Kari Faux Talks Her New EP Cry 4 Help

It’s 10 am at The Verve coffee shop in Beverly Hills and Kari’s energy radiates as she walks through the door. Green tea waiting for her and a big smile greets me when she sits down. After binging her music the week prior I notice her protected spirit and ironically small talk about the grueling traffic we both endured. Kari Faux blew up after “No Small Talk” was featured in Issa Rae’s HBO first season of Insecure, with songs in every season following. Hailing from little rock she moved to California and got “Lost En Los Angeles” in 2016 debuting her first studio album. The year after she released her EP “Primary.” Both a testament to her unapologetic artistry with a flow that is comforting and fearless. The multifaceted rapper, model, DJ, and producer tapped deeper into her music with her latest project, “Cry 4 Help.” An intimate five-track EP that lets listeners into the emotions Faux experienced within the two-year gap of her last release.

I don’t want to be indifferent about anything that I make. So I started to be honest with myself and make music from the place where I was at the time.

I’m Kim with Home Grown Radio, we’re here at the Verve on Melrose to talk about “Cry 4 Help.” The new EP by Kari Faux, a collection of five intimate songs with your smooth flow on top of funky R&B beats. You’re going on tour in May which is exciting, what cities are you most looking forward to?

There’s actually multiple cities. Definitely excited for Oakland. Oakland has crazy energy, I went on tour with Mick Jenkins in January and Oakland show was just wild. I’m excited for all of them honestly. 

You released the EP in March as a testament to what you were going through. I feel like it gives listeners a new perspective of who you are. What was it like for you to put something together like this? Where you were more vulnerable. How long have you been working on it?

When I first started making what I thought would be my next project. I was trying to make like turnt up happy music. And all the songs I was making didn’t resonate with me. They were cool, I’m sure if I put em out people would have been like awe this is cool. To me, I’m just so passionate about things that if I don’t love it, it’s just like eh. And I don’t want to be indifferent about anything that I make. So I started to be honest with myself and make music from the place where I was at the time. Which I was like very tumultuous turbulent time for me. I was very much so, I’m gonna make an album. The universe was just like no, and I had to accept that. Not to say that I haven’t been honest in my music but I feel like I always tried to keep it on the lighter side. Even though I’m a very introspective person so I said fuck it lets just show this side.

You open up with “Medicated” which I feel in a way, piggy backs off what you left fans with back in 2017 on Primary. You say “lately I’ve been runnin low on patience, I can’t see what I been chasing I just know my thoughts are racing” Talk about your mindset while making that song, or even your thoughts on self-medication.

I think the sound between the two are in the same realm. I was very sad I was very depressed. I had a situation that happens where this guy had assaulted me on the street and i was really shaken up. And it just brought up all these feelings where I felt victimized  like am I a victim? I really just had a moment like did this just really happen to me? And when that feeling happened it triggered other feelings in other situations where I felt like a victim and may have not realized it. That kinda sent me into depression, and all of last summer was me trying to get out of this hole of depression. That and just having the wrong people around me that weren’t really supportive or understanding or compassionate. It was just a lot of people like you need to see somebody, or your mental health isn’t all there. So that song was kinda like me taking about how people aren’t really trying to listen to what I’m going through. They’re just like you should go medicate, I don’t want nothing to do with that. 

You have a dope video out for “Leave Me Alone,” what was the production like on that? I know you produce so how involved are you in the creative process? I love how simple and dope it was shot. 

Super involved, overly involved. I got this guy named Dylan Miguel, he directed it. I was just like yeah I want the fear and loathing vibes, the bedroom where its fucked up. I wanna hit cell phones with a bad. Shout out to BT Marie she picked the outfits.

You have Curren$y on “In the Air,” it’s definitely one of my favorite tracks. How did that collaboration work out what was it like for you to work with him? Did you guys click right away?

We ran into each other at an event that he invited me to. We were standing next to each other digging through crates and somebody took a photo and he posted on IG so everybody was like that Kari! He was like yo we got work to do. And I was like I actually have this song and I sent it to him. He sent it back the next day so it was really tight. And it was really cool cause I’ve been a fan of his music for 10 years.

“Night Time” feels care free and late night L.A. shit. You’ve been out here for a few years now, what’s it been like for you? Do you go back to Little Rock often? What’s the scene like out there compared to L.A.? What are some of your favorite food spots out here? Are there things you miss?

It’s cool, I don’t really know anywhere else. When I got here I was completely culture shocked.Here is very isolating cause everything is so spread out. I like it because of opportunities Is in abundance here. As far as social, its like eh. Little Jewel in Chinatown. 

“Latch Key” is the closing track that encompasses the emotions of everything in the EP. What was the process like in writing that? Did it all come in a rush or did you write it over time? And why did you name it that? 

It was something that I just wrote the entire thing I just wrote it. I didn’t have music for it. And I was just like damn this is really introspective. Like wow I’m capable of putting my feelings into words. And then I just had it in my phone for a while. Then I met Josh Parker who’s the producer and he played me the beat. I was like oh yeah this beat made me feel like this so yeah. 

I feel like you have always been very open with your listeners and just express yourself in a way that you don’t give a fuck. But I feel like this time it’s different, even your artwork is in your face. Who shot that and what did it look like when you said “yup that’s the one.”

My best friend shot the cover, his names Quill. I had told him I want to shoot this cover and I have this vision in my head. I wanna be bent over and my hand to come up. Basically what the picture is that’s what I envisioned. And he was just like let’s do it. It was very much a team effort cause I couldn’t have done that without him. Even him just coaching me through the whole thing because I was so uncomfortable. 

Well that’s pretty much it, just wanted to talk to you about your EP. Thank you so much for coming!