Biography

Born in Newham and raised in Essex, Colchester, Kio formed his name from his initials [Kay Isaac Olaleye]. His rap style has been described as ‘raw’, ‘gritty’, ‘grimey’, and in more recent years, ‘conscious’. Blessed (feat. Ages Ago & TJ Coast), and Alive display the varied nature of Kio’s rap ability. Whether it be fast and choppy flows, or relaxed bars served over jazz inspired hip-hop beats, there is a record in Kio’s repertoire to suit any rap, hip-hop or grime fans appetite. During the initial stages of Kio’s ascent on to the UK rap scene, he frequented the online music platform GRM Daily which generated a moderate, but loyal fanbase. He released a series of mixtapes from 2014 to 2017 called ‘Supernova’ which added to this following. Kio’s approach to music has developed significantly over the years by mixing introspective lyrics, clearly influenced by his faith in God, with boomy instrumentals. All while retaining the original grit and urgency of his earlier records. This is evidenced on tracks such as, The Cool and more recently, Cross, which earned itself support from BBC’s Introducing, hosted by DJ Jess Iszatt. Other support from KSI’s Sidemen collective who played Summa (feat. Kay Coast, KD Coast & TJ Coast ) on their YouTube videos enlarged his fanbase even further, scoring Kio more than 1.5 million streams. With the above making for an exciting future ahead, it's likely Kio will become a popular fixture in the UK rap scene, and the UK music scene in general.