AT just 15 years old, Ipswich rapper YKL is carving out his place in the local music scene, preparing for his first major performances after the release of his debut music video Plotted.
Music has been an outlet for YKL, whose real name is Kielin, since his early school days. He credits school guidance counsellor Josh White for encouraging him and a close friend to start writing down their thoughts when life felt heavy.
“I saw my mate start doing that and I was like, oh yeah I want to start doing that, so I just gave it a try,” Kielin said.
“We were in his studio one time, just messing about, and it kicked off from there really.”
He recalls his first time performing what he had written, not on a stage, but in an abandoned apartment with friends.
“I said to my mate, I want you to hear this. I chucked the beat on and rapped it because I hadn’t recorded anything yet,” he said.
“I didn’t have any equipment at all – just my phone and a notepad. That was when I first really saw myself doing this.”
YKL has lived in Ipswich his whole life, and the city takes centre stage in his first film clip and his music.
“I wanted the video to be in Ipswich,” he said. “It was either Ipswich or Goodna because I grew up in Goodna too.”
When it comes to his writing, Kielin says he doesn’t overthink themes or messages.
“I hear a beat play and whatever I feel should go on the track, just goes on the track,” he said.
“Growing up there was a lot of anger, and I never had anything to take that out on other than fighting or punching something. I had to find something else in a realistic sense, so I did – I started writing stuff down.”
Asked what he hopes listeners take away from his music, his answer is simple: “We’re not all junkies.”
Like many young artists, Kielin looks up to others who have found success close to home.
“Lisi was a big one. I thought, if Lisi’s coming from Goodna, two minutes down the road, and he’s proper famous, then surely someone else can do it too,” he said.
This weekend, he’ll perform at a community event at Damien Leading Memorial Park in Augustine Heights.
For the young rapper, live performance brings an energy like no other.
“It’s just a feeling you never really understand until you have it,” he said.
