Location: Carson, Ca

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The Storm On Mars Free Download

My name is Curtiss King and I was raised in Carson,California but I now reside in the Inland Empire.

Urban Steez: How did you come up with your music name?

Curtiss: Curtiss King is a combination of two names each symbolic of where I’ve come from and how far I’ve come. Simply put I used to attend a school in Carson called Curtiss middle school and during that time I was a super shy and insecure kid. The fact that I conquered those fears and flipped them into strengths by becoming an emcee, it made it almost a no brainer to call myself Curtiss KING.

Urban Steez: How long have you been doing music and what made you get into music?

Curtiss: I’ve been writing and recording music since 2002. I’ve been producing since about 2003.

What made me get into recording music was the many opportunities it presented to me as a young dude who was always loved music and writing. Music gave me an opportunity to be heard, an opportunity to creatively tell the stories of my life, and more importantly it gave me an opportunity to help people who probably struggled through the same things I have growing up. Now, what made me start producing beats? I was in high school dead broke and needed beats but producers wanted $300 for non-exclusive beats. Lol.

Urban Steez: Lol it was all part of the hustle…How would you describe your style and why? And what do you feel you can bring to the table as an artist?

Curtiss: In terms of my style I feel my music is nothing more than an extension of how I present and dress myself on a regular. Sometimes my music is aggressive, sometimes it makes you dance, sometimes it makes you want to just vibe out, but it always makes you feel good about something. I feel that I cover a lot of bases in terms of all those titles rappers have nowadays. Lyrically I’m not afraid to go in as aggressive as say an “underground” artist on verses in my “singles”.  However I’m smart enough to give that same song a chorus catchy enough to be your little brother’s ringtone.

I feel that as an artist I bring a unique balance, variety, and dope overall business sensibility to the table. I feel that I’m fully capable to ultimately go harder, stay longer, and push past more boundaries than your favorite artist in the studio, but in the same breath I can wake up the next day with marketing strategies just as original as my marketing advisors.

Urban Steez: Nicely put… So what is this I hear about this new genre of music you are introducing called Blog-Hop?

Curtiss: Blog-Hop is in it’s baby stages right now, but it’s purpose and goal is to showcase dope music that doesn’t fit just one of those childish ass titles such as Hipster, Gangster, Underground, or Mainstream. Blog-Hop is simply Hip-Hop based music that circulates the internet off the strength of the people saying it’s dope. It’s music that sounds dope on even crappy computer speakers. It’s that new Drake, new Cool Kids, new M.I.A., new Curtiss King, new Reign Major, new Ab-Soul, new whoever the bloggers say is making amazing music.

Urban Steez: I like that! That was how traditionally music would be declared as hot anyways, instead it was the DJ’s that spun the record and the fans voted. On the producer side of things, how do you channel your creativity? What can an artist get out of a song produced by you?

Curtiss: Ask anybody who has ever peeped me when I get in my production mode: I zone out. I get inspired by untouched samples, weird samples, synthesizers sounds, heavy kicks snares and claps and I just layer them up one by one. I work fast because I work off whatever energy and momentum the music gives me.

An artist who gets a beat from me should know that they are getting a complete arrangement of music. Every sound and sound effect has been carefully placed and is there for a reason. I tend make beats that almost always end up being that artist’s single. Any artist in need of that should check out my production mixtape The Futurist (http://www.zshare.net/download/599387211252deb6/).

Urban Steez: You can’t lose with that. Who would you want to collaborate with in the music industry and why?

Curtiss: I would want to collaborate with any and every artist with a genuine love for this music. I don’t separate my music into categories, so it’s either dope or dope to someone else. With that said Outkast, The Cool Kids, Santogold, M.I.A., 50 Cent, Kanye West, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead, Gym Class Heroes, the list goes on.

Urban Steez: Your music style fits right in with what they are dishin…So how do you feel you rank against top music talents today? And why?

Curtiss: I feel in terms of the Freshmen class of 2009-2010 I’m high on the list and have the ability to be the highest on the list. I feel the fact that I make my music without fear of what a label might think already puts me in a unique position among my peers. The fact that I’m only 24 and knee deep in experience with 6 independent album releases under my belt puts me in that top bracket. I feel that the fact that I have been able to create this buzz around me without the support of a big named DJ or hefty budget says a lot about my talents as a musician.

Urban Steez: That’s wassup! What are you working on now and when can fans expect to hear more from you?

Curtiss: At the moment I’m pushing my latest album “The Storm On Mars” (Free Download) which I released for free on May 26th of this year. Right now I’m sitting on about 4,690 downloads all independently pushed. In the meanwhile I’ve already started working on my new album “Raging Waters” which should be out later this year.

Urban Steez: I downloaded that already, and it’s undeniably DOPE! Where do you see yourself a year from now?

Curtiss: God willing, I want to be at the BET and or MTV awards in a year as a nominee for Best New Artist. The cat that made that song “Birthday Sex” said that not even a year before his performance he was in his living room watching the awards. That’s what I’m pushing for and it’s going to require an endless amount of work but one thing you can expect without a doubt is I’ll be working.

Urban Steez: Yea man, you definitely have the tools to walk that carpet. Who and what are your influences?

Curtiss: Musicians like Outkast influence me to continue to grow creatively with my music. Musicians like 2pac influenced me to sleep less and work more. Accomplishments like President Obama’s influence me to never make excuses for failing. Events like being broke and getting evicted influence me to always be business minded and professional in whatever I do.

Urban Steez: Yessir. What do you think of the hip hop/ music world right now?

Curtiss: I mean most people nowadays would say that Hip Hop music on a “mainstream” level is at a standstill or that it all sounds the same and is equally watered down. But I personally couldn’t be more excited to be apart of it right now. I feel it’s the perfect climate for artists like myself to simply be us creatively and reap the benefits. Hip Hop right now is in a long transitional stage where it’s trying to find a way to sell like the old days but it’s still adjusting to the new rules of the digital age today. But find the right artist with a clear understanding of both sides and then watch where we take Hip Hop.

Urban Steez: I couldn’t agree with you more. What music do you have playing in your sound system right now?

Curtiss: I got a couple new tracks from The Clipse, Jay-Z’s “D.O.A.”, Carter 3, Best of Sade, MGMT “Kids”, Andre 3000’s “The Love Below”, Reign Major’s album “Purple and Green”, and of course my album The Storm On Mars.

Urban Steez: I see pretty much everything lol..Who is your celebrity crush?

Curtiss: Rosario Dawson is just so damn…too damn sexy.

Urban Steez: I was feelin her in that movie “Alexander”, lol damn she badd ! How can business heads and fans contact you in the future (myspace, email, number, etc.)?

Curtiss: Business heads and fans are all welcomed to hit me on my Myspace page(www.myspace.com/dwan32), twitter page (@curtissking), as well as my email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Urban Steez: Any shot outs?

Curtiss: Shouts out to Urban Steez for a dope interview and for giving up and coming artists like myself a chance to be heard!

The Storm On Mars Trailer Video

"Any Requests?" Music Video