Could Xavier Keyz be the new face of soul in Chicago? Given the music he’s been releasing as of late, many would argue that he very well may be. Surely, many have come before him in the city, and have built an amazing path for the young crooner. After years of doing his own building, Xavier Keyz is ready to take the world by storm. It’s always amazing to catch up with new artists as they begin blazing the music trail, and Keyz is definitely well on his way to superstardom.
Take a few moments to step into his world and learn about his personal brand of R&B.
U.G. Digital Mag: How did you arrive at pursuing music as your career?
Xavier Keyz: That was really around the age of nine, when I discovered I could play piano by ear. After watching a few concerts, I decided this was something I really wanted to do. I went to High School at Kenwood Academy in Chicago, and there is when it started taking place. I created my first R&B group, called The Harmony Brothers. It was 6 of us. We had like a Barbershop Quartet we would do. The group started in Boys’ Chorus. It helped me to picked out the best singers, form a group, and see where it would take us. I didn’t want to copy or mimic what others were doing though. I wanted us to have our own thing. Eventually, people stopped showing up to rehearsals, so we cut down to just two of us. We were then called J-2. We released our first album, which didn’t do so well. We didn’t really have a fanbase. We were young, and didn’t know much back in the day. It was devastating though, when we separated. My partner signed a solo deal behind my back. At the time, I never really had the confidence to do it on my own, but that was the groundbreaking moment where I saw I could do it on my own. It’s been history ever since.
U.G. Digital Mag: What gave you that confidence ultimately?
Xavier Keyz: The confidence came from the knowing and ability to write the entire album. I came up with the concepts, and I booked our shows, interviews, made the connections, and so on. He came in and wrote his verses but I did everything else. I just gave it a shot, and it’s been great.
U.G. Digital Mag: You make a good point. A lot of times, we don’t believe in ourselves enough. You didn’t think you could, but you already were.
Xavier Keyz: What really gave me the low self esteem was people would always say he was the voice of the group. It made me think I couldn’t carry on alone. It’s all in the mind, though, and if you think it then you can do it.
U.G. Digital Mag: How have you been able to steer away from those types of negative people?
Xavier Keyz: Negative people, this industry comes with a lot of them. You’ll get people who say you’re not good enough. There’s so many success stories for those people who were told no. Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan are perfect examples.
U.G. Digital Mag: The funny thing was when she launched the network, she received so much criticism, but she persevered through it. Obviously, she’s at the top now.
Xavier Keyz: That’s the thing. When you are independent, you have to invest money in yourself. Sometimes, I will lose money, and other times I’ll make money. Sooner or later, it all will be worth it. You’re building a brand and an empire. You have to invest and believe in order to grow. If you don’t invest in yourself, no one else will take that risk.
U.G. Digital Mag: In terms of truly developing your style, I’ve had the chance to listen to your music. It doesn’t sound like the typical R&B. What went into developing your style?
Xavier Keyz: It took a while to figure it out. When I released my first album, I was really trying to find my audience and true style. I like what I have now. I’ve switched it up a little for the second album though. I studied music of the past decades, how the artists wrote, sang, how they did their runs, and so on. For instance, like Brandy, I love her ad-libs and harmonies.