New State Artist Spotlight
By Haley Swenson, Interviewed on May 14, 2026
What are the stories of your personal and creative backgrounds?
I started battle rapping at a young age. In high school, I was a part of a battle rap that took place at Centennial Hall, and from there, I got the attention of a prominent DJ in the scene named Homer Blow. He introduced me to some guys at i2i Records– they allowed me to come to their studio and record a demo. That’s where I fell in love with doing music.
From there, I had the opportunity to shop a deal in California with a major label that didn’t pan out. But it brought me back to Milwaukee and inspired me to work on myself independently. I gained a lot of experience and exposure… I just hit the ground running. Saying, “I just need to be heard,” “I just need to be seen.” I went to every open mic that I could.
Our scene, and hip hop itself, is very male-dominated… Going to these open mics as a female– putting my face out there– started to create a buzz in Milwaukee. I had opened for Future at the Rave...This was around the time he was coming up, and it was maybe his first time in Milwaukee. I took the opportunity to perform on the sidecar stage and gained some notoriety.
I lost my mother in 2014, which prompted me to move to Atlanta to chase my dreams out there. In that era, Atlanta was a music hub, and I ended up gaining some traction and exposure by doing shows. I came home after getting my feet wet… All of these experiences helped me grow as an independent artist, learning what my voice was like and who I was.
“I had so many doors close on me because I wouldn’t change my demeanor as a female artist. I wouldn’t wear a dress, I’ve always been more sporty– tomboy, if you will. I didn’t feel I ever needed to change just to [find success]... That fueled me… I wanted to be that for other female artists– to show them that, ‘You can be yourself, no matter what, and there’s an audience for you.’ I’ve cultivated people through my experiences, my fanbase, who just love KRP for who she is. Especially in Milwaukee… A lot of the love I get comes from home.”
What have been your main inspirations?
Milwaukee has a “can-do attitude.” Nobody gives Milwaukee anything, especially in the arts & entertainment– we have to earn everything… That attitude has developed a thick skin. If you can make it in Milwaukee, if you can build a buzz, you can make it anywhere. Everywhere I’ve been, I took that mentality with me. I was proud to say, “Your girl Kia Rap Princess, representing that 414…” and people would be looking like, “You’re from where!? What, home of the Brewers, where the cows are!?” [laughs] I’d have to defend myself, but I was proud of it.
My mother, God rest her soul, always told me to express myself. I think she knew her daughter was a tomboy. I was the first granddaughter and first niece in my family… I grew up with a lot of boys until I was in my teenage years… Imagine all of that time having to grow up with these boys who are roughhousing you, but also introducing you to their music. They loved hip hop; music was this great thing in our family, and in our culture. I always wanted to upstage the boys. I was like, “If I want to hang with the boys, I've got to be better than the boys.” That carried me and empowered me as a female rapper.
My mother, being someone who always advocated for me to use my voice because I was the only female in my family for so long… She would always say, “Express yourself.” There are songs she introduced me to by Salt-N-Pepa called “Express Yourself,” and Queen Latifah and Monie Love called “Ladies First.” Those were some of my first introductions to hip hop– those groups of ladies in the 90’s… Missy Elliot, she’s someone I revere too, her and Da Brat. They were the first females of my time who represented that sporty female… I was like, “Wait, a minute, I wear jerseys, I wear baggy jeans, that’s me!” I studied Missy Elliot, she was a point of influence.
“Especially in anything male-dominated, women are an afterthought. Even if we are the most qualified, we’re overshadowed by the sexism of the world. We have to represent and be confident in who we are so we can be better for the collective, for the group of all of us… If I can be confident as an artist, as Kia Rap Princess, [other female artists] can be confident in whoever they are.”
You’ll be speaking at the Amplify Youth Conference on May 23rd. What message do you have for Milwaukee youth and the future of Milwaukee art and music?
For the youth, I would say, “Be yourself, love yourself,” and “Don’t be afraid of wise counsel.” When you’re young, you’re rebellious. My grandmother used to say, “The elders are for counsel, and the youth are for war.” When I was younger, I had my warrior spirit; I just wanted to do it. My mom didn’t want me to face disappointment. She used to say, “You’re great at that, but have a plan B,” and I would say, “There is no plan B! This is it!”
I want to let the youth know… they are the ones shaping these new tools. They don’t need a label; they have Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and studios… You can save money, buy equipment, and things could go viral overnight. Those were the tools I didn’t have. Use your tools, use your voice. And use your voice for good– the things you believe in and the things that affect good change in your area.
“I’ve spoken about being a part of the LGBT community, I’ve spoken about policing in our community. I have different songs speaking about being grateful. Also speaking about vices. Letting people know it’s okay to feel. I want the youth to know they’re okay to have their human experience– to go through trials and errors and still be somebody great. That God, or their god, is not leaving them out, that they are someone of importance… They’re not alone. They, too, can do this. We owe it to the people behind us to be a big brother or big sister of some kind, just like people were to me.”
Any last message or notes you’d like to make?
I want to shout out platforms like the New State for supporting me and supporting artists in our community. I was somebody who was blessed to have access to the arts in grade school. I’m saddened now to know that MPS doesn’t hold a lot of the same programs anymore. To have platforms like the New State, Your Move MKE, Notes for Notes, Fueling Your Fire Academy… Radio stations like Radio Milwaukee, Hyphen, and WMSE 91.7. I want to thank them for their support… Milwaukee Hip Hop Week. I’m so grateful and excited that we have something like Milwaukee Hip Hop Week in our city. They’ve supported me. They were the reason I opened Benny the Butcher at the Rave. That young Kia paid for a sidecar to open for Future, when I invested in myself– fast forward to 2025, when I was getting paid to be an opener. It all came full circle.
“I was crazy enough to keep going. If I would’ve given up on myself early, I would’ve never found out [about these opportunities]. Don’t give up on yourself early. You don’t know what God has in store for you; you haven’t even seen it yet. You have something inside of you that will not let you go, that will not let you rest, go with that. See what that is. And don’t be afraid to fail. I heard a lot of no’s before I heard yes’s. A lot of doors closed on me before I kicked them open… I appreciate all of the platforms that have poured into me.”
