Meet Keki Dexter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keki Dexter.

Keki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. I graduated from the University of Alabama where I got a BA of Arts Communication and ever since I’ve been traveling the country communicating creatively through music and film. I currently live in Los Angeles following my passion for both subjects, while maintaining the complexity of LA life. Since being here, I’ve had the opportunity to perform in many different venues in all over LA included Atlanta, Georgia where I was featured on the oldest Hip-hop radio station, 91.1 – FM WREL-ATL. I’ve recorded one full album with six singles and I’ve networked with the top heavy hitters in the industry. My music is currently streaming on all major music platforms and I have four high-quality music videos.

As an artist, I’m all about owning the beauty and wonder of being a black woman in America and I choose words of confidence, inspiration, guidance and excitement when writing my lyrics. My voice is strong, my message transcends and provokes thought while offering the modern style and flow of today’s popular trap music. My goal is to go on tour and become a social media influencer that sheds light on the importance of history, mindfulness, and self-care on my platform.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Coming to Los Angeles from Mobile, Alabama was the hardest thing I ever had to do because I had to step out of my comfort zone. It took 36 hours over three days in a packed Toyota Corolla that had my dog barely comfortable in the passenger side. The first three years were decent for me because I had a roommate that helped with the high cost of living but in the last year and a half, I’ve been living on my own and have experienced everything from homelessness, malnutrition, pathetic attacks that lead to hospitalization, repositions and traffic tickets that have commons in them. I’ve had to decide to between food and getting to work on occasions and I’ve had to reach out the communities I’ve been a part of for help. I have used every experiences I’ve gone through as an opportunity to learn and grow and position myself in a way to no longer be subjected to these past struggles. I truly believe that everything that happens to us has silver lining if we look hard enough.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Keki Dexter is my stage name as a rap performing artist who’s music intertwines black pride, female empowerment, body positivity, sexual freedom, education and activism. With a style that demonstrates my southern origins, I use the flare of modern trap music and deliver crafty lyricism with sex appeal and humor to hook my audience. My vocal tone, my message and my style is unmatched and is beginning to make small waves in the industry. Recently I was featured Big Krit’s Instagram for his Addiction Challenge that boosted my brand with over 12,000 views to my page and over 50,000 on his post. I’ve worked at the 1500 Sound Academy in Inglewood where I learned from the top professionals in the music business such as Larrance Dopson, James Fauntleroy and Wyann Vaugh. I’ve worked alongside legend, Leila Steinberg, as an artist in her Aim 4 the Heart program which focuses on the importance of emotional literacy through the arts.

With this program, I’ve been featured on the HBO Documentary, “Foster,” TWBA’s Backslash, Mic Sessions from San Quentin State Prison and during several live performances across California. I won the Bar Exam at the historical Apache Cafe in Atlanta, GA which leads to a guest appearance on the longest-running Hip-hop station 91.1 WREK-ATL radio station. I’ve completed four high-quality videos that I mostly produced, coordinate, and edited. What sets me apart is my film background and music experience. Because I’ve been dedicating the last couple of years to understanding the complexities of the music industry while assisting major signed artist, I’ve learned how to handle my career from their experience. I’ve also gain a degree as a certified filmmaker and as a creative, this skills help me design my look and what content I want to share with the world.

What were you like growing up?
My mother was in labor with me for 46 hours and my family, the hospital staff and other families anticipating their loved ones’ arrival, applauded when the nurse announced that I was finally born. Coincidentally as an adult working as a full-time artist and content creator, I still have the honor of being acknowledged for my work.

As I grew up, my favorite thing to do was to be creative. I still own awards I received from elementary school to high school in categories such as best narratives, best poetry, best artwork, most talented dancer, best drama performance and so on. I was always an imaginative kid that fancied going outside and creating my entertainment out of nature instead of using the structures on the playground. But when it was too cold to go outside, I enjoyed watching movies and television shows. At five years old, I told my mother I was going to be in the TV one day. My mother being the encouraging woman she is assured me that it was possible as long as I had the ambition to make that dream come true. 13 years later, I had the opportunity to exercise this ambition by majoring in Telecommunication and film at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. There I received a BA of Arts Communication and ever since, I’ve been traveling the country communicating creatively through music and film.

Pricing:

• $75/hour to model
• $200 for a feature with split sheets
• $200 for videography
• $75 video editing $50 photography editing
• $125 photography
• $375 website design
• $150 for logos
• $75 for flyers

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kekidexter.com
• Phone: 3105690259
• Email: info@kekidexter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kekidexter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kekidexter/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kekidexter

Image Credit:
Yellow Headshot – Photographer Frank Benvenuto, Performance Photos – Robert Hernandez

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