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KiingRod

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A product of the hit-making SOB X RBE family, KiingRod bulldozed his way into the game with debut single “Knockdown.” The video single with more than 6 million plays follows the Vallejo, California native’s pathway into Rap—a journey that began in the last year. However, before picking up the mic, Rod learned how to make catchy, street-certified songs and command stages from always being around his brothers. He grew up with DaBoii from the collective heard on the #1 Black Panther soundtrack along with a series of their own singles, before eventually living with the crew. “I was always around them in the studio and was there for video shoots too,” he notes, having gone on three major tours with the squad. “I just never really caught interest in Rap. They kept telling me to try it out, drop a song, and see what it does. The first song I did ended up doing millions.” The song has more than 11 million streams from Soundcloud alone. The light-skinned spitter with the styled hair brings charismatic, charged-up raps about his life, and where he plans to go with this viral career.

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With his first punch a K.O., Rod expanded with 2017’s full-length Road To Riches, featuring a second Mike Sherm collaboration, as well as his key influence, Philthy Rich. That project yielded “Rampage,” a video for KiingRod that has since earned more than 5 million YouTube views, and a million Spotify streams. On August 3, KiingRod will make his EMPIRE debut with the release of Just The Beginning, a statement album in a skyrocketing career. “This whole music stuff is supposed to be fun in the beginning, ‘cause you don’t really expect nothing out of it,” admits the 20-year-old. It was a creative challenge for him long before there were bands of cash and fans. His “Bankroll” track with Alabama star YBN Nahmir shows the rewards of that hard work. Years after watching his mother struggle to support two boys, Rod is savoring the fact that his lifestyle has improved from doing something that comes easy. Still, the rapper admits he does not take his position for granted. He regularly locked himself in the studio for 12 hours a day and honed his skills. Despite recording dozens of songs, KiingRod refused to use anything that he would not play as a fan. The rapper says, “I want to keep getting better, without ever dropping off.”

Meanwhile, SOB X RBE continues to be at the epicenter of Rod’s life in and out of music. His team is close by in his new video, “Double Back.” Although he has run with his family for almost seven years, he is not concerned with status as far as his role with Yhung T.O. and DaBoii. “Everybody calls it a group. Really, it’s more of some family-type stuff. These are guys I’ve been around for ages. I know where I stand with my brothers. It’s more than music.” These friends go back before there was popularity or profit. “Living together and getting by what everybody was individually going through, it made us more than just friends. That’s my only family that I got, in reality.” These became his brothers when he left home as a teenager.

With his SOB X RBE family in tow, KiingRod is charging ahead at full speed with Just The Beginning. From the diverse culture of Vallejo, Rod and his cohorts are showing the power of loyalty and writing new DIY success stories from the Bay. “The code we live by is ‘get it how you live.’ You can’t let anything knock you down. You’ve got to do something in this world, and you need to figure out the plan to make that happen.” In a short time, KiingRod has done just that.

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