Chicago's K'Valentine is about to make 2017 her year. She's put in the time, writing poetry since her youth, putting out three mixtapes, including one with Talib Kweli's Javotti Media, and is finally ready to release her debut album, Here for a Reason, out this March via Javotti Media. A protégée and collaborator with hip hop star Talib Kweli, she will be opening for Kweli on his spring Seven Tour, starting today. For a taste of what's to come, check out her collaboration with fellow Chicagoan BJ the Chicago Kid, "That's Real". Watch "That's Real" featuring BJ the Chicago Kid
On a cold, snowy day at a downtown
Chicago hospital, K'Valentine made her entrance into this world, an early Christmas gift to her mother. The news of her birth also excited her father, who at the time, was incarcerated in another state. At an early age, in spite of many family hardships, K'Valentine excelled academically and in the Arts. Anything associated with creativity was and still is her forte.
As a little girl, K's exceptional artistic ability was so evident that it's no surprise that music became her life's passion. When she discovered the power of hip hop, it became her first love. Soon enough, she was impressing her friends and family with her vast knowledge about the world of hip hop.
K'Valentine began her lyrical journey by writing poetry to get out emotions she wanted to express. After a chance meeting with world-renowned poet laureate
Dr. Maya Angelou before she passed, K'Valentine was encouraged to practice until she mastered her craft. On the advice of Dr. Angelou, K wrote poetry non-stop, and those poems eventually transitioned into songs.
After reciting poetry at numerous spoken word events and receiving positive feedback, it was time for K to finally get in the booth. Shortly after, she released her debut project,
Breakfast at Tiffany's, in 2011.
Breakfast at Tiffany's gave listeners their first look into K'Valentine's heart. She wrote about personal subjects but she also wasn't scared to get down and dirty on the microphone. On Valentine's Day 2013, K'Valentine dropped her second mixtape, K'Valentine's Day, which picked up where
Breakfast at Tiffany's left off.
In 2014, K'Valentine linked up with Javotti Media, a label owned by hip hop star Talib Kweli, and began to work on her third mixtape, Million Dollar Baby. Million Dollar Baby finds K'Valentine rhyming over tracks that are new as well as her versions of existing hits, giving the listener a well-rounded perspective of a young lady that can lyrically spar with the best of the best. You can also find K'Valentine's contributions to the world of music on Javotti Media's mixtape, The Cathedral, which placed K in the company of esteemed artists such as
Big K.R.I.T. Joell Ortiz, Curren$y, NIKO IS and more. In 2015, K was featured on Indie 500, the joint album from
Talib Kweli and 9th Wonder. In 2016 she was featured on the latest Javotti Media mixtape, Awful People are Great at Parties, with production from some of the top names in the game including Kaytranada, Hi Tek and the late great J Dilla.
K'Valentine's love for music has given her a calling, and she is here to answer that call. The music she makes is not just wonderful for the listener, but has also been her therapy to get through life's trying times. As beautiful as she is talented, her experience is valuable and her voice is needed. Her debut album, Here for a Reason, is slated for an early 2017 release.
THE SEVEN TOUR
with TALIB KWELI, STYLES P, and K'VALENTINE:
1/18 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
1/19 - Los Angeles, CA - Belasco Theatre
1/21 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
1/24 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
1/25 - Vancouver, BC - Venue
1/26 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
1/27 - Boise, ID - The Knitting Factory
1/28 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
1/29 - Englewood, CO - The Gothic Theatre
2/1 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
2/2 - Chicago, IL - The Metro
2/3 - Toronto, ON -
Phoenix Concert Theatre
2/4 - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrews Hall
2/7 - New Haven, CT - Toads Place
2/9 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
2/10 - New York City, NY -
Highline Ballroom
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