Tarik Kiley
Instagram: @tkiley37
Email: tarikkiley@gmail.com
Tarik Kiley started his musical journey when he picked up his father’s drum book, “The Rudiments of Drumming” at age 15. Curious about drumming, he joined two afterschool programs while living in Los Angeles, CA. He joined a samba school, where he primarily played the surdo, and also picked up the congas while learning Afro-Cuban rhythms.
While living in Baltimore, MD, at the age of 17, Tarik purchased a drum machine and amp and started programming Hip-Hop beats. When Tarik moved to Charlotte, NC at the age of 18, he picked up the piano, learning some ideas about chords and harmony from a friend of his. Around this time, Tarik dabbled in Hip Hop and wrote a little, but mainly focused on making beats.
Tarik had been rapping since 1994, but since 2009, he has taken a more serious undertaking in terms of understanding the poetic foundations of Hip Hop music. He joined the group Guerilla Poets in 2012, having met Shane Manier, the executive director at an open mic. And was promoted to Vice President of Guerilla Poets in 2019, after networking and facilitating relationships between Guerilla Poets and Culture Blocks, Time Out Youth, and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture.
In 2012 and 2015, respectively, Tarik published two albums, “A Nation of Fatherless Children” and “Insecurities.” Tarik continues to have a wealth of unpublished solo material. In 2016, Tarik self-published a book of poetry, based on the Hip Hop form, called, “Musings of a Lonely Mind.” With a wealth of musical knowledge, Tarik began teaching with Guerilla Poets and Culture Blocks in 2017. Through Culture Blocks, he taught the “History of Hip Hop Musical Thought,” “History of the Blues,” “Percussion and Poetry,” “Old School vs. New School Hip Hop,” and “Latin American Music.” He has also taught a one-day class called “Hip Hop 101” at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte Lit. A serious student of music, Tarik has researched music history and development extensively.
Tarik’s latest project is a podcast with fellow Guerilla Poets member, Tony Baker. The “TnT Podcast” is a podcast discussing topics in the arts and culture from an urban perspective and streams on Facebook. Tarik continues to find ways to share the stage with other artists, and continually seeks opportunities to share his gifts with others.
In his “day job,” Tarik is the Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition Coordinator at Sustain Charlotte. He holds a Master’s degree in Geography with a concentration in community planning from UNC Charlotte.
