Meet Kae Arie | Lyricist, Music Producer, Photographer, Thought-provoking Speaker, & Upcoming DJ.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kae Arie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kae, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Expressive communication fulfills my mental but especially my emotional capacity. I believe creating is expressive communication; Art is conversation-being able to explore the sentiments of another’s energy. That curiosity in itself is communication at its purest form. This can also be discovered as the parallel frequency to luv or vulnerability. Communication is about sharing, and it is a relief when you can share creatively and/or expressively and feel like your thoughts and ideas are validated by the covenant that others share the same perspective or can relate to the experiences that stem from that expressive communication. It’s the translation between a writer and the reader, an entertainer and the audience, or music and the listener.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Music has been apart of my life since I was a little girl, I can remember my Grandma used to drag me to church every Sunday; so by default I became heavily involved in church. I danced, I sang, and I was the only female playing the drums. As I grew older, I suppressed a lot of my creative urges because of the strict demeanor of my Father and my Grandma, who thought that pursuing a creative life was non conventional, and unstable. Fear was a wall I had to break down once the Pandemic of 2020 hit. Between 2017-2018, I started to become a lot more expressive with my music on my social media platform, posting videos of me reciting my original poetry and covers to R&B/Hip-Hop classics. The Summer of 2019, I took myself more seriously as a lyricist/rapper, I studied my musical influences more particularly to discover my sound while reckoning with staying unique in this world of mainstream media. When the pandemic hit the Summer of 2020, I stayed heavily consistent with producing and finding my own sound, especially as a female artist-producer. Then after I decided to brand myself as GreyMatter-an umbrella of all of my creative abilities. Photography which I picked up during my service in the military, producing, writing, and creative directing. A lot of my development as a creative has been birthed over time, throughout my discoveries in life and the experiences I’ve encountered. It seems as though my talents have stemmed from other places but have been woven together as one, as I learn and grow through this life. GreyMatter is a developing brand I’ve created, it is a social movement that will address the controversy of intersectionality on the human identity; This will be expressed through free-thought etymology, unisex clothing, visual interpretation, and social advocacy through historical education. Once I unlocked my own belief in myself, seeds began to grow. I believe I will always stand out because I am a revolutionary at heart. The way I think is revolutionary. I want to be apart of those who aim to break the mold. The ceiling on the roof is what has suppressed us from understanding our true power and abilities in this world. This system is designed to destroy our sense of self, and I think that it’s not about being better than anyone else, its about wanting better, and knowing that with God, we are the co-creators of our fate. We can set the intentions from point A to B, but how we navigate through the journey to meet those destinations is what defines us. Suffering is a choice, Liberation and Freedom is about opening doors you were always afraid to touch. I don’t believe I would be where I am and have accomplished the things I have done so far without that spiritual faith in myself and outlook on life; It has gotten me through many phases of adversity.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Being from Virginia, I’ve learned that where I’m from is quite diverse. Richmond has so many cultured events and restaurants that make the area feel like a melting pot 24/7. Every first Friday of the month, the city has this event called First Friday. First Friday is about a collective of clothing boutiques and art galleries that get together and have mini pop-up events to showcase new and upcoming artists, Djs, and brands in the area. Some of my favorites hangout spots include Bingo and Slingshot. These locations do have bars and outdoor games, that makes it feel like a summer cookout whenever you go. A lot of people that live in the Richmond city area are very eclectic and urban, so the vibes are always chill but familiar. If you like thrift shopping, Richmond is the perfect place to do that! Carytown, a sector of Richmond, has Buffalo Exchange, which is a popular consignment shop, and Rumors is a hometown favorite, I luv to shop there for sunglasses, and jeans. One of my favorite foods to eat is Jamaican food. Jamaica House is a long time city restaurant that has the best Jamaican food in the State. There are also asian, and Thai spots I adore, Sabai, and Fat Dragon. One thing I appreciate about Richmond’s restaurant scene, is that the ambiance is always attractive; very cozy, kind of sensual, and urban.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would luv to dedicate this shoutout to first my long time mentor and guide Dr. Zoe Spencer, she was a Sociology professor of mine back when I attended Virginia State University. She instilled a lot of efforts to allow me to discover the true meaning behind self awareness, and our history beyond slavery. I would also like to reference The Autobiography of Assata Shakur, a book that removed me from going into a depressive state when God sat me down and put me through a transitional phase-something I did not quite understand as first but listening to her tell her story and all of the things she had gone through, gave me a sense of peace and motivation to keep going even when the journey doesn’t go exactly how we planned. And to save the best for last I would like to thank my mother and best friend Chastity Meredith, who never stopped believing in my power, and who molded the blueprint of entrepreneurship for me to follow as I continue onto this journey of ambition and success.

Website: https://linktr.ee/kaearie

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kaearie