Photo by Lee Holmes.
Norristown rapper Koday Rollins isn’t a solo artist. He is a part of a group called “Different Vibes.” The group came up with the name “Different Vibes” because they felt like they had a sound different than others who do what they do. What they do is hip hop, and they are part of the Norristown rap artists who are trying to make a name.
Leader of the group, Koday, who goes by the stage name Leo K, is no different than most hip hop artists who have a stage name. These days, however, the name means a lot more to him than it did when he first used it growing up. The name reminds him of what his friend Des called him.
Now, Leo K thinks of his friend Des and pays tribute to him often in his music.
“Des was one of the few people who started calling me that name on a regular basis after I chose it. Here was someone I grew up with who knew me by Koday, but from the day I started using that name, that’s who I was to him,” Leo K said.
This is significant to Leo K because it showed him what his friend thought about his music. Leo K believed that his friend used his new stage name right away because he saw the potential in him before he had even realized it in himself.
“He was one of the few people who knew how special this talent is that I have. He told me long ago that I was going to make it,” Leo K said.
That was before Leo K’s friend Des was gunned down in cold blood on the streets of Norristown. The pain from losing such a close friend is still with him today, but he refused to let the pain and experience define him. Instead, he turned it into something positive.
Now, Leo K thinks of his friend Des and pays tribute to him often in his music. He came up with the term LLD that he has been known to incorporate into some of his music. It stands for “Long Live Des.”
“I lost Des last year, and it kind of changed my whole motivation to do this thing. When I started doing this, he was always there for support, and now that he is gone, I wanted to carry on for him because he always believed I could do this,” said Leo K.
“I started to take this business seriously when I was at the end of my high school years, but I wasn’t sure where it was going to take me. Now, I don’t have a choice. I’m in it for the long haul,” Leo K said.
Knowing that he was in it for the “long haul,” Leo K decided to do as much as he could to get his name out there. In addition to a continuous release of music in the form of music videos on YouTube, he also uses social media, and has started a clothing line using the name of the group “Different Vibes.” He sells hats, hoodies and T-shirts with the group’s name on them.
Knowing that he was in it for the ‘long haul,’ Leo K decided to do as much as he could to get his name out there.
Leo K found that it was actually the increase in sales of his clothing line that started bringing attention to the group’s music. He appreciates the community support in Norristown of his products and says that it is a big part of his group beginning to get recognition.
His latest efforts on his solo EP called “PTSD” has really started to bring him more recognition than he has ever experienced. He says the title comes from feeling like he really has been through a year of surviving one of the most difficult times in his life after losing his closest friend.
Another song of his is a visual that he recently uploaded to go along with his EP, called “Never Change.” The hip hop community in Norristown is really starting to embrace him, and for that Leo K is thankful. He says that no matter where this talent takes him in life, even if it takes him away from Norristown, he is never going to forget his roots.
“I’m Norristown. I know where I come from, and I am going to be that person all of my life no matter what. I appreciate what my town has done for me.”
Lee Holmes is a fifth-year professional studies major with minors in journalism and business law. BH878969@wcupa.edu