88 Killa

Part of a local group of trendsetters known as the Brain Gang, K.MC spits a frank and at times charmingly antisocial style, along with a distinguished taste for upbeat production. His mixtape, Laptops and Voicemails, was one of the summer's highlights and included guest appearances from fellow local rappers Dru B Shinin', Kashus Klay of The Mohicans, KidWonder and Lou Charle$.

Highlight: "IDK," produced by Brain Gang Blue. - DallasObserver

For the past couple years, K.MC has been bubbling at the edges of the North Texas hip-hop underground, forming alliances with other standouts like Tunk and Blue (formerly of Sore Losers) as a member of the Brain Gang collective. There's been a steady stream of music and guest appearances from K.MC over that span, and with the release of his latest mixtape, Laptops and Voicemails, the artist has reached an important point of his career. He does so with a renewed sense of focus realized in the form of a solid, albeit still-developing, voice of virtuosity.

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Dru ShininHip-Hop and RapArts, Entertainment, and Media
By and large, this mixtape is a well-organized collection of the solitary ups and downs that come with attempting to master a craft. Musically, K.MC stays close enough to the intersection of traditional Southern hip-hop and the independent style that has been championed by local groups such as Sore Losers and A.Dd+. But he takes things a step further, perhaps; almost universally, he rejects much of what the traditional rapper makes a main focus. This is an artist disillusioned with what his profession tells him are the goals: women, material possessions and fame.

With guest appearances from other local emcees like Dru B Shinin' and Kashus Klay from The Mohicans, this mixtape may end up being one of the defining local releases of 2011. K.MC is an undoubted talent whose career arc still appears to be on the upswing. - DallasObserver

For the past couple years, K.MC has been bubbling at the edges of the North Texas hip-hop underground, forming alliances with other standouts like Tunk and Blue (formerly of Sore Losers) as a member of the Brain Gang collective. There's been a steady stream of music and guest appearances from K.MC over that span, and with the release of his latest mixtape, Laptops and Voicemails, the artist has reached an important point of his career. He does so with a renewed sense of focus realized in the form of a solid, albeit still-developing, voice of virtuosity.

Related Content
The North Texas Hip-Hop Sampler, 2012 1/2 Edition
June 29, 2012
Dru B Shinin'
August 18, 2011
The Ridglea Bar, Part of Fort Worth's Ridglea Theater, Opens Softly This Weekend
March 9, 2012
Good Friday: Analog Rebellion, C.J. Ramone and the Rest of This Weekend's Shows
July 15, 2011
Best Local Hip-Hop of 2011
December 20, 2011
More About
Dru ShininHip-Hop and RapArts, Entertainment, and Media
By and large, this mixtape is a well-organized collection of the solitary ups and downs that come with attempting to master a craft. Musically, K.MC stays close enough to the intersection of traditional Southern hip-hop and the independent style that has been championed by local groups such as Sore Losers and A.Dd+. But he takes things a step further, perhaps; almost universally, he rejects much of what the traditional rapper makes a main focus. This is an artist disillusioned with what his profession tells him are the goals: women, material possessions and fame.

With guest appearances from other local emcees like Dru B Shinin' and Kashus Klay from The Mohicans, this mixtape may end up being one of the defining local releases of 2011. K.MC is an undoubted talent whose career arc still appears to be on the upswing. - DallasObserver

If you're sitting to at home or at your office desk, trying to muster up some inspiration so you can make that one last trip to the mall today, tomorrow or the next day and finish up your last-minute gift-shopping, allow this clip, courtesy of up-and-coming Fort Worth-based rapper Killa MC to be your inspiration.

The debut music video from the promising emcee boasts a simple concept, with K.MC strutting around an area mall (can anyone figure out which?), mugging for the camera and spitting, quite confidently, about how cool he is. But it's not as boastful as you might think: This clip goes a long way in charming its way out of the song's potentially too prideful posturing -- keep watching till the end, when some innocent mall patrons approach the rapper and ask to take some pictures with him during the video shoot.

And, after the jump, give the song, which, really, is a self-confidence jam more than anything else, a free download, courtesy of the young emcee.
- DallasObserver

Seems there are two vastly different camps developing in the Dallas hip-hop scene these days. For starters, there's the heavily club-focused set featuring the likes of Dorrough, Play-N-Skillz, Trai'D, Inertia, Big Chief and others. Then there's the underground movement being pushed by progressive acts like Sore Losers, A.Dd+, Killa MC and the like.

And, no offense to the former, but regular readers of DC9 will know that we're quite fond of the latter camp. It's not hard to see why, either: With inventive beats and unique flows, this set's pushing the boundaries of the Dallas scene. And they're releasing some incredibly forward-thinking, and yet widely appealing, songs in the process.

A new song that popped up in our inbox yesterday proves no exception to this rule. Over a beat provided by Blue of Sore Losers, a new collaborative calling itself Team Texas -- which features Killa MC, A.Dd+, femme fatale Ni Taylor, Myneiss and MC John E Specs -- offers up a retro-nodding but progressive nonetheless track that seems intent on garnering recognition from fans local and beyond. No surprise to hear that the song's called "The New Generation," then.

After the jump, give the track a listen. Oh, and thanks to the group, feel free to give it a download, too. - DallasObserver

Seems there are two vastly different camps developing in the Dallas hip-hop scene these days. For starters, there's the heavily club-focused set featuring the likes of Dorrough, Play-N-Skillz, Trai'D, Inertia, Big Chief and others. Then there's the underground movement being pushed by progressive acts like Sore Losers, A.Dd+, Killa MC and the like.

And, no offense to the former, but regular readers of DC9 will know that we're quite fond of the latter camp. It's not hard to see why, either: With inventive beats and unique flows, this set's pushing the boundaries of the Dallas scene. And they're releasing some incredibly forward-thinking, and yet widely appealing, songs in the process.

A new song that popped up in our inbox yesterday proves no exception to this rule. Over a beat provided by Blue of Sore Losers, a new collaborative calling itself Team Texas -- which features Killa MC, A.Dd+, femme fatale Ni Taylor, Myneiss and MC John E Specs -- offers up a retro-nodding but progressive nonetheless track that seems intent on garnering recognition from fans local and beyond. No surprise to hear that the song's called "The New Generation," then.

After the jump, give the track a listen. Oh, and thanks to the group, feel free to give it a download, too. - DallasObserver

With multiple mixtape placements, album features and his own work on the way has Fort Worth, Texas bred a future hip hop leader? Only time will tell the answer to that question, but in the world of up and comers, it's anyone's game with hard work, talent and respect for the game. Killa MC is doing all of that and then some, showing he is aiming his sights on being the head of the class.

Killa MC shared with Yo! Raps how he got into the game and it's not surprising that his first love wasn't for being an artist. We caught up with Killa MC to ask him not only about his up coming mixtapes, but also about hip hop in general, the producers he has worked with and how in these tough times he finds a way to continue to make music. In a time of struggle it is finding these emcees who are doing what they need to do in order to keep their music survive that makes us realize, the music hip hop offers is diverse and isn't going anywhere.

Can you tell us a little bit about the name Killa MC, where did it came from and what it means to you.

The name came from an old Run DMC in which DMC said, "DMC" stands for "Devasting Mic Controller" and back then I thought that was so ill, so I flipped it into "Killa Mic Controller", it pays homage to the old school and lets people know from the jump that I'm an MC, not a rapper.

Is music your first love and at what age did you realize that rapping was the future for you?

Actually break dancing was my first love, and I still do it from time to time, but I believe it was around 14 that I realized I wanted to rap after watching the old school flicks of Beat Street and just basically listening to "golden era" rap. Seeing the effect of the hip hop back then and basically how it changed music as a whole, I knew I wanted to contribute and leave my mark.

What is the music scene in Fort Worth, Texas? If you could change one thing in your hip hop scene in Fort Worth, what would it be?

The music scene in Fort Worth is slowly developing. There's a lot of cats making moves but seeing how we have Dallas next door, a lot of people expect us to follow in the dance/ringtone market, and what were basically trying to do is destroy that misconception and show the people that there are other lanes in the metroplex that we cover.

If there's one thing I would change it would be the platform for local artist. Don't get me wrong, they're a lot of opportunities available, but sometimes I feel that we, from Fort Worth, have to try extra harder just for people to notice us, and it oftentimes puts us in an unfair situation.

What producers and DJs have you worked with and how important do you feel it is building a good team?

I got an excellent producer named E-Dot who is sick! My homie K-Dub is also nice behind boards, and I don't really communicate with my fam Sin as much as I used too but he also is pretty ill behind the boards as well. The three that I've mentioned played an intricate role in the Killa MC sound. As far as DJs, I work exclusively with DJ Frosty, DJ Young Hollywood, and DJ Mami Fresh. Building a good team is very important because that's basically your support system and those are the people that you trust in getting done on your behalf.

Album sales are down for the most part, money is not readily available to up and coming artists how do you support your music career financially?

I work on a typical 9 to 5 like pretty much everybody else, and save, save, save. I know it's not popular to admit to making money other than drug dealing, but that's the reality of it [laughs].

What, if any, changes would there be in hip hop today if icons like 2Pac, Biggie, Jam Master J, or Big L were still alive?

If those cats were still alive I believe they would of set the bar for quality music even higher! I mean if you look at the music they left behind, its cats today that live, eat, and sleep those lyrics and those guys were in their early 20s. So I can only imagine what it would have been like as they got older and wiser the type of knowledge and perspective they would have shared.

What has been the craziest moment for you so far in the music industry as an up and coming artist?

The craziest moments for me are definitely after my shows. There's always that chick that got a little too tipsy at the bar following me around, or that dude that got too much in his system constantly telling me he wants to collab. Don't get me wrong, I don't knock them, it's just really funny sometimes and makes great conversation later on at the waffle house [laughs].

What mixtapes and albums has your music been a featured on?

Honestly I can't keep up with all of them, but I know that I'm on a couple of tapes in Japan, and I have various spots across DatPiff. I try not to keep score because that's not why I do music. If I land a spot, I celebrate for about 5 minutes and get back to work [laughs].

What are you currently working on?

Well I just finished m - YoRaps.com

With multiple mixtape placements, album features and his own work on the way has Fort Worth, Texas bred a future hip hop leader? Only time will tell the answer to that question, but in the world of up and comers, it's anyone's game with hard work, talent and respect for the game. Killa MC is doing all of that and then some, showing he is aiming his sights on being the head of the class.

Killa MC shared with Yo! Raps how he got into the game and it's not surprising that his first love wasn't for being an artist. We caught up with Killa MC to ask him not only about his up coming mixtapes, but also about hip hop in general, the producers he has worked with and how in these tough times he finds a way to continue to make music. In a time of struggle it is finding these emcees who are doing what they need to do in order to keep their music survive that makes us realize, the music hip hop offers is diverse and isn't going anywhere.

Can you tell us a little bit about the name Killa MC, where did it came from and what it means to you.

The name came from an old Run DMC in which DMC said, "DMC" stands for "Devasting Mic Controller" and back then I thought that was so ill, so I flipped it into "Killa Mic Controller", it pays homage to the old school and lets people know from the jump that I'm an MC, not a rapper.

Is music your first love and at what age did you realize that rapping was the future for you?

Actually break dancing was my first love, and I still do it from time to time, but I believe it was around 14 that I realized I wanted to rap after watching the old school flicks of Beat Street and just basically listening to "golden era" rap. Seeing the effect of the hip hop back then and basically how it changed music as a whole, I knew I wanted to contribute and leave my mark.

What is the music scene in Fort Worth, Texas? If you could change one thing in your hip hop scene in Fort Worth, what would it be?

The music scene in Fort Worth is slowly developing. There's a lot of cats making moves but seeing how we have Dallas next door, a lot of people expect us to follow in the dance/ringtone market, and what were basically trying to do is destroy that misconception and show the people that there are other lanes in the metroplex that we cover.

If there's one thing I would change it would be the platform for local artist. Don't get me wrong, they're a lot of opportunities available, but sometimes I feel that we, from Fort Worth, have to try extra harder just for people to notice us, and it oftentimes puts us in an unfair situation.

What producers and DJs have you worked with and how important do you feel it is building a good team?

I got an excellent producer named E-Dot who is sick! My homie K-Dub is also nice behind boards, and I don't really communicate with my fam Sin as much as I used too but he also is pretty ill behind the boards as well. The three that I've mentioned played an intricate role in the Killa MC sound. As far as DJs, I work exclusively with DJ Frosty, DJ Young Hollywood, and DJ Mami Fresh. Building a good team is very important because that's basically your support system and those are the people that you trust in getting done on your behalf.

Album sales are down for the most part, money is not readily available to up and coming artists how do you support your music career financially?

I work on a typical 9 to 5 like pretty much everybody else, and save, save, save. I know it's not popular to admit to making money other than drug dealing, but that's the reality of it [laughs].

What, if any, changes would there be in hip hop today if icons like 2Pac, Biggie, Jam Master J, or Big L were still alive?

If those cats were still alive I believe they would of set the bar for quality music even higher! I mean if you look at the music they left behind, its cats today that live, eat, and sleep those lyrics and those guys were in their early 20s. So I can only imagine what it would have been like as they got older and wiser the type of knowledge and perspective they would have shared.

What has been the craziest moment for you so far in the music industry as an up and coming artist?

The craziest moments for me are definitely after my shows. There's always that chick that got a little too tipsy at the bar following me around, or that dude that got too much in his system constantly telling me he wants to collab. Don't get me wrong, I don't knock them, it's just really funny sometimes and makes great conversation later on at the waffle house [laughs].

What mixtapes and albums has your music been a featured on?

Honestly I can't keep up with all of them, but I know that I'm on a couple of tapes in Japan, and I have various spots across DatPiff. I try not to keep score because that's not why I do music. If I land a spot, I celebrate for about 5 minutes and get back to work [laughs].

What are you currently working on?

Well I just finished m - YoRaps.com

Killa MC and about a half-dozen other Fort Worth rappers huddled around a table at a local coffee shop about a year and a half ago and staged a plan to jumpstart their hometown’s anemic hip-hop scene.


They were weary of its thuggish reputation (established courtesy of Twisted Black, Six2, Immortal Soldierz, and others) and sought to assert themselves as a distinctive group whose members openly shunned the gangsta pretense.

Despite their efforts, Killa now says, he and his counterparts still have their work cut out for them. “Fort Worth is just a hard city to get anything going on,” said the 23-year-old University of North Texas student recently at a bar just off Denton’s town square. He explained that, while Fort Worth’s indie-rock scene has stepped out of Dallas’ shadow and come into its own, the Fort’s hip-hop struggles to find the spotlight.

That’s part of the reason you’ll have a hard time finding Killa playing a show in the town he’s lived in since early elementary school. Instead you’ll find Donovan Payne, as Killa’s parents know him, taking stages in and around Dallas and Denton. His growing Fort Worth following comes only from his successful last album, Laptops & Voicemails (one of HearSay’s top five local albums of 2011).

The album –– his second, released online for free in November –– includes one song, “Boy Stop,” in which Killa teamed up with popular Cowtown rappers Dru B Shinin’ and Lou Charle$, both of whom met with him at the coffee shop all those months ago. The trio’s formidable chops rival those from any head-bobbing compilation of any of rap’s titans. Killa said Laptops & Voicemails is just a glimpse into the relatively unknown stockpile of talent hiding in Fort Worth.

The follow-up to Young, Black, and Reckless, Killa’s debut, Laptops & Voicemails ranges from the fast-paced lyrical gymnastics of “Boy Stop” to the sentimental, reflective odes that round out the 20-song album’s second half, most of them alluding to Killa’s recent breakup with a girl he’d been with for the better part of four years.

Killa’s style of rhyming has much in common with pioneers LL Cool J and the guys in A Tribe Called Quest and Run-DMC (whose name helped inspire Killa’s own moniker). He freely acknowledges that his is throwback rap, only transplanted to the age of social media. A self-described technophile, Killa spits, sometimes at length, about things like Facebook Like buttons, tweets, and YouTube page views. Hence the album’s title.

Killa’s mid-’90s influences were his bread and butter growing up. His parents — yes, he pointed out, he comes from a two-parent household in the far South Fort Worth suburbs — frowned upon most of the era’s rap but compromised with their son by allowing him to listen to some of the genre’s tamer acts.

During the recent interview in Denton, Killa’s side of the bar table was empty. He doesn’t drink. He also doesn’t smoke, weed or tobacco. He cusses occasionally in his music but infrequently in person. He said he tries to make music that his mother would, well, maybe not enjoy but at least tolerate. He’s articulate and, in person, soft-spoken. Killa, in other words, doesn’t exude the larger-than-life egomania of many rap artists, although a hint of it does sneak through his music.

On his web site, Killa has embedded the half-dozen or so music videos that he has completed with the help of Phillip Thompson, an aspiring Dallas filmmaker and buddy. Several show Killa hanging out with friends, at home or at the mall. No fancy cars and spinning rims. No stacks of cash. Just Killa, in his trademark adjustable baseball cap, hanging out. “That’s what I do every day, you know,” he said. “We hang out at the mall. We hang out in the studio. We hang out with the chicks and the homies. When you meet me as K.MC, that’s what I’m doing. I’m not rolling around in cars with 24s and pit bulls and scantily clad women. That’s just not real life — for me, anyway.”

He paused behind an impish grin: “I wouldn’t mind it occasionally here and there, but on a daily basis, don’t come expecting that.”

Killa traces his relatively clean approach to music to a stage of life he and his cohorts refer to as their “Negro enlightenment.”

Around the time he started rapping, about halfway through high school, Killa boasted a stereotypical rapper persona to his inner-city friends. “I kind of went through this period to prove to them that I was just as ‘black’ as they were,” Killa said. “At the end of the day, it just wasn’t who I am as a person. The Negro enlightenment is when I realized I don’t have to be ignorant to associate myself with ‘black.’ ”

He eventually toned down the hyperbole and joined The Brain Gang, a group of like-minded MCs who had come to the same conclusion. Killa described the clique as a North Texas version of the Wu-Tang Clan. A trio of producers in The Brain Gang provides Killa with most of his beats, often for free. K.MC files these beats on his computer by t - Fort Worth Weekly

Killa MC and about a half-dozen other Fort Worth rappers huddled around a table at a local coffee shop about a year and a half ago and staged a plan to jumpstart their hometown’s anemic hip-hop scene.


They were weary of its thuggish reputation (established courtesy of Twisted Black, Six2, Immortal Soldierz, and others) and sought to assert themselves as a distinctive group whose members openly shunned the gangsta pretense.

Despite their efforts, Killa now says, he and his counterparts still have their work cut out for them. “Fort Worth is just a hard city to get anything going on,” said the 23-year-old University of North Texas student recently at a bar just off Denton’s town square. He explained that, while Fort Worth’s indie-rock scene has stepped out of Dallas’ shadow and come into its own, the Fort’s hip-hop struggles to find the spotlight.

That’s part of the reason you’ll have a hard time finding Killa playing a show in the town he’s lived in since early elementary school. Instead you’ll find Donovan Payne, as Killa’s parents know him, taking stages in and around Dallas and Denton. His growing Fort Worth following comes only from his successful last album, Laptops & Voicemails (one of HearSay’s top five local albums of 2011).

The album –– his second, released online for free in November –– includes one song, “Boy Stop,” in which Killa teamed up with popular Cowtown rappers Dru B Shinin’ and Lou Charle$, both of whom met with him at the coffee shop all those months ago. The trio’s formidable chops rival those from any head-bobbing compilation of any of rap’s titans. Killa said Laptops & Voicemails is just a glimpse into the relatively unknown stockpile of talent hiding in Fort Worth.

The follow-up to Young, Black, and Reckless, Killa’s debut, Laptops & Voicemails ranges from the fast-paced lyrical gymnastics of “Boy Stop” to the sentimental, reflective odes that round out the 20-song album’s second half, most of them alluding to Killa’s recent breakup with a girl he’d been with for the better part of four years.

Killa’s style of rhyming has much in common with pioneers LL Cool J and the guys in A Tribe Called Quest and Run-DMC (whose name helped inspire Killa’s own moniker). He freely acknowledges that his is throwback rap, only transplanted to the age of social media. A self-described technophile, Killa spits, sometimes at length, about things like Facebook Like buttons, tweets, and YouTube page views. Hence the album’s title.

Killa’s mid-’90s influences were his bread and butter growing up. His parents — yes, he pointed out, he comes from a two-parent household in the far South Fort Worth suburbs — frowned upon most of the era’s rap but compromised with their son by allowing him to listen to some of the genre’s tamer acts.

During the recent interview in Denton, Killa’s side of the bar table was empty. He doesn’t drink. He also doesn’t smoke, weed or tobacco. He cusses occasionally in his music but infrequently in person. He said he tries to make music that his mother would, well, maybe not enjoy but at least tolerate. He’s articulate and, in person, soft-spoken. Killa, in other words, doesn’t exude the larger-than-life egomania of many rap artists, although a hint of it does sneak through his music.

On his web site, Killa has embedded the half-dozen or so music videos that he has completed with the help of Phillip Thompson, an aspiring Dallas filmmaker and buddy. Several show Killa hanging out with friends, at home or at the mall. No fancy cars and spinning rims. No stacks of cash. Just Killa, in his trademark adjustable baseball cap, hanging out. “That’s what I do every day, you know,” he said. “We hang out at the mall. We hang out in the studio. We hang out with the chicks and the homies. When you meet me as K.MC, that’s what I’m doing. I’m not rolling around in cars with 24s and pit bulls and scantily clad women. That’s just not real life — for me, anyway.”

He paused behind an impish grin: “I wouldn’t mind it occasionally here and there, but on a daily basis, don’t come expecting that.”

Killa traces his relatively clean approach to music to a stage of life he and his cohorts refer to as their “Negro enlightenment.”

Around the time he started rapping, about halfway through high school, Killa boasted a stereotypical rapper persona to his inner-city friends. “I kind of went through this period to prove to them that I was just as ‘black’ as they were,” Killa said. “At the end of the day, it just wasn’t who I am as a person. The Negro enlightenment is when I realized I don’t have to be ignorant to associate myself with ‘black.’ ”

He eventually toned down the hyperbole and joined The Brain Gang, a group of like-minded MCs who had come to the same conclusion. Killa described the clique as a North Texas version of the Wu-Tang Clan. A trio of producers in The Brain Gang provides Killa with most of his beats, often for free. K.MC files these beats on his computer by t - Fort Worth Weekly

. Laptops and Voicemails, Killa MC. Props go to K.MC for his articulate flow and delirious rhymes, but his debut album clearly wouldn’t be so major-label-worthy without the help of producer and beat-maker DJ Synaptic. Whatever prefab, $80,000-per-song Kanye/Jay-Z nonsense you’re listening to needs to be shelved to make room for Killa MC. You owe it to your F-Dub homeboy. - Fort Worth Weekly

. Laptops and Voicemails, Killa MC. Props go to K.MC for his articulate flow and delirious rhymes, but his debut album clearly wouldn’t be so major-label-worthy without the help of producer and beat-maker DJ Synaptic. Whatever prefab, $80,000-per-song Kanye/Jay-Z nonsense you’re listening to needs to be shelved to make room for Killa MC. You owe it to your F-Dub homeboy. - Fort Worth Weekly

Next, the gents in Brain Gang did their best Polyphonic Spree thing, bringing the whole crew out for the show. It was crazy on stage, with everyone swapping in and out and taking their turn on the mic. They warmed the crowd up, too -- but they eventually had to be cut off after running over on time.

They tried to negotiate for more time -- and the crowd backed them up -- but it just didn't happen. - CentralTrack.com

Next, the gents in Brain Gang did their best Polyphonic Spree thing, bringing the whole crew out for the show. It was crazy on stage, with everyone swapping in and out and taking their turn on the mic. They warmed the crowd up, too -- but they eventually had to be cut off after running over on time.

They tried to negotiate for more time -- and the crowd backed them up -- but it just didn't happen. - CentralTrack.com

Slowly but surely, Brain Gang-affiliated Fort Worth rapper Killa MC has been bubbling up across the region over the past few years, earning recognition for his sample-heavy beats, his entertaining low-budget music videos and his laid-back vocal delivery.

To date, he has just two mixtapes to his name. But that, the 24-year-old University of North Texas graduate promises, will change soon. With the help of his white-hot Brain Gang brethren, Killa is currently at work on a third release. And, this week, to tease that upcoming album, he's ready to unveil the first offering from that impending output.

The first single off of the new as-yet-untitled project is called "No Trigger," and, like singles "IDK" and "I'm Cool" before it, it features the man born Donovan Payne reveling in his alluring, slacker rhyming wheelhouse.

Even in a party setting -- as he is in the video for the new track, which he's been kind enough to let Central Track premiere here -- Killa MC is not a man easily excited or swayed. But that's kind of the point. He can't be fazed.

"Yeah, I got my swag right," he says in the first line of the new single. We're inclined to agree. - CentralTrack.com

Slowly but surely, Brain Gang-affiliated Fort Worth rapper Killa MC has been bubbling up across the region over the past few years, earning recognition for his sample-heavy beats, his entertaining low-budget music videos and his laid-back vocal delivery.

To date, he has just two mixtapes to his name. But that, the 24-year-old University of North Texas graduate promises, will change soon. With the help of his white-hot Brain Gang brethren, Killa is currently at work on a third release. And, this week, to tease that upcoming album, he's ready to unveil the first offering from that impending output.

The first single off of the new as-yet-untitled project is called "No Trigger," and, like singles "IDK" and "I'm Cool" before it, it features the man born Donovan Payne reveling in his alluring, slacker rhyming wheelhouse.

Even in a party setting -- as he is in the video for the new track, which he's been kind enough to let Central Track premiere here -- Killa MC is not a man easily excited or swayed. But that's kind of the point. He can't be fazed.

"Yeah, I got my swag right," he says in the first line of the new single. We're inclined to agree. - CentralTrack.com

This is some dope shit. OGK is five solid, head-bobbing anthems from Killa MC, a Fort Worthian UNT student who co-founded the Denton hip-hop collective Brain Gang a couple of years ago. Though smart, worldly, and decidedly underground –– no Kanye-sized pop aspirations here –– Killa, a.k.a. Donovan Payne, is more concerned with speaking from the heart (and the brain) than indulging in wordplay or shouting down the competition. His flow changes from song to song but is never affected or calculated. It’s always appropriate to the music. On “Blue Monday,” a driving and semi-danceable track, he spits rapid-fire. On the moodier, slower “Convocation” and “Loop 820,” he’s completely laid-back. (The ballpark-organ melody of “Convocation” is choice, adding some kitsch to what is otherwise a pretty serious indictment of fake friends. The song ends with a gunshot.) Just as tasty as his rhymes are his beats and melodies. Killa is not trying to reinvent the wheel –– yes, there’s that splashy high-hat and snare and those plastic synth atmospherics we all know so well –– but he injects just enough sonic quirks into his material to distinguish it from all of the generic, FruityLoops-generated crap that clouds the hip-hop airwaves. Wurlitzer-sounding organ also appears on “Blue Monday,” and “McCart Ave” features a key sample hook, Dr. Dre from “Nuthin But a ‘G’ Thang.” Though Killa also has a soft spot for the Fort, name-dropping Funkytown in just about every track, OGK is a wonderful snapshot of a young rapper with the world ahead of him. — A.M. - Fort Worth Weekly

Killa MC, the brash, proud and highly skilled member of Denton hip-hop collective Brain Gang, enters from behind the curtain in full military regalia and takes his place at the front of the stage inside the Prophet Bar.

"I want to be all over Instagram with this outfit on, so I'm just going to stand here and pose for a while so y'all can take pictures," he says.

The audience, more women than men, begins snapping photos while Killa switches poses, ending with an upturned salute, part of the Brain Gang on-stage repertoire.

Killa MC is the heart of Brain Gang.
Jeremy Biggers
Killa MC is the heart of Brain Gang.
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The scene is a far cry from the quiet, contemplative off-stage life of Donovan Payne, Killa's off-stage alter ego.

"I'm kind of the unspoken manager of Brain Gang," Payne says quietly in an earlier conversation. His slow Southern drawl and mild-mannered aura make it all the more fascinating to watch him as Killa MC.

On-stage, Killa saunters from side to side, shoulders slouched, knees slightly bent, cracking the microphone cord like a whip. He looks like a lion hunting his prey. Once the beat drops on "Thuggin & Mobbin," he holds up his mic and dives in.

"Let's take it to the church, in a hearse, one false move will put 'em in the dirt."

Now he's in full swagger. Watch him shadowbox the air, shrugging his shoulders while he leans. Once he has the whole audience eating out of the palm of his hand, he slices his arm through the air, barely skimming his throat. Game over.

Payne doesn't see much of a disconnect between his on-stage persona and his off-stage one. "I'm not one of those artists who feeds into the whole 'I transform into another person when I perform,'" he says. "I think that type of justification is corny."

He says he and Killa MC are basically the same person, but that his stage persona represents a different part of his id, ego and super-ego, all of whom "get along fine in my head."

To understand how Killa MC arrived, you have to learn where Donovan Payne began.

Payne was born in Jacksonville, Florida. His mother was a nurse and his father's career in the Air Force caused them to move often. He describes his upbringing as a childhood devoid of much trauma. "My parents did everything parents are supposed to do," he says.

As Killa MC, Payne's raps exist in the present. There's no delving into the past with meditations on absent fathers, project houses and crack corners.

"Growing up, I thought they were strict but they weren't nearly as strict as some of my other friends' parents," he says. "They walked the line of being my friend and parent effortlessly."

Payne didn't start listening to hip-hop until his teenage years.

"When I finally got into hip-hop, I listened to Run DMC, Fresh Prince, The Diplomats and Rawkus Records," he says.

The senior Payne's military career landed the family in Texas, where Payne attended North Crowley High School. "I was a pretty well-rounded guy growing up, so I had friends from all different walks of life," he says.

After high school, Payne settled at the University of North Texas, where he met the other members of Brain Gang.

"We all found each other through the Internet, friends and mutual respect," he says.

Payne wanted to get into hip-hop because of his "love of music growing up. It was just a natural shift to want to find out more and become involved."

He founded Brain Gang with Brandon Blue, and from there he started focusing on the well-being of the group over his own fledgling career. He backs that up by pointing to the "strength in numbers" mentality that informs everything Brain Gang does, from performances to public appearances to marketing.

"It's as simple as the group spreading each other's music links online, or having a couch to sleep on after a long night out," he says.

To date, Payne's solo releases include Young, Black and Restless, Laptops and Voicemails and his self-titled mixtape. He's also working on material released under the group's moniker. All these records embody the rebellion against the ringtone rap that dominated Dallas, and for that matter, the national hip-hop scene. Brain Gang and its members embody the classic elements of hip-hop that were abandoned during the last decade in favor of simple, sing-along rap.

"One thing we all could agree on is we didn't like the direction of the local hip-hop scene when we all decided to enter it," Payne says. "That's what bonded us together. We have all shared the same struggles with the people, radio and venues not giving us the time of day."

Many in hip-hop and pop have embraced dual selves, from David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust to Dwayne Carter's Tunechi Baby. Although Payne isn't consciously trying to experiment with split personalities, Killa MC presents a filter for Payne to vent his frustrations, dreams and fears. But when he's not performing, Payne dedicates himself to pushing the Brain Gang brand.

"I play the 'Mr. Responsible' role in the group," Payne says. "I handle a majority of the branding via social networks, some of the booking inquiries and I try to keep an open door of communication within the group. An average day for me is wake up, Internet, work, studio, Internet and sleep, in that order. I've developed a makeshift system of time management to help me hit all of my daily tasks so I never feel like I'm wasting time, or not living to my full potential... - Dallas Observer