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[The 4K Files]

 

 

P: For the record, who am I sittin' down with today?

4K: This Terry4K how y'all comin'?

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P: And who is Terry4K?

4K: Terry4K is a rapper from the south side of Chicago. You can't describe his music, it's just raw and uncut.​

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P: For those who don't know you personally–– what’s the story behind the name Terry4K?

4K: My birth name is Terry, I ain’t wanna make up no fake name, I really just wanted to be myself. I got the 4K from my older brother, his nickname 3 but I ain’t wanna be Terry 3K, so I said, “Shit, I’ma be Terry4K” and ran with it. The name caught on and people in my school started calling me 4K. It's been that ever since.

 

P: You're making noise around your city. In 2023 you debuted with some strong singles. You followed that up by hitting a quarter million stream interactions in 2024. Then almost all of your music went down. What happened? 

4K: Yeah foe, I’m tryna keep that s**t goin’.

I had some issues with copyright and producers sending me beats saying shit like, "Just tag me in the song if you drop" so I would, but I started to get mail saying I'm in violation of copyright policy. My options was either take that sh*t down, or pay for all that sh*t. So I took it down. 

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P: As a creator that has to do something to you mentally.

4K: Hell yeah, it was really hard cause I put a lot of energy into my music. So when it happened it f*cked with my mental heavy. But I wasn't gonna quit, so used it as a learning lesson and came back even harder. 

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P: You're in the process of re-building your audience, you make a lot of different s**t that might resonate with all types of demographics: pain, high energy, slow sh*t... What inspires that mix?

4K: It’s really me listening to all genres. Growing up, my pops would play Paul Hardcastle, jazz, and indie pop. Then he would play his rap sh*t. It was hella diverse. Drake too — he made great art, before he got into all that sh*t. Kanye's another one, when you look at production and break down how difficult it is to do the sh*t he do. I like Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, that's my n***a, and I’ma say G Herbo too when it comes to wordplay.

 

P: How would you describe your sound to someone who ain’t never heard your sh*t before?

4K: It’s like an adventure. When you listen to my music, different beats bring different feelings, I look at it like a movie. I might drop a tape, that'll have me in the stu feelin' like Batman, and the next just be some chill s**t you can get high to.

 

P: What’s your creative process like?

4K: I really get high and freestyle. Once I'm feeling it I’ll come up with a punchline and keep goin’ 'til I lose it, then I’ll start punchin’ in. And sometimes I’ll get in that b**ch and start flowin’. But I ain’t no lyin’ ass n**** so it's harder to make music when it ain't no real sh*t going on. I can’t just get on a song and start frontin' my sh*t.

 

P: You been rapping for a minute but you been dropping consistently for a couple years. Which drop made people start paying attention?

4K: It’s crazy ‘cause everybody gon’ probably think it was Changed, but it was really Breath Away. I recorded that in 2022 and posted the snippet and I was getting hella love. I had some n****s say that sh*t was ass, but it was even more people saying, 'Keep goin' you gonna blow up.' That was raw as hell coming from an underground artist who just posted on SoundCloud. I was scared to post my music, so once people was f**kin’ with it, I knew I could do this s**t.

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P: And that was a couple years ago, how old were you then?

4K: S**t, I was 16.

P: You're 18 now with a pretty decent following –– whats been the biggest challenge for you?

4K: The biggest challenge has been staying consistent. I work and go to school so it's hard to find time to make music. But I still write and record everyday. 

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P: You said you dealt with some hate coming out the gate, how do you deal with the negativity? And what’s the hardest part about tryna come up in the stage you in?

4K: This part I'm in now the hardest 'cause you gotta really find a crowd of people who believe in you and value your craft. Some people might think one song hard, then go to the rest of your music and think, "This s**t ass."

P: *laughs*

4K (cont’d.): People might be listening for one thing, but I’m tryna figure out how a n**** got his vocals a certain way. So it’s about finding that crowd and getting comfortable gettin' out your body, doing shows and interviews. Or even being comfortable telling n****s you a artist. Some n****s be embarrassed to tell people they make music.

 

P: Who do you feel like you make music for?

4K: I make music for the real n****s, the n****s who feel misunderstood–– the underdogs. My music like an escape, like, “You not the only n**** feelin' this s**t, but you gotta push through that s**t, it’s gone get better.” I’m tryna motivate the trenches. I’m from the burbs but this s**t was the trenches 'cause the s**t a n**** went through was traumatizing.

 

P: What was your childhood like, and how does that play into the art that you make?

4K: I really was in the burbs goin' to school and church and s**t, but my family was in the Hunnids, so I was always in the city. Growing up was cool, but once I hit 7, s**t started getting rocky as f**k. N****s power cut off, sleepin' on the floor. Losing my granny and my grandad, s**t, I lost a lot of homies in the Raq. Just hella s**t a kid shouldn’t have to go through, that still carries to this day. But I don’t complain ‘cause these just the cards I was dealt. I didn't wanna turn to the streets cause I knew that s**t would hurt my mom so music was my escape.

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P: You got a mature mindset, that s**t speaks through your music.

4K: Hell yeah. 

P: You feel like with that it’s hard to find like-minded people that’s really living what they say?

4K: Yeah, n****s be cappin’. To be honest, I see more and more s**t that makes me wanna stay away from the industry. 

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P: How do you feel about features? You looking to do any collabs soon?

4K: If I was to tap in with somebody, it’d be somebody on the outskirts, like Baby Smoove or ICYTWAT. But I ain’t really looking to collab with nobody.

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P: You got a lot of work under your belt, what’s next for you?

4K: Sh**t, I gotta drop another album, I’m working on a music video and another project with [project] records. That’s me and my brother’s s**t. We really tryna make this s**t a global movement, we want the whole world screaming [project].

 

P: Outside of music, you got anything you tryna get into?

4K: I wanna get into architecture, own a studio, investments, shit like that

 

P: Before I let you go, you got anything to say to the people who just now discovering your music?

4K: Fasho, to all my supporters, haters too, thank y’all. This my craft and everyday I thank the Lord that I can do this s**t.

But yeah, Terry4K, RP to Ova East, y’all know how I’m coming. Shoutout my dawgs, shoutout Twin, shoutout 3, shoutout Leel, shoutout BMoney, even though his ass don’t be hittin’ the phone, I still love you. Shoutout Rob, shoutout KB, all my shootas. Y'all know how y'all comin'. 

Thank you for havin’ me on the interview.

 

P: Thank you.

 

[END OF FILE]