Video: Kirko Bangz “Drank In My Cup”

At just 21 years of age, the creatively named Kirko Bangz has worked his way to Hip-Hop notoriety with his buzzing single currently making a splash on his hometown airwaves and abroad, thus landing the former Prairie View University student a record deal with powerhouse music label Warner Brothers via Asylum.

Check out his new video for his hot R&B influenced joint, “Drank In My Cup” directed by Mr. Boomtown!
Progression 2 Mixtape: Coming Soon!

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In Case You Missed It: UB Interview With Kirko Bangz!
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On the surface you see Kirko Bangz as a charming lyricist with a smile that makes the ladies fall in love and enough swagger and quiet confidence to command attention and respect from the fellas. His easy going persona masks a drive, determination and a deliberate diagram to his destiny as one of the future players in the hip hop game.

His story sounds vaguely familiar. His Mom was a single parent and he saw her struggle… internalized her pain. Instead of acting up and acting out he poured his passion into music. When he was just 15, he borrowed a mic from one of his close friends; put an old dingy sock over it (so he wouldn’t pop his p’s) tacked it to the wall and plugged it in to an old computer in his bedroom. As he stood solitary in the corner and let his pain flow into his lyrics Kirko Bangz found his voice.

Even still with the exception of a few close childhood friends, no one knew that Kirko had a gift. He worked on his craft day after day, night after night. Downloading beats from the internet. He was relentless. When he was 17, he decided to take his skills for a test drive and went head to head in an impromptu freestyle battle at a house party. His peers were floored. Beneath his quiet, unassuming exterior lay a lyrical beast and he shredded the competition with his razor sharp tongue.

Kids at school quickly came to recognize that Kirko was destined for success and they helped keep him sharp by spending many afternoons and weekends at his house working on music. Kirko moved his operations to Prairie View University working on his education and his future. He was a child of the internet age and he started making his own home videos and posting on Youtube and MySpace. He stayed away from traditional exercises like talent shows and instead quietly roamed the campus and the city with his I-pod playing his songs for anyone who would take the time to listen. Kirko wanted to make sure that he honed his craft and put all of his effort into becoming his personal best. He knew that it could be dangerous to over expose his talent too early. He needed to take the time and put in the work to make sure his confidence in his skills would meet or exceed the expectation of his fans. Kirko’s grass roots approach was working and his buzz was growing.

He decided to borrow money from his friends to host a mixtape release party for “Procrastination Kills” in July of 2009. Everyone got a free mixtape and Kirko hoped that his growing fan base would share his music. At this point it was not about money, it was about growing his buzz. It worked. His freestyle videos were dramatically increasing in page views and he released another mixtape in October of 09 “Progression”. By this time Kirko had taken his talent to the stage and the school newspaper at Prairie View featured Kirko in a spotlight that brought him to the attention of D-Will (artist manager).

D-Will saw him on the campus of Prairie View and they sat in his car while Kirko played music from his I-pod. D-Will heard the makings of a superstar. They quickly agreed to work together.
D-Will made it clear that there would be no shortcuts. Work ethic, the right attitude and a little bit of luck would need to be in the cards. From that day forward, Kirko has never let any obstacle stop him from showing up and showing out. Night after night, despite no real money, no car he would find a way to get to the studio… he would find a way to get to the club and he would find a way to get to the stage. When the phone rang he was ready and for D-Will and for his fans Kirko did not disappoint.

This incredible focus and work ethic eventually led him to Asylum Records. They heard the music, saw the performances, and after one meeting with Kirko they quickly recognized him as a future superstar for their label. With the support of D-Will, his close friends and his family, Kirko continues to pound the pavement with a fierce determination to exceed all expectations. He is driven to succeed for his mom, his brother and sister, for his friends and most importantly for himself. Kirko Bangz says “I knew I had to do it, so I just did it and I’m just getting started.”