He may have grown up with Royce Da 5’9, but Kid Vishis is a completely different breed

When hip-hop runs in your blood, it’s hard not to step up to the mic. Although he’s following in his brother Royce Da 5’9′s footsteps, Kid Vishis is sticking to his own lane. After appearing on Royce’s “Bar Exam” mixtapes and his albums Street Hop and Success Is Certain, the Detroit spitter has been rapping and touring with his older for years but now he’s focused on releasing his own music.

With the third volume of his Sick ‘Em mixtape series already under his belt, Vishis has been in the studio finishing up his latest project Timing Is Everything. The album is strictly Vishis with one feature from his brother Royce. Kid Vishis spoke about his relationship with his brother and how they weren’t always as tight as they are now. He also talks about his new album and what he thinks about battle rap.

The Source: Explain how you got the name Kid Vishis.

That came from my rap style. When I was rapping, I started out by lashing out on the beat like venting. So everything was a little angry. So that’s the way people were describing me. I would rap in front of my brother’s friends and they would be like “Yo you need to listen to this dude. Your brother is vicious.” It became more than one, more than two people that described me in that way, using those words. So it just kind of stuck. I’ve always been the guy to hang out with the older guys so they would refer to me as the kid so I just put two and two together.

Describe growing up with Royce.

We kind of didn’t get along like that when were growing up. It was just the big brother/little brother type relationship. Once we got to a certain age and maturity level, then we just clicked. Then the rap thing just added on extra. That’s my only friend right now. I never wrote until after high school. I was just messing around. I had four rhymes that I wrote, like total that I would switch up and say different ways and stuff like that for people. Then I did a whole tour with Royce. He had me just spit acapellas and I would rap those four raps at different shows in different ways.

From the time that Royce put you to the test in the studio years ago to right now, what’s the most important thing you learned?

Just to stay focused and keep working hard. Stay in the studio and keep working. It’s just one thing he told me is to just rap. Stop worrying about what everyone is doing or what’s hot on the radio. Just rap. Do what you do. Most of my career, I was just focused on the verses like being hot with the verses and stuff like that. Now it’s like a song for song type of thing with me now. He basically told me to do me and do what feels comfortable.

What’s a classic childhood memory that you have with Royce?

One thing that kinda sticks out to me is when Royce used to play for Oak Park High School basketball. There was this kid named Albert White that played for Inkster High School and he was “the man”. So when Royce was playing against him, I’d be like “Yo Royce is going up against Albert White”. Even though White scored a lot of points because that’s what he did, Royce got some on him too. It was good to see because I was a basketball player too, but just in general, don’t back down to nobody just because they bigger or whatever. It’s corny but he did step up to that challenge.

Timing is Everything is your debut project but you only have one feature: Royce. How personal did you make the project?

There’s only a few songs that are personal. The rest I just switched it up. It’s real diverse. There weren’t really any features because it was like the zone I caught. I didn’t really know who to put on what song like that. There were a lot of people that wanted to be on it. But it was just like I didn’t want to choose. But I had to get Royce on it. That was a no brainer. Royce was the very last song recorded for the album.

Are you trying to go down the mainstream road or stick to the independent route? What is your lane right now?

I’m still an underground artist. I’m making lyrical music but it’s still fun. I had a ball making that album. I was really in the zone. And I’m going to do another album this year. I’m going to just record. I plan on picking up bigger relationships with bigger producers and bigger artists as well. I plan to do more collaborations with other artists that I think are dope. I will always keep that hip-hop lyrical MC part of it. But I don’t mind trying different things. There are songs on my album that doesn’t sound like any Royce would do. They sound commercial to him. But, I’m my own person. I’mma just do me and have fun. Certain people are going to like and some not. But I’m willing to accept that.

Not only are you doing well in the US but you’ve got a big buzz going overseas. How do you feel about adding to hip-hop’s legacy in the UK?

I would love to. I got a lot of respect for overseas. Every time we go it’s like a real electric hip-hop feel, that makes you want to just go wild when you on the mic. I could see myself moving over there eventually, if all goes well.

What’s your take on battle rap? Would you ever step into the ring?

Oh yeah, I watch all the battles. I could do it, but it would just have to make complete sense money-wise and it would have to be well put-together. I’m a big fan of SMACK URL. My brother put together the Total Slaughter league and all that. I’m a fan of all that and I’m with the rapping part, except when they get in your face and pushing you and all that. That’s just something that not everyone can do. You can say whatever you want to me but don’t touch me or spit in my face.

Which popular artists would you want to see step into the ring?

Man, I’ma tell you right now. Don’t nobody want to battle Crooked I. Don’t nobody want to battle Royce. On another level, Crooked I got some brothers called the Horseshoe Gang. Don’t nobody want to battle them either. They like four Crooked I’s and they all lyrically crazy.

Tony Centeno (@_tonyMC)