Growing up in the Bronx, New York, Selfmade Kev never looked at music as the path he would eventually take. As a kid, his attention was on sports, especially baseball. He played shortstop and took the game seriously, eventually earning a full-ride baseball scholarship. It was an accomplishment he takes pride in because he earned it on his own.
Music was always somewhere around him, though. Kev remembers listening to artists like Drake and Chief Keef during middle school, while Bow Wow was one of the early artists he looked up to. He was fascinated by more than just the music. He paid attention to how artists built their careers and created names for themselves. Even as a child, he had a karaoke machine, giving him an early connection to performing before he ever considered himself a rapper.
At 13, he was already going by the name “Selfmade.” His friend Switch created his Instagram account under the name, and years later, when Kev decided to take music seriously, he kept it. The name had already become more than a nickname. It represented the way he had lived his life—figuring things out for himself and relying on his own work to get where he wanted to go.
Baseball remained his main focus for years. Kev was dedicated to the sport and saw a future in it, but eventually he realized professional baseball was not going to work out. With that door closing, he was faced with figuring out what came next.
At 21, while attending college, Kev started writing in his dorm room. He knew one thing for sure: he didn’t want to settle into a regular 9-to-5 just because it was the expected route. Making the transition into music wasn’t easy. As the first person in his family to attend college, his decision to pursue music came with skepticism from those closest to him. But Kev continued to move forward.
What started in a dorm room eventually became a real career.
Kev’s approach to music reflects his personality. His flow is laid-back, calm and effortless. Early on, people encouraged him to bring more energy to his delivery, but Kev stayed true to what felt natural. Over time, that relaxed style became part of what separated him from everyone else. He wasn’t trying to sound like somebody else. He was simply being himself.
That authenticity began showing through his music as he released projects like Find A Way in 2019 and For The Trappers, Vol. 1 in 2021. Along the way, records such as “Trappin Ain’t Dead,” “Favorite Eater,” “We On,” “Trap Open” and more helped continue building his catalog and establishing his sound.
For Kev, the journey has always been about finding a way forward. From the Bronx to the baseball field, from a college dorm room to recording music, every chapter has played a role in shaping the artist he is today.
His latest release “For The Trappers, Vol.2” Out Now
