Meet KU-KAI
Musician, industry pioneer, and CEO of Next World Collective, Kai began his journey by learning how to play the saxophone in middle school. “I've always enjoyed music. I grew up in a musical family, with my grandpa playing ’70s, '80s, and ‘90s rock music until 3 am. Listening to music was always part of my upbringing.” Kai laughed about his dad and grandpa dreaming of him being the next Kenny G. His family played a vital role in his upbringing as a musician. When asked, “Your grandpa was a big inspiration?” Kai answered, “Yes, very big inspiration. He is a musician after all; he played trumpet in high school and was a drum major in his high school… so that was definitely a big influence on me. I even did marching band in high school as well.”
Kai then went to study jazz at Pasadena City College in LA, and that’s where momentum picked up for him through meeting and curating a community of great musicians in the Pasadena program. “That energy and communal spirit definitely encouraged me and strongly influenced how I wanted to build a community. Hence, why I decided to put that into the concept of Next World.”
What started as a Discord server where Kai and friends would chat about music became a collective of artists and creatives who design and execute concerts around LA. “I was definitely getting to know a lot more people in the music scene, a lot of small artists, in regard to starting music. They're doing great work, but not many people are seeing it. There's no platform for them to really push themselves out there. They don't even have the experience to perform. So I thought it would be a really cool idea to do concerts for my friends.”
Next World is a collective that uplifts independent voices in the creative scene by organizing concerts and events. “I’m trying to have a very inclusive and creative environment for people. I think that's why a lot of people resonate with us through my story. Trying to see my friends succeed and shine has always been a passion of mine as well.”
From organizing concerts at Filipino restaurants and boba shops to booking shows at The Paramount, Kai has organically grown this collective’s outreach despite limited budgets and connections. “I don't have a crazy status. I'm not an influencer. I'm just throwing these shows to help out my friends.” He says the one thing you can count on when starting out is just to get out there and start doing it. “You're gonna be meeting a lot of people when you start doing stuff. You have to be very instinctual with promises and the people that you want to surround yourself with.”
In regards to facing rejections, Kai recalls many situations that occur when building concerts, “You can't just stop. You have to push yourself to figure out the next step because if a headliner that rejects my offer doesn't mean I'm gonna cancel an event. Just because a venue cancels on me two days before the event doesn't mean I cancel the event. I keep pushing.”
“My persistence and community are key values that I hold very dear, and I think they’re part of the reason why I’m successful. I'm on the right path because of the community around me, that's why it feels so natural, and it feels like I'm not forcing myself. It feels right.” You want to surround yourself with people who push you, people who keep your ego in check. People who are also doing the same thing as you, but collectively all supporting each other.
Kai quotes, “To have a community is the backbone of your success. That's what I believe in. 100%.”
