Wish GRANTed

Last month, I traveled to Baltimore, MD to witness a show I was invited to by a popular upcoming artist named WishGRANTED. I must say, this guy has a lot of talent and is actually an incredible entertainer. I watched as Wish captured the attention of the crowd as soon as he hit the stage as if he was the headliner and was blown away. He is a jack of all trades when hitting the stage he raps, dances, plays the saxophone and more. Not to mention, his DJ Kay Money was pretty dope as he helped Wish carry through the performance. Below, there is footage of his stage show and after you can watch us catch up on the performance afterwards outside the venue. Wish gives us some background on what it took for him to get the point of where he is, touches on a newspaper he was covered by in Pennsylvania, and how serving in the Air Force has affected his career.

Peep the gifted performer do his thing after this! - Hip Hop Since 1987

Backstage at Baltimore Soundstage, Kevin Grant couldn’t stop thinking about what he was about to do.

He shouldn’t have been nervous. It wasn’t his first time performing for a crowd.

In 2012, the Kennard-Dale High School graduate – who goes by the stage name Wish Granted – successfully opened for Kid Ink at the same venue. So opening for Audio Push and Snow tha Product three years later should have been a piece of cake.

But if he went through with his plan to bring out the saxophone during his set, he’d be taking a risk.

The hip hop fans in the audience didn’t come to see a jazz saxophone solo. They came to see some good rap music, Grant said.

However, if he wanted to set himself apart from the other rappers on the bill that night, the saxophone was the way to do it.

So, he did.

“They (went) crazy when I started playing the sax because it’s something they didn’t expect,” Grant said. “I was taking pictures with everybody. I signed a couple autographs. I felt really good after that. I took a chance on that one. Now, I’m running with it.”


Now, four months later, Grant, 24, will bring his jazzy hip hop style back to the same stage Dec. 5.

This time, he’ll be opening for Curren$y, a New Orleans rapper who was one of the original members of the Young Money Entertainment label founded by Lil Wayne.

Since he started doing hip hop about four years ago, Grant has written and recorded dozens of songs and released a mixtape called “Wish Granted First Wish.”

His most recent single “The Juice” is a party track, but it still incorporates the saxophone and represents his main message: “to inspire the guy who has a dream but is afraid to do it because he's afraid he might fail.”

About five years ago, Grant was that guy. As a high school student, he said he never considered pursuing hip hop. He was too busy playing saxophone and performing in jazz band, choir and orchestra.

“Anything that involved music, I was involved in it,” he said.

It wasn’t until he graduated and joined the Air Force that he realized he might have a shot at hip hop.

During basic training, Grant and his buddies spent a lot of their free time rapping.

“Somebody would make a beat on the locker or something like that … and a group of guys come together and rap,” he said.

“When I would be a part of that, I’d be really good.”

At least that’s what his friends told him. And they encouraged him to pursue hip hop when he returned home to Baltimore in 2010.

“At first, I was afraid to be a rapper because I didn’t know if it would work,” he said. “But you just go and try.”

Within a year, he had booked his first show, and now he continues to perform at area venues about once a month.

At his Dec. 5 show, Grant said the crowd can definitely expect to hear the saxophone.

“Other than that, it’ll be great hip hop, great show, great entertainment, a lot of crowd participation,” he said.

Grant also plans to release another mixtape with a much larger jazz saxophone and piano presence in March 2016.

“My goal is to be the best I literally can be … and inspire the next guy that will do anything great. I want to inspire the world,” he said.

“At the end of the day, I’m doing this for everybody.”

IF YOU GO

What: Wish Granted and Curren$y

When: Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5

Where: Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place, Baltimore, Md.

Cost: $27.50 in advance, $32.50 day of show - FlipSidePA

Wish GRANTed is a Baltimore, Maryland native who is turning heads with his latest drop. “Average,” is a self-produced effort, which samples the song “Video” by India Arie. Wish GRANTed’s forthcoming EP, Second Wish is due later this year. Stream above. - YouHeardThatNew

Wish GRANTed adds some confident lyrics to a legendary beat. The Average beat, produced by Wish GRANTed, samples the icon India Arie. He’s a true artist. He keeps his saxophone in his hand, providing some vibes we can’t turn away from. Average gives us hope to chase our dreams and believe in ourselves. - Dope or Nope

"Wish GRANTed shows why he is one of the best Baltimore has to offer with "The Juice" - Unsigned Heat

Baltimore artist Wish GRANTed serves up a new single entitled ‘The Juice’. Check it out below. - Rap Xclusive

Baltimore artist Wish GRANTed returns with a new single entitled ‘The Juice’. Hit play below. - Its Biz Kit

"If you haven’t heard “The Juice” by Wish Granted you are missing out! We got the chance to see him perform a couple of weeks ago at SoundStage in Baltimore when he opened up for Audio Push! The crowd rocked out the entire performance, including when Wish pulled out his saxophone. This guy has his own twist on music and definitely has a great future as an artist!" - Undaground Radar

Listen! - ThisIs50

Wish GRANTed’s “I’m Not a Freshman?” provides some much needed substance to the XXL Freshman list hype. With heartfelt lines and a self-produced beat featuring himself on the piano, Wish shows his lyrical prowess and viewpoint on the hip hop game. - Siccness