is in Spanish, but when it comes to her musica you don’t need to know the language to respond to the sound and emotion resonating from her voice. That’s one of the things I find beautiful about music: its power to transcend cultures, languages, and generations. It moves, heals, and connects us in ways that no other medium can.
Photograph By Whine Global
Music is not only a universal language, it’s also a sort of time machine. Different sounds and frequencies can take us back to another moment, place, and feeling. It influences our moods, shapes our thinking, and offers pockets of peace. When I spoke to our artist about this, she stressed the importance of intentionality. “There are a lot of dope artists out there, but there are certain things about frequency that triggers our feelings.” she says. “Every time that somebody thinks about the Caribbean they think happiness, vacation, palm trees, blue waters, the sea—I want to bring that energy.”
Working closely with producer, PourItUp Sip, as well as artist & co-writer Nino Augustine, our artist continues to refine her sound and evolve in her craft. Since her first debut performance at Whine Global, Kat has released a self-titled EP (2018), featuring her hit song Isla. And most recently, she’s dropped singles Conmigo No (2021), Vibras Sanas (2021), and just last week, Rebala (2022).
Rebala, which translates to slippery, is a dembow track that carries big “fuck it” energy. It speaks to not letting the negativity of others project on to you. Someone’s talking shit? Fuck it. Someone’s hating? Fuck it. All you can and should worry about is what you can control. Everything else is above you—and slips right off of you. She says, “I’m a very passionate person. If people talk shit about me on Twitter or whatever, I’m probably not gonna respond to them. If it bothers me, I’m just gonna make a song, you know. I respond with my music.”
Photograph by WIRE
We talk about how her culture influences her music, her message to uplift, the importance of creating with intention, and more.
What would you say was the fundamental moment or move that pushed you into music?
When I first met PourItUp Sip I was pursuing dance and doing spoken word. One day, he was making a beat and I just started freestyling in Spanish, and he was like, “We gotta do something with this.” So, we recorded my first song, posted it, and it got over 80,000 views. I didn’t even know that I was talented like that, you know? I think that was a fundamental moment: he helped me do something other than just talking on a track. He motivated me at a time when I wasn’t really feeling myself musically. He’d be like, “I’ve been in the industry for a long time and you’re so talented. People need to know who you are.” He’s worked with a lot of people, so just hearing how good he thought my music is made me believe it because I honestly didn’t believe it. I never saw that part of me, but because he did it pushed me to believe that about myself. It wasn't easy at first because I was a rookie and I didn't even know how to record, but he taught me so much. It was real training. We would research studios, we would find events where I could perform and get my sound out there. For me, I was just making music because I love music, you know, but I wasn't even fucking with me like that for the first two years. There have been some moments though where I really started to feel in my spirit that this was it. Like when I went to perform my first Whine Global party in 2019 with WERC CREW. I was performing my song Isla, which PourItUp Sip produced, and I just felt everyone’s energy. I was even looking at the pictures after the event and it was just like what I felt. The show was packed that night and everybody was really responding to me. They were mesmerized by me, and I'm mesmerized by them because I'm like them. That event also was the first time that I felt like I can do both, I can rap in English and Spanish. Because before, I would rap in just English, but English is my second language. So, when I got offstage, that’s when I was like, okay, I'm doing this shit for real for real. It was such a euphoric feeling.
How has your culture influenced your music?
Growing up in the Dominican Republic everywhere you go it’s a party, even if there's not a soul standing there. All the doors are open in the neighborhood and the music is loud. There would be guys chillin by the corner stores, we call them vagos, they’d be drinking beer and playing dominoes all day. You would see a lot of men outside, and women would be in the house most of the time. I grew up watching that and felt the power of men at an early age, how women are not as empowered. So, that has kind of shaped my whole aesthetic content. With my music, I'm here to uplift the Queens, the women, and the natural girls—no offense to nobody. Something I’m working on now is translating music videos that I’ve shot in DR and have released already because I want y’all to know what I’m saying.
Can you talk a little bit more about that? In what ways does music help you do that?
I want to be that person to open doors for girls and women to feel good naturally. Let’s celebrate our beauty, our natural beauty. I got a fat nose, I got a big booty, I got curly hair and big eyes. Growing up I felt like I needed to fix this or fit in this conventional standard that society tells us to be. So, I want to open the gates for girls to feel ok and to feel empowered. I make global music, I’m an international artist—I want everyone from the diaspora across the globe to connect with me. Even if you don’t speak my language, I want people to see in my photos and my videos that I’m embracing my culture.
You mentioned that you strive to be intentional with what you create? How do you put it to practice?
There are a lot of dope artists out there, but there are certain things about frequency that triggers our feelings, you know? I don't want to say no names or anything because to each their own, but there’s certain music that just puts you on a lower frequency and it makes you depressed. Even if it's a twerking song, there are still chords and stuff that could trigger certain things. I just want to make sure I'm very intentional. Every time that somebody thinks about the Caribbean they think happiness, vacation, palm trees, blue waters, the sea—I want to bring that energy. I want people to feel good when they see me, when they hear me, and when they talk to me.
How do you energize yourself? Your audience?
I listen to my shit back to back. If I'm performing, it’s either I listen to my shit or no one at all. Like, I’m a social butterfly, but I’m still an introvert. The Virgo in me needs to recharge, so I like to spend time with myself. Also, I’m big on prayer. I talk to God and He talks to me and is my main source of guidance. I talk to my higher self, I motivate myself. I am very grounded spiritually. And, I want to exchange that energy with the crowd.
You’re currently looking into the NFT space—can you tell us a little bit about what you’re creating?
I’m working on it, you know. I got my discord up and stuff. But right now, I’m trying to figure out the best way to merge my muic with my NFT designs. I have some exciting plans in the works—I also want to include merch and lil goodies for my fans. You just have to wait and see.
Photograph by WIRE
What do you enjoy most about your artistry?
What I love the most is how I can be all parts of me. When you’re recording you get to act and be in a role, but it’s still my role. And I like the fact that I have a voice and I can motivate other people. That’s what I do it for: to uplift. I understand my purpose is to guide and uplift people, especially women. Music allows me to do that through expression and creative direction. I love hearing the music and seeing what I’m hearing. It’s like when you smell a cookie and then you taste it. It tastes just like it smells, you know.
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Interview by Rahel Tekle