Kevin Olusola is one-fifth of everyone’s favorite a capella group Pentatonix.
Known for his beat-boxing and cello contribution, the Yale graduate and Mandarin-fluent cellist joined the group in 2011 to compete on NBC’s The Sing Off and after winning the competition, signed to Sony Music.
Millions of YouTube views, a Grammy, several world tours, multi-platinum albums and one solo record later, Kevin has enjoyed the worldwide success and popularity that comes with being part of a group where each member has their own impressive talents that come together to create an extraordinary feat.
While he often shares the limelight with five others, Kevin is a star in his own right. He’s even caught the eye of the likes of legendary music makers such as Quincy Jones, who personally selected Kevin to represent him at a music festival in 2012.
We chatted with the musical prodigy about his musical tastes, genre-fusing, and leaving a legacy.
Congrats on the Grammy nomination! How does it feel to be nominated again?
“It’s always such an honor. The industry is such a crap-shoot when it comes to nominations and winners, so even being considered is amazing. I try not to get my hopes up too high on a win but it’s honestly so humbling and honoring to even be nominated. But a win is just always so surreal.”
How would you describe your musical taste?
“It really varies. I grew up listening to classical and jazz music. My parents didn’t allow much music other than that, because they wanted to keep me away from overly sexualized or secular lyrics. As I grew up I discovered pop and R&B music and fell in love with it. Right now, I’m really into rock music; the notes, delivery, and trajectory in rock music is really something that’s unique. As a musician I can appreciate it. As a musician I appreciate all kinds of music.”
What are your thoughts on the fusion of Hip-Hop with other genres?
“I think it’s cool. I’m all about defying the mold. As a musician—someone who truly studies music—I think it’s a true testament to talent to be able to bend different concepts to make a unique sound. I like that it’s becoming a ‘thing’ that the mainstream is interested in; it’s so cool to see the global connections. Right now I’m into West African music and am getting inspiration from them to fuse with my classical music.”
As a Black man in ‘the arts’, how do you navigate through that space?
“I think I’m in an interesting position. Beyond beat-boxing I’m classically trained in cello, I speak fluent Mandarin, I graduated pre-med from Yale, and I sing also. I think for me, I defy the ‘Black man’s place in music’ (just beat-boxing or rapping). People may look at me and think all there is to me is beat-boxing, but there’s really much more, and I like that I get to shatter their perceptions of me musically. I think the key for any man, of any race, navigating through creative spaces is to break the mold and innovate. I try to add my own flair and swagger to everything that I do, give it a voice and make it my own.”
You have so many different talents and interests. Is there one you’re wanting to hone in on?
“There’s so much I want to do. Outside of music I’d like to get back into diplomacy in East Asian countries more (the whole reason I did East Asian studies in school). When I was in China studying, I got really into the politics and social issues, so if I returned to those roots I’d really like to get involved in that kind of work. Musically, aside from making more records with the group and on my own, I’d love to delve further into the entrepreneurial side of music. I really want to create things that live long and reach beyond the music. If you look at people like JAY Z, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson: they have the music but they also invested in the industry and innovated the music industry on a business level. Jay with Tidal, Michael in buying The Beatles collection. I’ve been studying how they navigate as entrepreneurs and would like to get into that side of music.”
What can we expect next from you?
“I always feel like there’s so much more I can be doing. I’m on tour now with the group, but I’m in the conceptual stages of creating my next solo body of work. Right now I have at least 70 riffs and melodies and ideas for songs in my head. I’m reaching out to songwriters and am going to work on developing lyrics. I’m super excited to see what’s next for me—I’m open to so much and I love to see all of the pieces of music just come together—that’s the magic of it all.”
