KUJI

In one of the most poverty stricken communities on the Westside streets of Chicago, Illinois Kykujichagalia Wright, “Kuji” was born. The seventh of eight, “Kuji”, grew up in a four-bedroom apartment in the Lawndale community. While living there he was exposed to the life of innovative and captivating culture called music. First introduced to music at the early age of two, his father would play different instruments and have him listen to a huge variety of music and musicians. On Sunday nights his parents would allow he and his siblings to stay up so that they could perform different routines. The headboard of his parent’s bed had wooden posts that were in the shape of microphones, and the bed was the stage. Standing on the bed and performing routines to all kinds of songs from Michael Jackson to Phil Collins to the Black National Anthem. One winter morning,” Silent Night” by The Temptations came on the radio and that was the day his parents discovered Kuji’s singing was no longer child’s play. Amazed, his parents couldn’t believe that a five year old could hit such notes. Going to bed was a great treat because his father would play his old clarinet right before bedtime as he stood in the hallway of their apartment charming them to sleep.
As a little boy living in Chicago, life was tough, so music became his escape from reality. When he was eleven years old his father saved up money and bought a piano. It was at this point he began encouraging Kuji to sing and strive to become a performing artist. Bringing a bit of his soul style to R&B, Kuji was able to create and perform what he calls “soul love music.” Since the age of thirteen, he has written and sang his own songs. At times “Kuji” would sneak into his older brother Kykhura’s room to make musical tracks and record himself. Often inspired to write anything from love songs and ballads to heartache and pain, Kuji has written many different styles of songs. His writing styles range from, but are not limited to, Rhythm & Blues to an Urban Jazz mix, and Country. Some of the famous artists that influenced him are singers and bands from the 70’s to the mid 90’s. People such as Al Hudson of ONEWAY, The Delifonics, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Carlos Santana, Curtis Mayfield, Force M.D., George Clinton, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Phil Collins, Steve Cobb and Cahbaduka, the Jackson family, and the entire Motown family.
When asked in an interview where his inspiration for many of his songs came from, he responded, “my real life experiences or things that I have seen or heard about through my life. I want to convey to the world an inspiration to love themselves and to love someone. That’s the feeling I get and feel from all music I hear. I want to convey love, life, and happiness through my work. I want to paint a picture so that not only will you hear what I’m saying, but also you will see the effects of my thoughts from what I’m performing. I want to be my father in the hallway at night, charming the world, making them love themselves.” …KUJI