New York (NYC)- Keno Camp is a young group from Los Angeles, CA that have been making some noise in Christian Hip Hop. Kingdom Time Media had a chance to catch up with the group and ask them a few questions.
KT: How did Keno Camp come about and what does ‘Keno’ mean?
KENO: The core members of the group include Mario “Escort” Herrera, Gabriel “GABE” Taylor, and Terrell “T” Sales. These men of God have found spiritual commonality through what is known as Kenosis, a Greek term that means to be emptied. When asked the purpose of the group, Mario states, “The reason we chose the name Keno Camp, is because we are a group of believers fixated on empting ourselves to be used by God.” Keno Camp’s philosophy is adapted from the book of Philippians 2:7. Their life’s purpose is not to be exalted, but rather to be humbled, as bond-slaves, in order to devote their lives to the service of others, modeling their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
KT: Compton is known worldwide for its deep seated gang culture. How is the gang culture these days and how is Keno Camp trying to impact it?
KENO: We speak through our music. Honestly if you want to know about how the gang culture has impacted us, listen to “I Ain’t the One” or “Still Me”. Those tracks really paint a true picture on how the gang culture has affected our lives personally. Terrell and Escort aren’t from Compton, but there’s a hood everywhere and that truth has impacted the outcome of their lives as well.
KT: It’s a known fact that being in a music group can be challenging. How do you guys stay focused on the overall vision and stay unified?
KENO: Staying grounded in our word and each other’s lives. Life on life is what really keeps us grounded. Making sure our music is top notch and constantly challenging each other to be better, not jut on verses, but in life. Because we were always upfront with each other when it comes to our lives, it makes it even easier to confront each other in the booth cause we already do it in real life.
KT: What has the response been to your recently released ‘Riot’ album?
KENO: For the most part we have been getting a lot of good responses, especially for “Obey.” It’s just something about that song that everybody loves, young, old, black, white, it doesn’t matter. That can be true for the entire album as well. We literally get comments from all over the world from people telling us how our music is unlike anything they have heard before. We just give all glory to God and thank Him for the gifts that He blessed us with. Its cool how we get to bless others.
KT: We were blessed to see you guys perform at the 2013 Kingdom Choice Awards in New York City last year. What was it like for you guys being in the NYC for the first time?
KENO: Man it was one of, if not the best, experiences of our lives. Being in one room with so many great CHH artist connecting and make new lifelong friends, It truly opened our eyes to realities of what this music can do. It showed us how big CHH is and how impactful good CHH can be to listeners. It was absolutely crazy going to New York. The city is crazy, nothing like Cali, but it was bananas. I think the overall experience was life changing. It really opened up our eyes to the magnitude of not just our music, but CHH as a movement. Rocking the stage in New York and having the crowd respond so positively to our music, I think that was the highlight of the trip. All of our hard work was validated at that moment. New York ain’t no joke, you can feel Hip Hop in the air.
KT: Are there any other cities on your calendar for the new year?
KENO: We have upcoming shows in Oakland, Philly, Ohio, Oregon and a couple more we have to lock in.
KT: List your top 5 CHH artists
Swoope
Lecrae
Andy Mineo
Odd Thomas
Propaganda
KENO: List 3 artists/groups you would like to collab with?
Swoope
Lecrae
G.O.M
KT: What’s next for Keno Camp?
KENO: In the next 3 months we’ll be rocking stages with Braille, Sevin, D-Maub, K Drama, J Givens, Young Noah, Social Club and we’ll also be apart of the Southern Lights Tour out here in Cali with Alex Faith and Dre Murray
Check out Keno Camp’s music video for the smash single ‘OBEY’
