Kayzure Sakar

Kayzure Sakar, On Top of the World (kayzuresakar.com). A Hamden native and an overseas tycoon (with sales focused mainly in Japan), Kayzure Sakar has made a name for himself in the worldwide underground. His sound reflects influences from the late Tupac Shakur's use of '90s West Coast hip-hop rhyme structure, creating a gritty, hard-hitting testament about life, death, murder, crime, corruption and, above all, corporate control of the music industry.

With an iron fist, Sakar pulls no punches, calling out local rappers and even the New Haven Register's entertainment editor, Pat Ferrucci, who has written numerous articles on Sakar. The album has a lot of creativity. The fun, head-bopping, standout track "Like Magic" (featuring local poet and founder of Free 2 Spit, Baub Bidon) sounds like a pairing of Tupac and Kool Keith on a De La Soul rhythm. It's on this track that Sakar explains, "What goes around comes around..." and Bidon proclaims: "It's like magic!"

—David Pond

Kayzure Sakar performs Aug. 4 at the National Night Out event at Quinnipiac Terrace (2 John Williamson Dr., New Haven), with DJs, African dance and more.
- David Pond

Kayzure Sakar, On Top of the World (kayzuresakar.com). A Hamden native and an overseas tycoon (with sales focused mainly in Japan), Kayzure Sakar has made a name for himself in the worldwide underground. His sound reflects influences from the late Tupac Shakur's use of '90s West Coast hip-hop rhyme structure, creating a gritty, hard-hitting testament about life, death, murder, crime, corruption and, above all, corporate control of the music industry.

With an iron fist, Sakar pulls no punches, calling out local rappers and even the New Haven Register's entertainment editor, Pat Ferrucci, who has written numerous articles on Sakar. The album has a lot of creativity. The fun, head-bopping, standout track "Like Magic" (featuring local poet and founder of Free 2 Spit, Baub Bidon) sounds like a pairing of Tupac and Kool Keith on a De La Soul rhythm. It's on this track that Sakar explains, "What goes around comes around..." and Bidon proclaims: "It's like magic!"

—David Pond

Kayzure Sakar performs Aug. 4 at the National Night Out event at Quinnipiac Terrace (2 John Williamson Dr., New Haven), with DJs, African dance and more.
- David Pond

Kayzure Sakar's been rapping for years, laying down tracks and lyrics since he was an original member of Krazy Vibez in the '90s. That group received major-label attention, but ultimately broke up before signing a deal. Sakar's records fly off the shelves overseas, mostly in Japan.


But, the rapper's albums don't sell very well in Connecticut. In fact, the performer, who's currently lining up a tour of Japan, is unheard of here, outside of underground hip-hop fans in the know. This is a problem. The reason? Sakar, has lived his whole life in and around the Elm City, but the lack of a strong hip-hop scene has made it very hard to get noticed.


When we think of the region's music scene, a healthy and vibrant relatively large group of artists come to mind, a cross-section of performers making quality music within a ton of different genres. Unfortunately for hip-hop artists, they aren't what come to mind, and many of the area's venues don't do too much with local artists, instead booking one of the city's very good rock or pop groups.

"The resources here make it real hard," Sakar, a Hamden resident, explains from the office of his record label, Sakar Entertainment (www.sakarentertainment.com). "There really isn't anywhere to play, and unless you're an artist signed to a major label, it's tough to get on the radio here."

Frustrated by a lack of resources, Sakar started his company in 2003, looking to give himself and other local performers a means to release music and build up a fanbase. "I was just at my breaking point," Sakar recalls of the moment he decided to form Sakar Entertainment. "There was a time when I was constantly contacting a radio station here that said it would play my music; it really seemed interested. They made me jump through hoops. But then they would say they're not accepting anything independent. I just felt it was time, time do it myself and see what happens."

Sakar's story is similar to many area rappers. On his latest album, "Sign of the Times," the rapper can be heard dropping catchy and topical words over dark and moveable grooves. The record wouldn't sound out of place on any rap compilation or station. It exhibits a raw, yet mature artist brimming with things to say, not just an amateur musician having some fun. With a little production sheen, this stuff could be on a major label.

Having heard many other area hip-hop artists and rappers from the area, it's easy to declare that the scene is practically invisible, but very much excellent. Besides Sakar, take a listen to Phil Blunt or Prolifik and you'll hear quality tracks from artists making, in some cases, much more unique and interesting music than many dominating today's rap scene. But of all the area's good ones, Sakar feels the most promising, the most label-ready. Buried in his beats is a confidence, the flow of a man who knows what he's doing is good, someone who clearly got better from sticking it out and continuing to make art since those early days in Krazy Vibez.

"When I was 11," he recalls, "I'd walk around and wisecrack with my friends and we didn't take it seriously. But soon Krazy got together and we're dealing with Michael Bivins' (of Bel Biv DeVoe and New Edition) record label. It all happened so quickly and I realized this is what I want to do."

Looking back on those older songs, Sakar laughs and talks about how much the music has grown. "I think I mostly evolved lyrically, you know? When I started I was more angry. I presented a lot of problems, but no solutions. Now, I think my music isn't about me being frustrated, it's a learning tool. It's more political. It's just better, I think."

It's just unfortunate it's so difficult to hear the music, especially right here in Sakar's hometown.
- PAT FERRUCCI - THE NEW HAVEN REGISTER (Jan 6, 2006)

Kayzure Sakar's been rapping for years, laying down tracks and lyrics since he was an original member of Krazy Vibez in the '90s. That group received major-label attention, but ultimately broke up before signing a deal. Sakar's records fly off the shelves overseas, mostly in Japan.


But, the rapper's albums don't sell very well in Connecticut. In fact, the performer, who's currently lining up a tour of Japan, is unheard of here, outside of underground hip-hop fans in the know. This is a problem. The reason? Sakar, has lived his whole life in and around the Elm City, but the lack of a strong hip-hop scene has made it very hard to get noticed.


When we think of the region's music scene, a healthy and vibrant relatively large group of artists come to mind, a cross-section of performers making quality music within a ton of different genres. Unfortunately for hip-hop artists, they aren't what come to mind, and many of the area's venues don't do too much with local artists, instead booking one of the city's very good rock or pop groups.

"The resources here make it real hard," Sakar, a Hamden resident, explains from the office of his record label, Sakar Entertainment (www.sakarentertainment.com). "There really isn't anywhere to play, and unless you're an artist signed to a major label, it's tough to get on the radio here."

Frustrated by a lack of resources, Sakar started his company in 2003, looking to give himself and other local performers a means to release music and build up a fanbase. "I was just at my breaking point," Sakar recalls of the moment he decided to form Sakar Entertainment. "There was a time when I was constantly contacting a radio station here that said it would play my music; it really seemed interested. They made me jump through hoops. But then they would say they're not accepting anything independent. I just felt it was time, time do it myself and see what happens."

Sakar's story is similar to many area rappers. On his latest album, "Sign of the Times," the rapper can be heard dropping catchy and topical words over dark and moveable grooves. The record wouldn't sound out of place on any rap compilation or station. It exhibits a raw, yet mature artist brimming with things to say, not just an amateur musician having some fun. With a little production sheen, this stuff could be on a major label.

Having heard many other area hip-hop artists and rappers from the area, it's easy to declare that the scene is practically invisible, but very much excellent. Besides Sakar, take a listen to Phil Blunt or Prolifik and you'll hear quality tracks from artists making, in some cases, much more unique and interesting music than many dominating today's rap scene. But of all the area's good ones, Sakar feels the most promising, the most label-ready. Buried in his beats is a confidence, the flow of a man who knows what he's doing is good, someone who clearly got better from sticking it out and continuing to make art since those early days in Krazy Vibez.

"When I was 11," he recalls, "I'd walk around and wisecrack with my friends and we didn't take it seriously. But soon Krazy got together and we're dealing with Michael Bivins' (of Bel Biv DeVoe and New Edition) record label. It all happened so quickly and I realized this is what I want to do."

Looking back on those older songs, Sakar laughs and talks about how much the music has grown. "I think I mostly evolved lyrically, you know? When I started I was more angry. I presented a lot of problems, but no solutions. Now, I think my music isn't about me being frustrated, it's a learning tool. It's more political. It's just better, I think."

It's just unfortunate it's so difficult to hear the music, especially right here in Sakar's hometown.
- PAT FERRUCCI - THE NEW HAVEN REGISTER (Jan 6, 2006)

Area rapper fights for respect and exposure.

With four albums and a single out, Hamden resident Kayzure Sakar has been spitting rhymes for years. But that doesn’t mean anyone has heard the lyrics he is selling.

“Literally,” said Sakar in his Hamden apartment, “my life right now is a hustle, and I’m tired of that.”

He cites the reasons as political, claiming Connecticut radio stations, music stores, and clubs just aren’t ready to help out local musicians particularly hip hop rap artists.

His rhymes can be harsh and heavy, reflecting the emotions Sakar said are running through his head at the time he writes them. While the songs themselves may be vicious and violent, Sakar said he himself is not. They aren’t the reality of his daily life but the reflection of his emotional mindset.

And there have been difficulties.

His first album was written around events in his life pertaining to his first wife, a relationship which ended with her moving to Europe. She took with her his first child, whom Sakar said he hasn’t had any contact with in years. His ex-wife, according to Sakar cut off all remaining ties when he got remarried 10 years ago. He has three children with his second wife.

On top of that Sakar was dealing with the remnants of a dysfunctional family in his childhood, and other compounding problems. Sakar doesn’t smoke, drink or do drugs but he needed something he said.

“I just needed to vent,” he said.

Four albums later Sakar is till venting. Now though the rhymes have turned as much toward his struggle for recognition in the music scene as an artist.

In his own words, Sakar can’t get played on the East Coast.

“Here on the East Coast,” said Sakar, “I haven’t had one sale on the East Coast, but in Japan they are selling like crazy.”

He said local music store won’t carry his music, and clubs like Toad’s Place in New Haven won’t gave him a shot.

“Even the mom and pop stores don’t want to deal with me,” said Sakar.

Meanwhile, Sakar says his music flies off the shelf overseas. In Japan, for instance, he can’t keep his music stocked. He said he sent shipment of his latest compact disc. “Ain’t Goin Nowhere,” there and it sold out the same day it was released. His online sales tracking shows him that most of the sales are coming from that region of the world, with almost none coming from domestic locations.

Compounding the problem, a series of hard learned experiences has left Sakar jaded about others attempting to manage his career. In the past he has lost everything from money to the master recordings of some of his songs to managers.

“The only person I can trust right now is me,” said Sakar. “It’s crazy hat I had to learn this way.”

As a result, Sakar manages himself under his birth name, Kevin Cox. He had it legally changed to Kayzure Sakar Cox last year.

Recording and mixing is handled by Greg Borino in his New Haven Studio. Borino himself is a member of the area Jazz and Rhythm and Blues group Airborne. At $40 an hour he lets musicians come in and record their tracks and helps mix the masters.

Borino said as a full time musician first and foremost, he understands the difficulty and struggle that Sakar is going through.

“Greg is a man of many talents,” said Sakar as he stood in the downstairs recording room at Borino’s. “So anything I want done, he can do. I love coming here.”

The biggest challenge though, according to Sakar, is funding. Without sufficient sales he is forced to also work as a barber when not in the studio. Recording is an investment that has no guarantee of financial return. Still, Sakar does what he can with Borino’s help to get his albums out.

“Basically we do the same things the big companies do, just without that budget,” said Sakar.

To help capitalize on what following he has, Sakar said he has contemplated heading to Japan to do some club dates there.

Sakar started his musical career in the 1990s with “Krazy Vibes,” a collection of area youth putting out hip hop. Sakar grew up with member Dieeast Hawley and the rest of the group came together around them. The group didn’t work out though, and Sakar said the reasons were the usual ones plaguing mutual artistic endeavors.

“We had some creative differences,” said Sakar.

Sakar can be found on the Internet at www.myspace.com/kayzuresakar and his albums can be found at www.cdbaby.com. Borino can be reached for recording information at 000-0000.

- JOSEPH COLE - THE HAMDEN CHRONICLE (Dec 22, 2005)

Area rapper fights for respect and exposure.

With four albums and a single out, Hamden resident Kayzure Sakar has been spitting rhymes for years. But that doesn’t mean anyone has heard the lyrics he is selling.

“Literally,” said Sakar in his Hamden apartment, “my life right now is a hustle, and I’m tired of that.”

He cites the reasons as political, claiming Connecticut radio stations, music stores, and clubs just aren’t ready to help out local musicians particularly hip hop rap artists.

His rhymes can be harsh and heavy, reflecting the emotions Sakar said are running through his head at the time he writes them. While the songs themselves may be vicious and violent, Sakar said he himself is not. They aren’t the reality of his daily life but the reflection of his emotional mindset.

And there have been difficulties.

His first album was written around events in his life pertaining to his first wife, a relationship which ended with her moving to Europe. She took with her his first child, whom Sakar said he hasn’t had any contact with in years. His ex-wife, according to Sakar cut off all remaining ties when he got remarried 10 years ago. He has three children with his second wife.

On top of that Sakar was dealing with the remnants of a dysfunctional family in his childhood, and other compounding problems. Sakar doesn’t smoke, drink or do drugs but he needed something he said.

“I just needed to vent,” he said.

Four albums later Sakar is till venting. Now though the rhymes have turned as much toward his struggle for recognition in the music scene as an artist.

In his own words, Sakar can’t get played on the East Coast.

“Here on the East Coast,” said Sakar, “I haven’t had one sale on the East Coast, but in Japan they are selling like crazy.”

He said local music store won’t carry his music, and clubs like Toad’s Place in New Haven won’t gave him a shot.

“Even the mom and pop stores don’t want to deal with me,” said Sakar.

Meanwhile, Sakar says his music flies off the shelf overseas. In Japan, for instance, he can’t keep his music stocked. He said he sent shipment of his latest compact disc. “Ain’t Goin Nowhere,” there and it sold out the same day it was released. His online sales tracking shows him that most of the sales are coming from that region of the world, with almost none coming from domestic locations.

Compounding the problem, a series of hard learned experiences has left Sakar jaded about others attempting to manage his career. In the past he has lost everything from money to the master recordings of some of his songs to managers.

“The only person I can trust right now is me,” said Sakar. “It’s crazy hat I had to learn this way.”

As a result, Sakar manages himself under his birth name, Kevin Cox. He had it legally changed to Kayzure Sakar Cox last year.

Recording and mixing is handled by Greg Borino in his New Haven Studio. Borino himself is a member of the area Jazz and Rhythm and Blues group Airborne. At $40 an hour he lets musicians come in and record their tracks and helps mix the masters.

Borino said as a full time musician first and foremost, he understands the difficulty and struggle that Sakar is going through.

“Greg is a man of many talents,” said Sakar as he stood in the downstairs recording room at Borino’s. “So anything I want done, he can do. I love coming here.”

The biggest challenge though, according to Sakar, is funding. Without sufficient sales he is forced to also work as a barber when not in the studio. Recording is an investment that has no guarantee of financial return. Still, Sakar does what he can with Borino’s help to get his albums out.

“Basically we do the same things the big companies do, just without that budget,” said Sakar.

To help capitalize on what following he has, Sakar said he has contemplated heading to Japan to do some club dates there.

Sakar started his musical career in the 1990s with “Krazy Vibes,” a collection of area youth putting out hip hop. Sakar grew up with member Dieeast Hawley and the rest of the group came together around them. The group didn’t work out though, and Sakar said the reasons were the usual ones plaguing mutual artistic endeavors.

“We had some creative differences,” said Sakar.

Sakar can be found on the Internet at www.myspace.com/kayzuresakar and his albums can be found at www.cdbaby.com. Borino can be reached for recording information at 000-0000.

- JOSEPH COLE - THE HAMDEN CHRONICLE (Dec 22, 2005)

Local rapper Kayzure Sakar knows he is doing well, because all his contemporaries can do is criticize. At least that is the way he tells it on his newest album, "Top of the world". "Everyone tells me they really like what I am doing, but instead of helping they just criticize," said Sakar of the treatment he has received from other artists in his genre. In response he named his album as a challenge, a commentary to others that they weren't going to bring him down. Sakar describes the album itself as less angry than some of his previous endeavours, deriving inspiration from the trials and tribulations of trying to make it in the music industry and in life. He said he still has that strong aggressive voice, and he still laughs at adversity, but he himself has changed. "I've grown more, Sakar said. "I've learned to accept there are things I can't change."
One of those things he hasn't changed has been the means by which he distributes his albums. Sakar remains an advocate of the Web based CDbaby.com as the primary distribution center for his music. In the past he had issues getting area merchants to carry his albums in their stores. Now he sees their hesitation as his profit. "I don't even bother," said Sakar, "I can make more money doing this through the internet than I can dealing with mom and pop stores." Helping keep his name out there is his work with Rakaz Recording Group. He also acts as a radio host on Rakaz Radio on the internet. Between the radio and recording, Sakar also managed to land a spot in the first Spideman movie as an extra. Sakar began his music career as a member of Krazy Vibez out of Danbury before going solo. In 2003 he started his own label. Over the years he has performed numerous venues and collaborated with various artists. He was even given the go ahead to perform his own mix of a Toni Braxton song, though the process never put him in direct contact with her. Sakar has also been featured at area events such as the National Night Out in 2006 in New Haven. He is no stranger to performing at local clubs either. The new album, "top of the world," contains 14 tracks and was officially released on Dec. 17th. The date has special meaning for Sakar. It is the birthday of a daughter he hasn't seen in years. On Dec. 18th, he performed at The Space in Hamden to help promote the album. Links to information about Sakar and to purchase his music or listen to his radio show can be found at his website, www.kayzuresakar.com. "I'm still in the business," said Sakar, "and i've got my own following now." - Joseph Cole

Local rapper Kayzure Sakar knows he is doing well, because all his contemporaries can do is criticize. At least that is the way he tells it on his newest album, "Top of the world". "Everyone tells me they really like what I am doing, but instead of helping they just criticize," said Sakar of the treatment he has received from other artists in his genre. In response he named his album as a challenge, a commentary to others that they weren't going to bring him down. Sakar describes the album itself as less angry than some of his previous endeavours, deriving inspiration from the trials and tribulations of trying to make it in the music industry and in life. He said he still has that strong aggressive voice, and he still laughs at adversity, but he himself has changed. "I've grown more, Sakar said. "I've learned to accept there are things I can't change."
One of those things he hasn't changed has been the means by which he distributes his albums. Sakar remains an advocate of the Web based CDbaby.com as the primary distribution center for his music. In the past he had issues getting area merchants to carry his albums in their stores. Now he sees their hesitation as his profit. "I don't even bother," said Sakar, "I can make more money doing this through the internet than I can dealing with mom and pop stores." Helping keep his name out there is his work with Rakaz Recording Group. He also acts as a radio host on Rakaz Radio on the internet. Between the radio and recording, Sakar also managed to land a spot in the first Spideman movie as an extra. Sakar began his music career as a member of Krazy Vibez out of Danbury before going solo. In 2003 he started his own label. Over the years he has performed numerous venues and collaborated with various artists. He was even given the go ahead to perform his own mix of a Toni Braxton song, though the process never put him in direct contact with her. Sakar has also been featured at area events such as the National Night Out in 2006 in New Haven. He is no stranger to performing at local clubs either. The new album, "top of the world," contains 14 tracks and was officially released on Dec. 17th. The date has special meaning for Sakar. It is the birthday of a daughter he hasn't seen in years. On Dec. 18th, he performed at The Space in Hamden to help promote the album. Links to information about Sakar and to purchase his music or listen to his radio show can be found at his website, www.kayzuresakar.com. "I'm still in the business," said Sakar, "and i've got my own following now." - Joseph Cole