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Kelvyn Colt Talks New Music and How "There Is No Growth Without Pain"

"Wanting to pursue a career in music was not the easiest thing; I have had my struggles."

For German rapper Kelvyn Colt, his rhymes present a unique balance of unwavering vulnerability and gritty braggadocio. "My sounds reflect me as a person," the 25-year-old MC told me.

Born in Wiesbaden, a small town in SouthWest Germany, Colt's access to American rap music was limited growing up. According to him, his sound was curated by what he was exposed to online. "My fellow millennials will understand what I mean, going online and discovering new music. It was almost like an online hustle." Surfing the web is what led to Colt's exposure to artists like Kid Cudi and Tupac; Colt told Highsnobiety that Tupac "saved me from my mistakes." I chatted with Colt about his gradual ascension, his decision to drop out of law school, and what we can expect next from the underdog rapper.

In "Bury Me Alive" you say, "I've seen a couple of things happen here and I ain't sure about them, this type of great escape might end in greater loss." Do you feel your decision to pursue rap has led to more hardships? How have you overcome them as your career has gone on?

Wanting to pursue a career in music was not the easiest thing. I have had my struggles. But that's part of life, the ups, and downs. I went to pursue my dreams because it's what I wanted from my life. It was not the easy way in life, but a path I felt I had to follow. In the end, it's worked out, but I do believe it led to more hardships. Some of them I am still overcoming; it's an ongoing process. I have to keep in mind that there is no growth without pain.

So would you say your family was supportive of you pursuing rap?

My parents were supportive of my music until I dropped out of law school. I was the first in the family to attend university and had enrolled in a prestigious German law school on a scholarship. My mom has been my number one supporter and holds it down, and once the deals started to come in and I started to sell out shows, my family started to come around.

How do you feel you're sound is different than the Hip-Hop that's currently in circulation?

I rap about situations from my life or certain things I had to deal with. From struggling with suicidal thoughts on "Love & Hate" to wanting to prove myself [and] prove everyone wrong on "Just Watch Me." I even have a song where I discuss my love for anime. So it's really me, but I'm influenced by so many others. Kid Cudi and Tupac especially, they've all influenced my sound and formed to who I am to a certain extent.

So then how do you feel you've creatively changed since your career started?

I'm learning so many new things every day, and I challenge myself every single day. It's part of my development as an artist – I can even say that it's part of development in general. You get influenced by your surroundings and daily encounters. This inspires you, gives you new perspectives, and, of course, leads to creative growth. Even with my work, [from] every song I work on and release to every video I shoot, I demonstrate growth. I have seen more of the world [and] have had a lot of amazing experiences. I can say I have expanded on that creative level.

It sounds like you learned a lot this past year.

I believe that every situation is a lesson, whether it's a positive or negative experience. They help us grow and shape us and contribute to our lives, so we learn from it. I am grateful for all I've learned the last year, from putting trust in certain people to learning about my capabilities as an artist. There is nothing I wouldn't want to re-experience because I believe every experience has some importance in getting me to where I am today.

What can we expect from you in 2019?

A lot. I have multiple shows in the U.S. coming up and a few soon at SXSW. I have a European tour coming up that I'm excited about and a lot of festivals around the globe. Of course, I'm also working on new music, with some big, unexpected features.

Follow Kelvyn Colt on Twitter | Instagram | Spotify

Mackenzie Cummings-Grady is a creative writer who resides in the Brooklyn area. Mackenzie's work has previously appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, and Metropolis Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @mjcummingsgrady.

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Music Video | Travis Marsh Shares The "Happiness"

Watch the new music video now!

Photo by Krists Luhaers on Unsplash

"Happiness... starts inside," Travis Marsh discovers in his aptly titled new single, "Happiness."

The video for the song offers a fun, metaphorical take on feeling like an alien (or in this case, an astronaut) in everyday circumstances. Marsh, seen here dressed as the trophy from the MTV Music Video Awards, searches everywhere around LA for happiness before seemingly discovering it within himself after taking off his helmet. This journey is summarized at the end by a well chosen quote from Denis Waitley: "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude."

Marsh is a native Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose musical journey began at the age of 10 when he received a guitar at Christmas. His taste in music is highly eclectic - equal parts folk, rock, and pop - yet all rooted in music-rich legacy and landscape of Southern California.

Songwriting seems to have become a passion for Marsh only a few years later in life. Many of those songs stayed with him as his musical sensibilities took shape, as Marsh describes: "I've been writing songs since I was about 14. These songs would [later] be released, in one form or another, on an album I released on iTunes when I was 18."

At that time, the Laurel Canyon scene of the 70's had a massive impact on shaping Travis' music taste: "My favorite music growing up was the Cali-Country / Laurel Canyon scene. Artists like the Eagles, Jackson Browne, and others helped spark my interest in strong sensory-based lyrics tied to classic country and folk story telling."

It only makes sense that the music of Travis Marsh echoes the tradition of the songwriting troubadour, of Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell, but also deals in the smooth aesthetics of a pop connoisseur. The culmination of working in these seemingly polar opposite styles has arrived in the form of a string of new singles. With smooth production handled by producers D. Brooks Exclusive and Smitty Soul, these are the songs that bring out the Jekyll and Hyde qualities of Marsh's discography.

After recently living in Nashville for a couple of years, performing in various Country groups, Travis was ready to come home. Nashville had run its musical course for Travis, and his life – musical and otherwise – needed reimagining. After wrapping up a tour in 2015 with Country artist Joel Crouse, Travis eventually returned to his native Los Angeles, where he set out to focus on a new solo direction. This time around, Travis wanted to take his early love for the songsmiths of Laurel Canyon, and add a dose of sun-bleached California pop melody.

By blurring the lines between rock, folk, country, and pop, Travis is charting exciting new musical territory that captures perfectly the Jekyll and Hyde spirit of Los Angeles and Southern California. The result of this newfound hybrid sound has made itself apparent in a handful of infectious singles that will be released in the coming months, including his collaboration with Chicago rapper G-Herbo on his single "Lay Me Down."

Follow Travis Marsh on Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Twitter |