YOU ARE KETCHUP
AND OTHER FLY MUSIC TALES
A DEBUT MEMOIR by GRAMMy-NOMINATED ARTIST and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow KOKAYI
With a harmonious blend of narrative and advice, DC native Kokayi walks readers through the golden age of hip-hop to the current day, dispensing hard-earned lessons and illuminations from decades of producing and performing music. Kokayi is a teacher inasmuch as he is a musician and now writes for emerging artists yet to achieve success and veteran artists who might have once had it but are not out. Using stories from life and career as a vehicle, Kokayi covers a range of topics, including art as a commodity and advice about defining your artistic community, knowing when your art is ready to level up, finding a formula that works, distinguishing your art from others, and more.
In a music world where an artist's career can too easily become a tale of the past, You Are Ketchup arrives as essential reading for the multitude of creatives hungry for the wisdom and knowledge of a successful insider.
"Through unique wit and superior prose, Kokayi unpacks years of musical knowledge in this one-of-a-kind self-help book. While his status could warrant a soapbox, Kokayi takes the opposite approach, offering advice with the ease of a loved one with your best interest at heart. The results are upbeat and informative: As Kokayi details his D.C. beginnings and travels overseas, you feel like you're right there with him, sharing LOLs, song verses, and road stories all the same."
— Marcus J. Moore Author, The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America | Music Journalist, The New York Times, NPR , etc.
“Amazing read. It takes more than talent to navigate the wretched waters of the music business. The ups and downs. The relentless dedication to your craft. The importance of family. These jewels, life lessons, and stories of betrayal and triumph all give us a glimpse into KOKAYI’s personal journey as a renaissance man who was always destined for greatness. Rooted in uncanny determination, self-love, and overcoming what many deemed impossible, this book reminds us all to never give up on your dreams.”
— D PROSPER, MUSICIAN, TECHNOLogist & CULTURE CURATOR
Soul in the Horn
“Kokayi’s You Are Ketchup embodies the true journey of a Creative. It’s a self help book for those on the path towards their dreams. It delves into the pit stops, the potholes and the pitfalls of the transcendence of wanting to pursue an art form, to living it professionally.”
— Tabi Bonney, Artist, owner ITADI BODY
y.a.k. PRESS
About KOKAYI
DC-based Multidisciplinary Artist, Producer. Grammy-nominated musician. Southside Potentate, Preeminent Improvisational Vocalist. Educator. Author & connector of dots. My work is an amalgamation of my life experiences mitigated through the lenses; DC, Hip-Hop culture, Go-Go, and cultural contributions from the African diaspora. Working at the intersections of technology, mental health, and entertainment to solve for x amongst marginalized and underserved communities.
Photo: Fred Yonnet
