KD's Rising Star: Mylezia King, Tristate's princess of pop, R&B

When it comes to genetics it’s pretty clear that we get many traits – good and bad – from our parents. So it isn’t uncommon to see a family with multiple pro athletes or entertainers watch the generations after them carry the torch.

One local rising star isn’t only following in her family’s musical footsteps, she’s quickly making a name for herself all on her own. Nineteen-year-old Mylezia King is a recent Concord High graduate who has been turning heads in the tri-state area with her angelic voice and electrifying performances. King comes from a family with a long history of gospel singers spanning generations. Her first solo performance came in church when she sang “I Love You Lord,” which she later said was the most nervous she’s ever been. King has only been recording full-time for three years, but has already shared the same stage as VH1 reality star K. Michelle, Mack Wilds and Lee Mazin, who is signed with Philadelphia rap star Meek Mill’s label, Dreamchasers. Mylezia has also worked with well-known producers such as Grammy-Award Winner Roy Hamilton, who produced R&B singers Joe, R. Kelly and Michael Jackson. Most recently she was nominated at the 2014 Philly Hip-Hop Awards for Best New R&B/Pop Artist. Mylezia continues to promote the image of a respectable young lady in an industry that many times is driven by sex appeal rather than talent. On Oct. 25, King will be a performer and speaker at the 2015 Girl Talk Back Conference in Newark, where she will promote girl power to her young fans.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mylezia to talk about her upcoming projects, turning down contract offers and what it means to be a role model to young women.

Q: So let’s get into your family history a little bit and how you got started.

A: Well, when I first started out I was a little too shy to really take singing as seriously as I wanted to. Since I came from a family of gospel singers I was kind of intimidated and didn’t want to be seen as just another singer from the family, so I more so hid behind sports until high school. At around 15 years old I decided I wanted to take singing a little more seriously. When I approached my family about it they were kind of like, “Cool, another singer from the family,” but when they saw how serious I was they began to help me cultivate my talent and show me how to perfect my craft.

Q: What kind of background does your family have in music?

A: Between both my mother and my father there have been at least three gospel groups in the past generations. On my dad’s side everybody plays some type of instrument so it’s obvious why it took me a while to be comfortable. What I appreciated about my parents, though, was that they never forced me to be involved in music so I was able to develop that natural love for music and entertainment.

Q: So when did you start taking your career seriously?

A. Well, I always have sung in church choirs growing up but it really wasn’t until my freshman year at Concord that I started to take it seriously. I’ve always been a fan of music, and Alicia Keys has been my main influence, so I used to tweet that I was going to be the next her someday. My mom actually saw those tweets and was like, “Ok well let’s get you in the studio and see what you can do.” This was also when she became my manager (laughs).

Q: So when did you find the genre that fit you most comfortably?

A: Well, I had to find the type of music that fit my voice. I have a very young, high-pitched voice so after trying a few different types of music I settled down around the R&B and pop genres. To be honest, I don’t even like to categorize myself because you never know where creativity can take you. I just love to make music that people can relate to. My first radio single, “Anxious,” was a sexy R&B love song and it got played on Power 99 by Doc B and it got so much great feedback.

Q: So let’s talk about that single. Being from a church background was the song “Anxious” a little different for you?

A. Yeah, I’d definitely say it was a little different considering I have a pretty clean image and pride myself on not having to take my clothes off to make it in the industry. But the song was just so amazing and had so much passion in it that it wasn’t hard to understand the feeling that love can bring on. My mom is someone that understands what makes a marketable single even though she is still my mom. My dad, on the other hand, wasn’t as comfortable with it because, well, he’s my dad and you know how that goes.

Q: So are you currently signed or being pursued by any record labels?

A: I actually have turned down a lot of record deals. I mean, they sound wonderful and they will promise you all types of stuff but once you read the contract you’re pretty much signing your entire life away. I have had companies try to bribe me with stuff like my own private condo, but once I let my lawyer read the contract they basically wanted to take all the rights to my music for so many years. So many artists make the mistake of needing a record label and signing bad contract deals instead of making the record companies need you. If I sign a deal it has to be right; I’m in no rush.

Q: So it sounds like you are more focused on touring and making music right now then putting together an album.

A: We are definitely planning for a future album but right now we are focused on making strategic moves. I am working with CMD Digital, who is going to direct my first music video for my song “On Purpose.” I get the pleasure of working with David Starr, who has designed video and stage sets for artists like Beyoncé, Kevin Hart and 50 Cent. I also will be performing at this year’s Philly Music Awards nomination conference. I also want to give a shout out to Lee Mazin and the Dreamchasers crew for always supporting me; she’s been like a big sister. I have a lot of concerts coming up so you have to follow me online to find out where I’ll be next! At the end of the day I’m blessed to be here and be able to do what I love full-time.

Follow Mylezia King

www.mylezia.com/

Instagram & Twitter: @ Mylezia

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MyleziaOfficialPage/