Artistry and music are formed in infinite unique ways, and when Kazual performed their version of a capella on February 2, students witnessed an incredible show. A capella is a form of music that creates sound without the use of instruments, typically created with the sole use of one’s voice.
This group is no garage band. They got their start young while singing at their family’s church and haven’t stopped since. They have performed on the Maury Show on the segment Maury’s Singing Idols, as well as the accomplishment of becoming a Top 40 semifinalist on America’s Got Talent.
Known as Kazual (pronounced: casual), this group consists of three brothers and one cousin. They go by Playboi, Ejae, DMac, and Lil Gabe. What makes them so unique is that they create all of their music and sound with nothing but their voice and vocal cords.
The University audience, consisting of mostly students, was treated to a stellar performance by the a capella group. They started off by singing songs such as “Stay with Me,” “All of Me,” and a host of other popular songs, all of different genres. They performed snippets of hits like “Jealous” by Nick Jonas. They showed their modern hip hop side by singing “Trap Queen” and “My Way” by the infamous Fetty Wap. They even threw it back with two Backstreet Boys songs and went even farther back with, one of their best covers, “My Girl” by The Temptations, which got the audience of almost a hundred students singing along.
The audience enjoyed hearing older songs performed without the use of instruments or background music. Also, hearing some of the band’s original music was excellent, especially their biggest hit “Bounce,” which was performed with slick and smooth dance moves.
When asked what inspired them to pursue music professionally, the group responded that they have always been inspired by the great legend Michael Jackson, as well as other boy groups such as Boyz II Men. The group also described their genre of music as Doo Wop-Hip-Hop, saying they produce old school R&B type music. They see themselves touring internationally within the next five years, making their music mainstream.
Ray Melfor, a freshman computer science major, was jamming out and singing along to Kazual.
“When they presented their own music [and]when they went old school,” Melfor said it was his favorite part.
Joshua Bartholomew, a junior marketing major, also enjoyed their sound.
“I thought the performance was thrilling and very exciting,” he said. “I liked how they had a very diverse amount of music which matches our University’s values.”
Both Joshua and Ray said they would definitely see Kazual again if they performed again on campus.
The group’s professional yet personable attitudes connected them with students.
Rebecca Hugh, who is a sophomore, and a marketing major said that though she had no prior knowledge of the group, she thoroughly enjoyed the performance, and would really like to see them back on campus for another show.
Maeisha McDermott, who is a freshman biology major, had similar thoughts, and said she looks forward to purchasing the group’s album on iTunes, entitled, Back to the Future.
Overall, the students seemed to really appreciate the dynamic nature of the a capella group, and looked forward to future appearances on campus. Edson O’Neale, director for Student Activities said that this is the group’s second time on campus. They visited last year for a similar event, and the students requested that they visited again.
