Check out our exclusive interview with the 14-year-old producer behind viral sensation “Who R U”, Kid Kloud!
From Charlotte, North Carolina – this young producer has gone viral off the song “Who R U”. After only a couple months of producing and uploading his beats onto YouTube, he began picking up quite an audience, more notably the attention of TikTok star Jufu. With Jufu’s millions of followers on TikTok, Kid Kloud’s beats stood out to him and he decided to reach out to the producer. With a quick email exchange that continued over DM’s, the two would partner up to create the soon-to-be viral TikTok song. “Who R U” has amassed over 25 million views across platforms, drawing the attention of Will Smith, Steve Harvey, and even Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro. “Who R U” has become known as the soundtrack for being who you are and being comfortable in your own skin.
The Knockturnal: Can you tell me more about your name “Kid Kloud” and why you decided to go by it?
Kid Kloud: My name originally started off as Cloudy which I got from a random word generator. After that I changed it to “Kloudy” because Cloudy was too broad. Then soon after, I decided to change it to Tyler C simply because that was my first name and last initial. When I was going by Tyler C, Jufu found my beat and he thought that I should actually change my name to “Kid Kloud” since there are already millions of Tyler C’s.
The Knockturnal: When did you realize you were into music producing?
Kid Kloud: I always liked listening to music in my aunt’s car when I was a little kid. She used to play Eminem for my cousins and I to listen to. The first time I realized I was into music producing though, was when I got the music producing software “FL Studio” for my 13th birthday. As soon as I got the software – I was instantly addicted and started making around ten beats a day.
The Knockturnal: What was it like being able to collaborate with Jufu?
Kid Kloud: Working with Jufu was a very different experience because I had never worked with someone like him before. He was a very chill person to work with and a very positive person. He didn’t cheat me out of money and was very generous. He made me feel like I belonged there. He was also the one who really got me started in the music industry and motivated me to continue.
The Knockturnal: What was it like to see a song you worked on gain so much attention so quickly?
Kid Kloud: It all felt very surreal to me. I still felt like the same normal kid while the song I produced was blowing up on TikTok and Spotify. I didn’t think I would ever get a song to blow up when I first started producing. After I saw my abilities to make beats, I decided that this is what I wanted to pursue.
The Knockturnal: What was the reaction of your friends and family when you went viral?
Kid Kloud: My parents were very supportive of it and were proud of me for actually getting somewhere with my producing. My friends didn’t think too much of it and didn’t think it was a very big deal until the song started blowing up and they started seeing it on TikTok. My extended family was proud of me being able to earn some money from my music because they didn’t really think it was common for a random kid like me in middle school to do so.
The Knockturnal: Is there anyone you feel has been a mentor throughout this?
Kid Kloud: Someone that mentored me through this would be Jufu of course but also the people that supported my music and listened to my beats. My small fan base are the ones who keep me going.
The Knockturnal: Who are your favorite producers?
Kid Kloud: Some of my favorite producers are Pierre Bourne, Ronny J, Wheezy, and ChaseTheMoney. I am also a fan of some underground producers such as Cliiifford and mathiastyner.
The Knockturnal: Who are your favorite rappers?
Kid Kloud: Some of my favorite rappers are; Ski Mask The Slump God, Lil Tjay, Polo G, Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion, YNW Melly, Gunna, Stunna 4 Vegas, Lil Yachty, Lil Darkie, The Kid Laroi. And just like producers, I like underground rappers too such as; YSN Flow, Pink Chanel Dior, Moxas, Egovert, KIL, Jasiah, Tokyo’s Revenge.
The Knockturnal: Is this something you want to do professionally or is it more of a hobby?
Kid Kloud: This is something that I would like to do professionally because producing is the most fun job that I can think of. Just making beats in my room all day would be a dream job for me. I am also not the best student in the world so producing would be my dream job.
The Knockturnal: What are your plans for the future?
Kid Kloud: My plans for the future are just to keep on grinding, making beats every day, and trying to get my name out there. I am also trying to work with as many artists as possible to get my experience up.
At such a young age – it is safe to say that he will have a bright future. And we here at The Knockturnal are excited to see what he does next!
Check out the viral song “Who R U”!!