Words by Leland Bonner (@lelandbfresh)
Swag. Is swag dead? Overused? Or just misused? Many claim to have it, but few show and prove. Rap is filled with artists still trying to ride the “swag wave” that exploded on us a few years back, but most just end up looking gimmicky. But before we put the final tombstone on swag, one artist is giving it a last hurrah.
Shorty K., the 24 year old Toothpick Clique member looks to re-invent the swag mantra, as well as his career, with his debut mixtape, Swaggin’ On Keith Sweat, that is set to drop Wednesday. We had a chance to catch up with the former child rapper and discuss his bubbling acting career, his love for bad women, and of course Swaggin On Keith Sweat.
FSD: You’ve been in the music industry for quite some time now, but for those reading about you for the first time, who exactly is Shorty K?
Shorty K: I’m Korey Isbell, I go by Shorty K. I got my first little indie deal out in the Chi back in 2006. My guy Rob had a label called Ish Enterprises and that deal actually got me my buzz out here. I did a whole lotta stuntin’ man, that’s really my key. That’s what I do, I just stunt. I like to spend money. I like live shit ya know. I’m a flashy guy man, I like to stunt on everybody man. That’s my catch.
FSD: I can definitely see that. I remember seeing you ride around on what looked like an old school Chevy on 30’s or something.
Shorty K: Yeah man, I got a couple toys I could pull out. We done pulled out the Ferrari on these niggas before. We got the 2012 Jag out here. We got the Range, the Hummer truck on 30’s. You know, just a couple toys to have around.
FSD: Aw damn. Seems like you don’t even need this rap money, man!
Shorty K: [Laughs] Just trying to the show the world a little somethin’ man! Spendin’ major money out here.
FSD: Has it always been like this for you? I read that you got your start pretty early when you won the WGCI Hip-Hop Summit when you were seven years old?
Shorty K: Yeah that’s actually when I got my first little situation and I’ve actually been rapping since I was six years old. I was blessed to win that, but they told us that we couldn’t rap or anything like that at the summit but I went ahead and did it anyway. I was seven so I wasn’t really listening to the rules anyway, and I just went hard and they was like, “Man. This kid is crazy.” So I ended up going to the office with Kevin Liles, talked some business up, but at that time I didn’t have any management or nothin’ so it was kinda shady. But all in all that’s really what got me in the rap game for real, so I just kept grindin’ from there.
FSD: What did you learn from that experience?
Shorty K: I learned that you gotta have a crazy work ethic with this shit man. You gotta wake up everyday, breath and eat this shit. It’s not a joke and you gotta be 100% serious about it. This ain’t like a side job or nothin’ like that — this is what I do. You gotta be real with people and really give these people yourself. Your music can’t lie to the people. It’s a lot of niggas out here that put the lies in they raps, but you can’t really do that. You gotta give the people you so they can really adapt to you and be a part of your music.
FSD: I also read that you have an acting career as well and starred in the film Hollywood Jerome. Can you elaborate a bit on that?
Shorty K: Yeah I starred in this film that was written by Malik Yusef. Malik is one of my big homies, man, and we did the film a few years back called Hollywood Jerome. We ended up winning 12 awards for it and got the first urban film award at the Cannes Film Festival in France. It’s a short film and my first actual acting role. Actually, the guy who produced Kanye West’s video for “Jesus Walks” directed the film — Frey Hoffman. Everybody was cool to work with and it was a good experience. I got a couple scripts I’m looking over now, and a couple TV shows I’m actually piloting, so I’m looking forward to that.
FSD: Now that you have some film experience in addition to music, would you say you prefer one to the other?
Shorty K: It’s really both, acting isn’t really something I set out to do but it just came along. Now I see that it pays good bread and on top of that it’s cool because it’s an outlet. I like acting, it’s nothin’ that I’m opposed to, but music is my first priority and my passion. That’s what I do.
FSD: Do you think your music will ever tie into any future acting roles for you?
Shorty K: I look at it as, well you know how Tupac pulled it off? How Tupac was still him in his roles and you still felt Tupac. But at the same time it didn’t take away from his music? That’s how I try to do. I don’t really try to pretend although I do try to embrace the role that they give me, but I still put my spin to it. I try to pick roles that I kinda relate to and go from there.
FSD: Anything we could look forward to seeing you in coming up?
Shorty K: It’s this Tyler Perry joint coming up and I actually was supposed to be in “Meet The Browns” but that didn’t pan out right. There should be something dropping in late 2012.
FSD: Seems like a lot more than music for you man.
Shorty K: Yeah, you really got to touch on every plate if you wanna eat. I’m trying get full and I still ain’t there yet.
FSD: I feel you on that. How’d you go from somewhat of a kid rapper to teaming up with Sir Michael Rocks from the Cool Kids?
Shorty K: Well, me and Mike grew up together since like sandbox. I’ve known him since I was in kindergarten and I actually helped Mikey start rapping. I was the first one outta all my guys and TPC to start rapping. Me and Mike was actually in a group together when we were at this label called Majestic. That just didn’t pan out at the time and then he started doing his own thing under The Cool Kids and that was the same time I had got my deal with Ish Enterprises. We both started rockin’ out and then years later we all linked up and formed TPC and did the “Too Short Back” record. Everybody gravitated to that record and we just rocked out.
FSD: I know you have a few quality features on some tracks and it’s pretty easy to distinguish your voice on records. How would you describe your sound?
Shorty K: My sound is kinda different man. I talk that fly shit. That jefe’ talk. That’s what I like to call it. That jefe’ life. It’s kinda like I got the raspiness goin’ on but I still got that swag in it. I just try to swag shit out man, that’s what I do. I’m a slick talking little nigga. I’m different from everybody else, especially in Chicago. A lot of niggas do the fast rap or the dope talk. I really don’t talk about all that and that doesn’t need to be said if you know what’s up. To sum it all up, I just be swaggin’ shit out.
FSD: Speaking of swag, how’d you come up with the title Swaggin’ on Keith Sweat?
Shorty K: Me growing up, Keith Sweat was that nigga. He had all the bitches. He had all the cars. He had all the fly shit. He was just that guy and I remember sitting wit’ my ol’ man and he used to play Keith Sweat records and I would just listen in the car. Me and my dad would go to the park or something and be playing some Keith Sweat and he would get all the bitches. I was like “Yo. I need to be that nigga.” It really just brought me back and me paying homage to the big homie.
FSD: The cover art is pretty hilarious too man.
Shorty K: Yea man, I be swaggin’ on Keith Sweat. The next tape dropping after this is Stacks Fifth Avenue and that’s really gonna be something as well. Swaggin’ On Keith Sweat was long overdue and its purpose is for everybody to get back familiar with the sound.
FSD: What made you choose “Left Cheek” as the first single from the project?
Shorty K: The reason I chose that one is to get something rockin’ in the clubs. I was down in Miami at one of the strip clubs and I was like “Mannnnn. I need to make something for these bitches to dance to.” I came back to Chicago and my man’s produced a joint with the “Thong Song” sample and I was like “YEAH. I know exactly what I’m about to do with this.” It’s really for the bitches and to get them something to shake that ass to.
FSD: Any big features on the tape that we should look out for?
Shorty K: Production wise, I got Trackslammerz on there. Young Yonny. I got Trap House Music. I got a couple cats man. All young guys that’s trying do their thing. I got Tris J and TPC on there. GLC is on the tape. Shawnna is on the tape. It’s crazy man, I kept it real Chi.
FSD: Any certain sound that you were going for on the tape?
Shorty K: Nah, not really. It’s just a bunch of swag. I want it to be the joint for the spring that you could just play in all conditions. You could play it when you goin’ to the club or out the club or anytime. It’s a lot of show shit, a lot of auto tunes but still at the same time I’m goin’ hard on there.
FSD: I know you did a bit of singing of Mikey’s “Slice” record off of Premier Politics. Any more records like that where you’re singing?
Shorty K: Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Definitely. It’s a joint on there called “Knockin’ Boots” that’s crazy that y’all should look out for. My voice is kinda rapsy but it’s still easy on the ears. I play with my voice a lot. I fuck with the singing because I like R&B. I actually listen to R&B music more than I do rap music. I write R&B songs and everything. I just wrote four songs for this rock group called War and those will be on their new album. That’s what I do.
FSD: With Swaggin’ On Keith Sweat being your debut mixtape, what do you hope fans will ultimately get from it?
Shorty K: I really just wanna give the fans a body of work so they can know what’s about to happen and for them to understand that this kid is really one of those guys and not just a nigga doing the rap scene. Everybody these days is a rapper or everybody does something with music. I really just want them to understand that I do this shit. This ain’t just no game.
i been fuckin wit shorty k since back in the day..that left cheek shyt dope as fuck whos on the second verse?
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation however I to find this
topic to be really something which I feel I’d never understand. It sort of feels too complex and very extensive for me. I am looking forward in your subsequent post, I will try to get the dangle of it!