JAYD3D: Today we are sitting down with a New York rising Hip-Hop and R&B artist, bADD KarmaL. Let's start with the name. What's it mean and why the special casing?

bADD KarmaL: So I've always been a fan of old-school names, like how there's always a "lil" or a "young", so it kind of came from that, just wanting to just a different word, and the casing was from being a fan of MF Doom, and I felt like ADD was perfect for people of my generation and style to relate to. I talk about a lot of different things, hence the ADD. So it's bADD Karmal, but it's bADD Karma L. So it means a lot of things and absolutely nothing. 

J: I mentioned R&B but are there any other genres you would say your music qualities as?

bK: Yeah, I have a couple songs that are spoken-word, I've worked with a couple bands, but as the rap verse. But yeah as that moniker, it's mostly rap with some singing. 

J: So I recently ran into your music video for badd impressions, and loved it. Wanna tell how that came about?

bK: Pretty much any music video you see, that's all my producer Boyo Levity. Yeah, he takes it upon himself to di artistic things with our music, and he has full rights to do whatever he wants, he's good at marketing also, so he gets people involved. He tries to get me to do more but I get so tied into the writing that a slack on that. 

J: So far you've kept with the no face theme throughout your career. When did that inspiration start?

bK: I was very motivated to never show me face. I come from the school of MF Doom, right? It's not what you look like, it's what you sound like. He was into old comics, that's where he found the Doctor Doom mask inspiration. Me on the other hand, I was into anime. The Noface mask was a no-brainer for me. Spirited Away is a complicated story to get into but to me Noface that represents human nature in a way or even capitalism to an extent. My music just fits in there. I definitely am even very comfortable with the moniker at this point. 

J: We know you are inspired by Studio Ghibli but what other inspirations do you push into your music and art?

bK: Frank Ocean. I'm a huge fan of Feank Ocean and the way his music makes you feel or think. Obviously MF Doom inspired in my flow from time to time. Isaiah Rashad is very inspirational. I was inspired by taking culture and dissecting it in a way. I read a lot Greek gods and so I'll sneak those in. I grew up in a Catholic household so I'll shoehorn in things about religion. I have a miriad of influences, even lil b. I love that he can write the best and worst line at the same time. I enjoy trying to write that way as well. 

J: If you're trying to get someone who's never heard your music before to be a fan, what song would you show them first and why?

bK: That's a really good question. Personally, I would tell them to listen to an entire project, right? If I had to pick one song it be bADD Impressions, I think that's a really good early song of mine. When it comes to showing my newer music, probably Flowers. 

J: Whats your favorite song of yours right now? 

bK: IDCAD, I think that that song is absolutely creatively insane. I don't know what I was thinking when I was doing it. Originally, said it was going to be a silly song, then it ended up getting pointy. I really like Hey Cement as well. Logan Paul. There's a couple I'm stuck on. 

J: What's the hopeful bADD KarmaL Tour look like?

bK: New York, Northern parts of the country, all to way to California. 

J: I still think about and listen to Oranges often. What was the process to making that song like?

bK: So there was always this old wives tale that you couldn't rhyme anything with oranges. They tried to use door henge and I thought that was stupid. I thought it would be good to other artists as well. I'm a "feature rapper" sometimes. I thought it was also a good way to showcase my ability for that. It's like a two minute song. Turns out it's a very easy word to rhyme. 

J: Lastly, I want to talk about SOL 4 SALE. Your project relationship with Boyo Levity has helped create some great things, but this one seems honestly timeless. What's was making this project like?

bK - It's always a great experience working work Boyo. Especially SOL 4 SALE. We were just in a pocket, honestly. He fed me beats, I sent him demos, he said that's what he likes to hear. I tried to do some mixing for it but, him being the professional in that field, he told me what needed to be changed and it helped a lot. We went back and forth with a few songs because I didn't like where some were headed and we figured out other options. I'd re-record whatever I had to. We checked in on each other often, thats my brother, ya know? That's how we got such genuine skits for it. It feels good to be comfortable with the people you're working with. I'm very lucky to have someone who is so creative in my corner.  We're really after the art.

Follow bADD KarmaL: open.spotify.com/artist/6VAbCrdigCpwQ7Z3rBq7ON?si=DCgt0EAbSk-OP8yF8y93Og 

Written By JAYD3D!: linktr.ee/jaydedofficial