Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristian Flores
Hi Kristian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been into poetry since my early teens, specifically poems that rhyme. Eventually, I became exposed to hip-hop music and once I realized raps where basically poems recited over beats, I was hooked – that’s where my journey began. At 17, I enlisted in the US Navy. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to study after high school and I didn’t think it to be a smart move pulling out loans to study something I was undecided about. Instead, I figured I’d go in the service and commit 4 years in exchange for a job, travel, benefits, and time to think. I wrote A LOT during this time. 4 years, 5 months later my enlistment was complete and I proceeded with the next phase of my plan. Some time during those 4 years, I had decided that I was going to study audio engineering. I had too many songs in my head and I needed to get them out.
I enrolled into The Art Institute of California – San Diego because it was the only place that offered that specific program. It was there that I learned about mixing, recording, video editing, live sound rigging, studio recording and studio etiquette, etc. I took FULL advantage of the recording studio; man, I hit that thing like a hurricane. I unloaded my entire catalogue and used my older songs as guinea pigs to learn mixing techniques. I figured by the time I got to my newer songs, I’d be more polished as a mixing engineer and therefore my music would sound better. Simultaneously during this time, I formed a collective alongside a few friends from school and we started organizing art shows at local bars. My job was to gather and manage the performers, assign time slots, and run the sound system. This collective became known as “The Wall Art Show Collective”, and it was here where I sharpened my skills as a live act.
I graduated with my bachelor’s in 2016 and immediately got a job working at a live sound warehouse. I wasn’t really interested in pursuing audio engineering as an actual career though, so I applied with the City of San Diego and eventually got a job with Environmental Services where I still work today. The art collective continued for a while but after 2 years, we realized that organizing 1 art show per month was very taxing for only 2 people so we stopped in 2018 and that was the end of my live performances for a while. Through it all, I kept making music but I felt like I was getting nowhere. I did not see any progress and music started to feel more like a hobby than a calling; not doing it at the level I wanted to was very demoralizing…
I can’t recall exactly why, but I took vacation and flew to Tepic in Nayarit, Mexico. This is where my father was from and where we would go visit my grandparents during summer breaks as a kid. Finally experiencing Tepic as an adult, it was during this trip I stumbled onto the local hip-hop scene and learned that people from a totally different country, with a whole other language, could also love this music the same way I did. It was refreshing, inspiring, and definitely what I needed at the time… it renewed my fire.
After this trip, I started writing more songs in Spanish or with Spanish in them. My style had evolved and I was now having fun utilizing two languages to compose my songs instead of only one. Connecting with this scene inspired me to completely turn my focus south of the border – a move that seems to be working out for me.
For the past few years now, I’ve been opening up for an artist named Solitario Mondragon. He’s a very talented Mexican rapper from the state of Nayarit who is also on the come-up, but unlike me he actually makes his living and pays his bills with income from his music – a feat I find quite inspiring. I’ve traveled to various cities in Mexico for these events and this past december I connected with another Mexican artist named Geassassin. They both co-headlined a show in Monterrey, N.L., and after catching my opening set, Geassassin asked if I’d be interested in touring with him this year. I said, “hell yeah”, that’s pretty much the overview so far. You want more, stay tuned. Bear-Pacific West is the brand, Cocky Bastard is the slogan, and I go by K.Oh! Follow me on IG @bearpacificwest.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth ride but challenges build character. I’ve been through my things, life goes up and it goes down but that’s life! You only lose when you choose to stay on your back, and I’m just not that type. All challenges and all challengers are welcomed over here, I’m not going to let myself drown no matter how deep the water gets.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My name is Kristian Alberto Flores but people know me as K.Oh! (pronounced kay-OH). I am a hip-hop artist from San Diego, CA and I make music. Bear-Pacific WEST is my brand and through this brand I push merchandise (tees, hoodies, hats, etc). I believe in having confidence to the point that it borderlines arrogance and that attitude created my “Cocky Bastard” slogan. What I believe sets me apart from others is my style. I sound like no one else out there right now. I carry the influence of those I grew up listening to, of course, but I have developed a style uniquely my own and I’m very proud of that. My style is very blunt and direct and I like to enunciate every word, deliver my lines with intent. I have the ability to rap in 2 languages – English and Spanish – and do them both at a high level The look that I have and the way I dress also accent my love for this culture – hip-hop radiates out of me.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Having time, money, and energy to do what I truly want to be doing makes me happy. Making music, traveling, buying gifts for people, eating good food, enjoying life! My father was killed in a car accident, he was only 47. Life isn’t guaranteed and everything can be taken away from you in an instant, it might not even be your fault but that’s how it goes. You have to enjoy your time while you have it available.
Pricing:
- Merch – $10 – 100+ depending on the item
- Audio Engineering – we can negotiate
- Live Performance – we can negotiate
- Features – we can negotiate
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearpacificwest
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearpacificwest
- Other: https://linktr.ee/bearpacificwest
Image Credits:
https://www.instagram.com/shot.by.fabi
