Hip-hop artist Khalisol is just getting started on the back of his recent success

Khalisol is making their dreams come true, but they still have work to do.

New Mexico-based hip-hop artist, whose real name is Zachary Chicoyne, performed his song “Drop” last year, representing the state at NBC’s American Song Contest.

Prior to that, in 2019, he co-wrote “Jopping” for K-pop group SuperM, which was a #1 hit on Billboard’s US World Digital Songs chart.

“It opened a lot of doors and opened my eyes to how the industry works,” Carrisol said. Now they understand because everyone sees what I’m doing… This happened to someone from New Mexico, it’s possible.

Khalisol draws some of his inspiration from his upbringing. He saw his parents struggle and also experienced his own disability as a young man.

“I channel it a lot. I feel like I need it. You gotta tell your story,” he said.

Khalisol’s success is due not only to his technology, but to his dedication to advancing the industry locally. He partnered with his Rakim Alnur to help develop the label Scutty Records and spent a lot of time in California performing and organizing shows to grow the brand.

Hip-hop is an often overlooked genre in New Mexico, but he wants to revive it and strengthen it not only in the state but throughout the Southwest.

“There are artists in every region,” he said. “I think the next region is the Southwest. For us to be successful, someone has to go out and learn how to catch fish and bring the big ones back to this community.”

When it comes to writing, Harsol doesn’t necessarily have a signature sound. He bases his beats on how he feels. Creativity begins to spring up and he combines composition with the right words.

“I rely on my emotions,” he said. “When I’m feeling down, I might make something a little faster, which lifts me up. It depends on what you’ve been through.

Khalisol has been releasing albums, singles and EPs since 2018. She released her third album, As The Sky Falls, last year. Like his two full-length releases before him, he adds a thematic touch to his list of tracks.

Each album has a different tempo. For example, “As The Sky Falls” seems later than the 2020 release of “Who Cares The World Is Ending…”. He actually said he wrote “As The Sky Falls” first, but the timing and design of each project is built into his releases.

“It’s like a set tone,” he said of his latest album. “I wanted to curate it to be more emotionally based. …very introspective about what’s going on.”

Regardless of the tempo, the theme remains the same throughout Khalisol’s collection. In detailed, structured rhythms, he speaks of love, life and respect.

“I rap in terms of how I live or how someone else lives,” he said. I think it is.”

Due to the lyrical content, there are often misunderstandings about rap and hip-hop and what the genre represents. Some consider the surface theme inappropriate, but the words derive from the artist’s environment. The lyrics may sound aggressive at times, but they serve as a plea for liberation and respect. They represent a larger, more important cultural image.

“I think a lot of people misunderstand the lyrical side. It’s people’s self-expression,” Carrisol said of rap and hip-hop. “What they are painting is a picture of the environment and the world as they see it.”

Khalisol envisions himself and Scutty Records as a target for undiscovered talent in underrepresented regions. A goal he has already achieved and is confident to keep moving forward.