Kelvino, a Southeast Como-based afrobeat rapper, plans on dropping a four-song EP titled “love for the plug” on April 20.
Kelvino has been making waves with his live electric performances and unique sound. The artist offers a fresh take on afrobeat music with his genre-bending style, including elements of rap, rock and funk.
“That’s something I’ve worked on with my artistry, I don’t want to sound like any other artist; I want people that gravitated toward that sound to find me,” Kelvino said. “In some way, I’ve carved out a niche, but there’s still a lot more crafting and perfecting to be done to reach more ears.”
With more than 8,000 streams on singles like “Sumncrazyinlife,” the hype around Kelvino is just getting started. Kelvino performed live on Thursday at Students United’s “A Night of Black Excellence,” which sold out Can Can Wonderland.
Kelvino is one of the owners of Water Wave TV, a rising Minneapolis media hub and vintage clothing store. As one of the artists under the Water Wave banner, Kelvino paved the way from the business’s humble origins to live performances at historic venues such as First Avenue.
What sets Kelvino apart from other local artists in the rap scene is his signature style, which provides context to his growing fanbase in the Twin Cities as well as internationally in Kenya and Nigeria.
University of Minnesota alum and Kelvino fan Sherif Faltas emphasized Kelvino’s energy when speaking about what drew him to the artist.
“He just has really smooth energy. It comes out in his music, and the energy he creates through his live performances is really great,” Faltas said.
Jackson Hanson, another one of Kelvino’s fans, also commented on the artist’s live impact after his 7th Street Entry performance on Feb. 16.
“The best set of the night was Kelvino’s,” Hanson said. “The band, the tracklist, everything was great.”
Ahead of the 7th Street performance, Kelvino reflected on what it meant to perform at such a historic venue.
“It gets more special every time you return there, especially at 7th Street,” Kelvino said. “You connect with fans in a way you can’t at other venues. As I’ve grown as an artist, you start to see more faces that are truly rocking with you, giving you something to feed off of.”
Performing with a live band is another aspect of Kelvino’s arsenal that delivers in a major way. This allows Kelvino to bring a different version of his music to the stage every time.
“I’m really trying to bring out a different show, a different version and a new experience,” he said. “The band gives that aspect with the acoustic, the piano. What we’ve started is not even close to what we got coming.”
A testament to staying original and not sounding like anyone else in the Twin Cities, Kelvino’s last three singles offer different energies and delivery. “Switch Up,” “FWM” and “Sumncrazyinlife” all provide listeners with something new each time between melodies, instrumentals and tone.
“You can’t predict the sound,” Kelvino said.
The Water Wave banner boasts artists like Qmoe, Treyson Green, Jake Giller, Reese Leraux and LXSTEMP, with Eric Geisthardt in the role of CEO and founder. Being a part of the company since its conception, the role Kelvino played as Water Wave’s first artist came with learning experiences and gratitude.
Often performing alongside each other on the same lineup, Kelvino expressed how feeding off each other creates a healthy relationship between the artists.
“One of the most special feelings in the world is to know you are at the beginning of something great. It makes me feel really grateful and blessed to be put in that position, to feed and learn from each other. It makes you want to work harder,” Kelvino said. “It’s an all-around team goal.”
