The mighty co owner at Stay True Sounds Kid Fonque joins us in our latest Artist Focus release. Join us with his exclusive HK Artist Focus mix and read further while we had the chance to have a chat with this talented individual.

HK: Welcome to the HK Podcast Kid Fonque, we are super excited to have you on board. Thanks for taking the time in talking to us. As you need no introduction lets get the more serious questions out the way. Your label Stay True Sounds has proven to be of international quality and is breaking barriers in the South African Industry, you have teamed

up Jullian Gomes in this venture, how did it all start out?

KF: It goes back to when I used to label Manage Soul Candi. I chatted to G-Family (Micheal G & Jullian) about doing a comp and we worked together and released their ‘Pioneers Of House’ which landed up being SAMA nominated. From this we grew to know each other and listen to each others music taste, hang out etc. A year later JG sent me ‘Love Song 28’ which I jumped on for Soul Candi and again we worked very closely on the video and strategy for the song. We always discussed how cool it would be to do our own thing. Last year Soul Candi stopped being a record label and I knew that it was the right time start. I chatted to JG and we got cracking. We are 7 months young and very proud of the music and artists we represent.

HK: Your release Bossa Over? has received great revues, what is the story behind the name and what inspired you? KF: Ah Bossa Over? Its my 3rd solo single and its very me☺ I cant help but release these jazzy little tunes. All my productions are very sample based and always include bits from my own record collection, a little hip hop, a little jazz and it so happened my keys guy V-The Vowel did this amazing latin keys on the flip. A lot of people know me for my love of latin music so the name is a question about Bossa Nova, is it over? I think not☺ HK: You recently played at South Africa’s leg of the Boiler Room, how was that experience? KF: Wow, what a platform. Amazing experience and JG and myself got to play b2b which I don’t think we have done before. We used the platform to showcase some of our label and our own unreleased productions. To this day people watch it and give us great feedback. HK: Music theses days is more accessible than ever before, are you more selective with projects you take on and the frequency of your releases? KF: We are very fortunate that we react to music we receive the same way, Jullian and I know what we want and our output to be, if we ‘um’ and ‘ah’ about a tune we don’t sign it. We are not too stressed about the amount of content we put out every EP, single and song grows in its own ways. So far we have had some super support from local and international DJ’s with our content, so we just keep doing it, not sure we know how to do anything else. HK: If you were being taken to an island and were only allowed to take 3 items with you, what would they be? KF: Haha, do my family qualify as items? I would take my son, wife and music. That’s all I need. Well if I could squeeze in my trainers too then then would be me sorted. HK: What is the strangest request you received at a gig? KF:I have been in this DJ/Music thing for 20 years now so had them all. I think the most offensive one I have had is ‘ play something good’. HK: Any words of inspiration for up and coming artists? KF:Make music that makes you happy, not what you think people want to hear, make what works with your soul even if its not popular, guess that’s why we are called Stay True Sounds. If you are faking it people will know. HK: Kid Fonque, thanks for your time, are there any projects / gigs you’d like to tell us about happening in the near future? So Much music, I have some singles coming out with my pal D-Malice on Stay True. We are also finally done with our album, which will be coming out next year. As always gigging and keeping my brand #2sidesofthebeat (My monthly at Kitcheners) going.