Keyvous

Hailing from California, the versatile rapper Keyvous first explored music creation at age eleven. Originally named Keyote Gilmore and born in Portland, Oregon, he relocated to greater Los Angeles, California, where theater and music studies occupied him from an early age. With two classmates he established the group Think Twice, and toward the close of his teens he began touring while releasing recordings both independently and alongside the League and Leon Rockmore. Over time his solo output absorbed a broad spectrum of west coast hip hop, R&B, and pop elements. The 2011 release The Travel paid stylized tribute to '80s hip-hop and radio rap, its funk-tinged beats and wobbly synths supporting Keyvous' rhymes and vocals. In 2014 he followed with Open Letter, Pt. 1, introduced by the party anthem single "I Get It." Remaining prolific, he kept delivering fresh singles and guest spots on fellow artists' recordings throughout the ensuing years.