Kevin Harris & OG ApeO shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Kevin & OG, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What battle are you avoiding?
The battle I’ve been avoiding isn’t out there—it’s inside of me. The truth is, I feel isolated when I’m alone. Deep down, I’ve carried this belief that I’m only worth something if I can make people laugh or bring something to the table. That pressure has shaped everything about me—especially my music. That’s why my sound feels so wide, so unorthodox. It’s not a gimmick; it’s my mind spilling over. I have a million thoughts running through my head at all times. Sometimes they burst out in random outbursts that seem funny to people… but recently, I learned they’re really a nervous tick.
So I’ve been sitting with myself, meditating, praying, trying to go deeper—past the surface, into the core of my subconscious. I’ve been searching for the hidden pains that built me, that carved me into the man I am today. What I found wasn’t easy to face: lust, anger, abandonment, neglect. These aren’t just words—they’re wounds. They’re the cracks in my foundation that left me insecure, left me wandering inside myself, dragging my inner child through a world that never felt safe.
Those feelings bleed into my music—always have. From my new tracks to old ones like Para(NOIA), where I rapped about dying young or living alone forever, that voice has always been there, calling me. For years, I ignored it. I ran from it. But now, I’m answering the call—not with death, but with life. Not with fear, but with God.
It’s not an easy fight. It’s dark, it’s messy, and most of the time I feel like I’m swinging blind. For the longest, I let ApeO—the artist—live while Kevin—the man—hid. I’ve cried more times than I can count feeling Kevin’s pain. But as hard as it is, it’s a blessing. Because this is what I need.
And maybe this is what we all need—to stop running, to face the past head-on. To embrace our trauma so we can finally grow into something whole.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My brand isn’t just about turning Black trauma into Black excellence—it’s about something even deeper: self-love. That’s why I still wear my freeform locs. They remind me that my uniqueness isn’t meant to be loved by everyone—it’s meant to be loved by me first. When I look in the mirror and admire that truth, that energy reaches the people whose hearts beat like mine.
My music is the voice of so many Black men who didn’t run the streets, but still know what struggle feels like. We grew up in poverty, in neighborhoods people label as the “ghetto.” We’ve lost too many friends before they even had a chance to live out their full potential—before they could free themselves from the manipulation of a culture that tells us who to be. That’s why I carry survivor’s guilt. That’s why happiness feels complicated for me. Even when I’ve earned, learned, and achieved, I hold myself back sometimes because I fear outliving the people I love and miss.
It sounds strange, but that’s what this brand represents: wearing your scars proudly and embracing them as beautiful marks of survival. They are reminders of the journey the Lord placed me on—the story He wrote for me. Every song, every lyric, is part of that testimony.
This is bigger than me. My experience is also yours, and yours is mine. To all my Primeates, this is more than a brand—it’s a movement. It’s self-love, it’s resilience, it’s the art of turning pain into purpose.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was never a simple kid—far from it. I was unique in every sense of the word. I smiled a lot, loved to play, and let my imagination run wild like it had no limits. My love for colors and imagery was so deep that even I couldn’t fully comprehend it. Before I ever discovered music—or even understood what it meant to be poor or to be Black—I was just a kid infatuated with games and cartoons.
There was something magical about that freedom—the ability to create entire worlds in your mind and watch them come alive. That idea of building life from imagination was beautiful to me. It sparked something inside me, a fire that’s still burning today. I spent hours drawing, doodling characters, and exploring everything in my front yard like it was a new planet. Back then, family felt warmer, life felt real, and happiness was simple.
But that changed when I turned eight. That’s when the darkness crept in. That’s when I started thinking about ending my life—when I felt like I needed to be saved. And that’s when Hip-Hop found me. Hip-Hop became my father, my hero. It gave me something to hold on to when I felt like I had nothing else.
That’s why I love this culture the way I do. That’s why I fight to protect it. Because Hip-Hop didn’t just give me music—it gave me life. And that’s why it has to be preserved, not disrespected the way it has been for the past 15 years.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could speak to my younger self, I’d start by saying this: You’re not ugly. I know you don’t believe that now, but you need to hear it. It’s okay to be weird—embrace that. Even today, people don’t fully understand us, and that’s the beauty of being unique. That difference you feel? That’s your gift.
I’d tell him it’s okay to not have all the answers right now. It’s okay to feel lost. It’s okay to feel everything—every emotion. Don’t bury it. Don’t bottle it up. Let it out. Cry if you need to. Scream if you need to. Release it, because holding it in will only weigh you down. And above all else—love yourself. Always, always love yourself.
Learn to forgive—not just others, but yourself too. Be aware of people, pay attention, so you don’t repeat the same mistakes over and over again. And even when you don’t feel it, even on the darkest days, remember this: You are loved. Always.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I use to believe that anger & resentment was the way I should treat the world in order to protect myself… now I know I was just scared to let people into my perspective ‘ experience me because I use to feel like a failure… now I know that we as fellow travelers in this journey we need community
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop worrying & I would just live & experince no matter what paths come my way because I know that time is limited. Which is a mindset we should have with discretion
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/OgApeO95?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=7b7a26ee-6fa1-43ee-9247-276ea655b89e
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ogapeo_?igsh=cW84bGY5cGcxNjNr&utm_source=qr
- Twitter: https://x.com/og_ape?s=21
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@primeateworld?si=Znt7wDRFzdYgcYge
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/fmd0Ll9tlAmI484aTg
Image Credits
Createdbyimkamaraa
Wushotit
