Today we’d like to introduce you to Kali J.
Hi Kali, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I played instruments from the age of six and officially got started in the music industry at 17 when I began playing cover gigs for a living in the Atlanta area. From there, I moved into writing/top-lining songs for local artists and did that for several years while in college. While getting my marketing degree, I also enrolled in a music business and entertainment certificate program called, MEBUS, and through that program I was placed in an internship at a music licensing library. That internship introduced me to the world of sync and completely changed my life’s trajectory. After college, I decided to pursue my artistry and writing for sync full-time. It took several years to lay the groundwork and build things up, but I have now had over 400 placements, I specialize in writing for advertising, and my music has been heard in national and global campaigns for brands such as: Coke, Comcast, Pepsi, Royal Caribbean, Motorola, United Healthcare, Verizon, intel, Chase Bank, Bumble, Bose, Best Buy, Nintendo, Target and more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely taken a lot of hours, testing different strategies, pivoting, and adjusting my techniques and approaches, but I think all of that is a natural side effect of navigating a crazy industry as one grows in their career. There are “struggles” at every level. First I struggled to find a team of collaborators who wanted the same things. Once I had a product, then I struggled to get it in front of the right companies and agencies. After a few small successes, I then struggled to leverage those into bigger and better spots and elevate my brand recognition. I’ve had to struggle with difficult conversations, learning how to negotiate, learning that not all opportunities are good opportunities, and when to stand up for my art/brand in times when no one else will.
At this point, I’ve learned that “struggle” is simply another word for “growing pains” and it’s worth the un-comfortability.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a full-time pop/hip-hop artist based in LA and I specialize in writing for music for advertising. I’m probably just most proud and grateful for the career I’ve been able to build and the amazing people I get to work with. I love each and every one of my collaborators, licensing agencies, and music supervisors that I’m lucky enough to have in my life. The sync community is just a big happy family with everyone working together and supporting each other on our journeys. I wake up every morning feeling blessed.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m a big fan a “calculated risk,” and I’m a firm believer that beautiful things happen when we take risks and step outside of our comfort zone. On a smaller scale, I took a risk by moving across the country, away from all my friends and family, in the pursuit of my dream job. On a larger scale, I took a big risk by starting up my own business after college and taking the road less traveled. Leaving behind the security of a steady paycheck, going against what friends and family consider “safe” and “responsible,” and jumping headfirst into a creative industry was obviously a big risk, but it’s one I’m so glad I took. I think as long as people are strategic and calculated in their risk taking, they’d be surprised what they can accomplish and I encourage those with big dreams to build a plan and put it into action. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life wondering “what if.” Sometimes you gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kalij.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalijmusic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kali-arnott-kali-j-5bb366124/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@musikality94?si=JHu87r-ROLxz5Q1A
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dh0MW1TLdsA3ABq3UAjzR?si=sD75fNkBRn-2z0_JelUmpQ
Image Credits
@MaxineBowen
