Last week at the Garden Amphitheater, I was able to catch up with Santa Ana’s Kapri minutes before he opened for BlueBucksClan. The Orange County artist and I have spoken before, on his artistic journey and what it means to represent Santa Ana.
Before we began our evening conversation, Kapri went back and forth between communicating with the DJ on stage and his team backstage. This would be his return to the stage since the start of the pandemic. In 2020, Kapri was finding his sound and was influenced largely from the Florida wave. In his last performance, he opened up for Fat Nick at Santa Ana’s Observatory OC.
Garden Grove is in the same county as Santa Ana, so the show was a home show for Kapri. During our interview, there were moments of interruption to allow friends and family to enter the venue. Although so much was in motion that day, Kapri found time to meet with me before his return.
It’s been a few years since you’ve performed on stage. How did you prepare for today?
Kapri: I’m just going up. All my homies are with me. I stay prepared. I had a couple of months to prepare for it, so I only got the best songs. Shout out my dawg AzChike, shout out MoneySign Suede. I got the whole Pharsyde team with me. We’re just gonna go up and do what we do.
You mention AzChike. Did he play a role in helping you set up the setlist or giving you advice?
K: When we link, it’s always giving me advice and sh-, you know. I always take that and run with it. For this specific show, he didn’t really give me any advice but I always take his advice. Even Suede’s advice, you know. When this sh- was coming up, we would just sit in the studio and chop it up. I took that advice and ran with it.
I want to ask about Suede because since we last spoke he has passed. What advice has he given you?
K: Stay true to myself and stay true to what you’re doing. For our people, you know. That’s what he was always trying to put on for, and that’s what I’m trying to put on for. I’m following suit and we’re gonna get right into it.
Is there a song that you’re looking forward to performing?
K: I just dropped a song two days ago. I’m gonna play that and obviously “Everyday”. R.I.P. Suede, that was a banger. When we pulled up and did it, he just freestyled that sh- bro and we knew it was gonna be a hit. I’m gonna get the “Long Live Suede” chant in and just run it up bro. That’s the one I’m prepared for because we never got a chance to perform it together. I’mma just go up for my boy and, you know, we’re gonna go from there.
We’re almost done with the year but we’re still in 2023. What’s something that you want to do before the year ends?
K: Honestly I just want to keep going up, keep progressing with my team. I’m still dropping one song per month. I got a tape with FortWoe coming soon. That’s an exclusive right there for Home Grown Radio, you know… for my boy Tony. FortWoe and I are doing a little mixtape. So I’m gonna drop that. Still aiming for 30,000 monthly listeners. I’m at 24 right now. So it’s just escalating, elevating, and keep, you know, putting my foot on their necks. Keep progressing as an artist.
Kapri will be joining Lambo4oe in the “Kisses4me” Tour beginning September 22nd. Follow the elevation on instagram @killkapri.