Music

SERIOUS VOICE Talks New Video “KILL THA KING” And More!

Brooklyn-based rapper SERIOUS VOICE isn’t in it for riches, fame, or even love of the game. No—her wellspring of

By TCR Staff

August 30, 2023

SERIOUS VOICE Talks New Video “KILL THA KING” And More!

Brooklyn-based rapper SERIOUS VOICE isn’t in it for riches, fame, or even love of the game. No—her wellspring of flow, wit, and wisdom is leveraged in the name of truth, praise, and salvation. Coming up on hard streets and an often harder home life, young Brigitte James found dual pillars of solace in her Christian faith and in the example of bold, black female rappers like Queen Latifah. Her faith soothed her struggles and challenged idols of the modern world, while her love of music offered her a medium of expression—apt to match those struggles and shatter those idols. After releasing her debut single as SERIOUS VOICE, James began making a name for herself in the New York rap scene. Sharpening her skills in performances across the boroughs, she eventually released her debut album Shofar, containing the track “Whoa”—which fatefully landed on Spike Lee’s Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It. Spreading the Word like wildfire in her unique manifestation, she landed a performance at SXSW on Sway in the Morning and began to garner a following that heartily received her homage to the strong women in her life, her 2021 album Beautiful. Now we anticipate her further revelations, due out later this year on her upcoming EP Back2Basics. Stay tuned for your spiritual tune-up with SERIOUS VOICE.

On her most recent single, “KILL THA KING,” SERIOUS VOICE relays a modern transcription of the prophet Samuel’s warnings of idolatry. It takes some serious wisdom and ingenuity to meaningfully interpret such a passage, and only an artist of SERIOUS VOICE’s caliber can do so with such infectious energy. With the subtlety and coolness of Kendrick Lamar, she almost unnoticeably calls out our modern “kings”: the substances and processes we worship and go to for salvation, like drink, sex, and validation. With a hook you can’t help but chant along, she seals the deal by imprinting a message we can’t ignore: if we don’t kill these kings, we will be enslaved by them. Damn.

Encounter and contemplate your “kings” more deeply with the music video for SERIOUS VOICE’s “KILL THA KING,” directed by Kareem Caines. Set in the seductive drip of Miami Beach, we walk with SERIOUS VOICE through scenes of temptation, drunkenness, and social flaunting. Without being critical of the people involved, she calls out the futility of the patterns of praise we offer to our modern and hollow gods. Her sword of a tongue is geared toward those behaviors, while her embrace of hip-hop welcomes modern seekers into a new spirit of being. Director Caines holds nothing back in depictions of our devils so that viewers can confront their vices in the no-holds-barred context of SERIOUS VOICE’s powerful words. Take a brave step towards your spiritual growth with a fearless friend at your side.

What inspired the music video for “KILL THA KING”?

The inspiration behind KTK was Covid. Honestly, the fact that we were stuck inside, could not tour, could not fraternize with one another, was big. Most of us gravitated to social media, TV, etc. Some for extremely long periods of time. I wanted to combat that with a song that spoke to idolizing these things and not having the proper perspective on things.

What is your favorite part about making rap music inspired by your Christian faith?

The impact it has on the young generation. Just a few days ago I had a 9 year old run to me and say, “I had my Dad play ‘Lipstick Check’ in the car.” I love that song. I was of course taken aback because I created that song for grown women, and not so much pre-teens, but they are listening. In a way, that scares me and keeps me at a good place. Every time I think about creating a non-Christian song, I think about the kids.

What do the lyrics of “KILL THA KING” mean to you?

The lyrics are from my very soul and spirit, they mean everything to me. It speaks to the generation of folks who have a short attention span, so I wanted to hit them hard within a matter of minutes. I was also careful to give them a bridge and hook that was catchy and could be repeated.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self?

I would say Serious Voice, learn to play as many instruments as possible. I long to play the guitar, I actually have two in my house, but I just don’t know how to play them. That’s the funny part. Maybe one day I’ll take the time to learn.

How do you want listeners to feel when listening to “KILL THA KING”?

Excited, conflicted, but freed to make the decision to put down the idols.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your time in the music industry?

There are no real friends in music. Everybody’s trying to make an impact, sometimes they see your hard work and want to jump on your train, not knowing you had to make many sacrifices to be where you are. I suppose that’s why most of my associates and friends are not artists, they are entrepreneurs, stay-at home moms, and just regular folks with a 9-to-5.

What can you tell fans about the future of SERIOUS VOICE?

Please don’t put me in a box. The future is likely to be in theatre production, TV, radio, or even producing others. I am multi-talented and can fit in just about anywhere.