Meet KAE-9…
I had the honor to sit down and have a conversation with Keenan Ellerbe, Jr otherwise known as KAE-9. To say I was impressed by this young man is an understatement. He was very confident, knowledgeable and well spoken. Most of all, I was impressed with his entire demeanor during the interview.
KAE-9 was born Keenan Ellerbe, Jr to the parents of Keenan Ellerbe, Sr and Tarsha Ellerbe. His stage name, KAE-9 means, Knowledge, Attitude, Excellence to the ninth power. Ten is the number of completion and he confesses he isn’t there yet. His father is a DJ in the DC area. Being around music since birth, KAE-9 started singing at the young age of three. He grew up a fan of Go-Go music but soon moved to rap. He was influenced by Tupac and Pimp C.
In 2007, he experienced his first release of a recording with a singing group called Certified Hustlers, formed with some of his friends. The group was made up of three members, KAE-9, Rob Hyatt and Stan Drumman. That was to be there only release together; Trinity.
Trinity
KAE-9’s song ‘Trinity’ was impressive to me. Some people will challenge some of the lyrics of the song but if you look past that, you will find a man who believes in God. Although, many question his belief, KAE-9 says he doesn’t speak about God to everyone he meets. He chooses to form a relationship with the person to see where they’re coming from before he talks about God to them. His belief in God is strong and those close to him never question that.
I asked KAE-9 to tell me about ‘Trinity’. He told me he wrote some material and let one of his biggest fans, his sister, listen to it. She responded, “I don’t feel it.” This
made him step back and take a break. When he returned, he just started writing and out came ‘Trinity’. His sister listened, smiled and said, “That’s it.”
‘Trinity’ expresses KAE-9’s belief in God. His main thought with the song is to tell his listeners that God isn’t done with any of us yet. He firmly believes in God and feels his relationship with God is strong. “Once people hear my CD, they’ll hear it [my relationship with God]. I feel like when you get chill bumps, it’s God”, says KAE-9.
God is in His Life
I realized, this young man has God in and around him when I heard the lyrics, “God flows all through my body”. KAE-9 stated, this was his answer to those who question his belief. In his own way, he knows and believes in God. He’s not bothered by anyone questioning that belief.
‘Stay T.R.U.’ was released on November 25, 2016. KAE-9 considers this release his first official release. This release is serious for him and he has put his all in it. The CD contains 15 songs but if you want a copy, you’ll have to go directly to the source, KAE 9 himself. He wants to personally sell his new CD to meet his followers and have a conversation with them.
Who is KAE-9? KAE-9 describes himself as a ‘real’ person who is still growing and a perfectionist. After an hour with this young man, I can say he’s on the right path. You can request to get a copy of ‘Stay T.R.U.’ by contacting KAE-9 through his social media links below.
If you get a chance to have a conversation with this young man, I believe you will walk away, thoroughly impressed.
KAE-9’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=184300135&fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kae900
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kae900