DreamKi is an upcoming artist from Wheaton, IL. He identifies himself “not just as a rapper, but as an artist.” He often finds himself diving into different genres of music. Starting around 2017, Ki started writing music, finding it as not only a hobby he could make money off of, but also a creative outlet. He expressed that the process is almost therapeutic to him. He recalls that part of the reason he began his work as a musician was seeing people release their inner thoughts freely, and the support that they received from being vulnerable.
Incorporating that inspiration into his own work, he tries to stay transparent, calling it “life changing” to be able to not only make music people can relate to, but to have that same influence as an artist himself. DreamKi’s
current music has a very upbeat rap style, however, in the past, he’s performed punk songs, citing inspiration from Paramore and Linkin Park. His artistry is influenced by the likes of Juice WRLD, Lil Skies, and Machine Gun Kelly. DreamKi strives for a very authentic message through his music. Although he first found his more personal songs nervewracking to put into the world, he recalls how his worries settled after receiving so much positive feedback, and that it's “like water” to him now.
Being able to get insight into his life through music, some may wonder what kind of struggles he faced to make him into the artist he is. Ki expresses that there’s a lot of doubt in his career path, always wondering if his work will be perceived well by others. He finds it “demoralizing” when he doesn’t get the recognition he feels he deserves. Finding the light in the situation, he found a way to learn to break through self-doubt and realize that the only opinion that matters is his own. DreamKi stressed the importance of artists reminding themselves, “I’m not doing this for them, I’m doing it for me.”
One thing he sees as a big confidence booster is performing at shows. He loves absorbing the energy from the crowd, especially from those who haven’t heard his music before. New fans connecting with your work is such an important factor to many artists. He even defines his first feeling of success when playing his first show, and seeing a shift of energy in the room, along with reassurance from artists and an audience he’d never met. Another thing he finds to be a huge support system is his friends. DreamKi stated, “they gas me up, and they back me up.” Also finding a lot of support in the community of local artists, Ki explains that not only has he met people who understand his art and his work ethic, but he’s met a lot of friends he wouldn’t know otherwise.
DreamKi finds himself exceeding his own expectations, which drives his work flow. He stated that he doesn’t think he’ll be content with where he’s at, because he knows there’s only room for improvement. Rather than seeing others as competition, he observes them as a chance to grow as an artist. He quotes one of his songs in the interview saying, “why they wanna treat it like a contest? I just wish everybody was on next. Ain’t no bad blood on this side, but it’s still f**k the ones that wanna switch sides.” He sees a lot of artists’ egos holding them back and hopes to combat that with building connections of mutual support and growth. Ki feels he’s in his prime, putting in the work and making his way up.
Make sure to check out Dream Ki on all platforms!
Instagram: @dreamki_
KI IS THE FUTURE