KB
Background information
Birth nameKevin Elijah Burgess
Also known asKB, K to the Second Letter, Moreno Papi Loco, KB the Second
Born (1988-07-21) July 21, 1988
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
GenresChristian hip hop
Occupation(s)Rapper
Years active2006–present
LabelsReach, Native North, Essential Sound
Websitewhoiskb.com

Kevin Elijah Burgess (born July 21, 1988), better known by his stage name KB, is an American Christian hip hop artist and music executive from St. Petersburg, Florida. He is the leader of the hip-hop group HGA (His Glory Alone). Burgess signed a solo artist contract to Reach Records in 2010. The label has released the Who Is KB? mixtape in 2011, Weight & Glory, on July 17, 2012, the 100 EP on March 4, 2014, Tomorrow We Live on April 21, 2015, and Today We Rebel on October 20, 2017. He is also a member of the label's collective 116 Clique.

He left Reach Records in 2020 and signed with Essential Sound, releasing his fourth studio album, His Glory Alone.

Biography

Early life

Kevin Elijah Burgess was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, on July 21, 1988,[1] into a military family.[2] Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to Southern Illinois. When he was eight years old, his parents divorced, and he moved back with his mother to the south side of St. Petersburg, which according to Burgess is "probably one of the worst areas in the state."[2] While he excelled in school and was offered a path to college through a program at St. Petersburg Collegiate High School, he struggled with extreme depression. He experimented with various drugs to obtain some relief.[2] This negatively affected his performance at school, and further led him in a downward spiral, in which he even contemplated suicide.[2][3]

Formation of HGA

After high school, Burgess enrolled in Bible college, where he befriended a group of Christian rappers. They formed a hip-hop group called HGA, short for His Glory Alone.[2][3] HGA eventually caught the interest of Lecrae, Ben Washer, and DJ Official,[3] and was featured with Tedashii on the track "Go" from DJ Official's album Intermission.[4][5] Burgess was invited onto the Acquire the Fire tour by Lecrae and was asked to join the Reach Records team just a few months later.[3]

Signing with Reach Records

Burgess signed with Reach Records in 2010 and appeared that year on the album Rehab by Lecrae.[6] His mixtape Who is KB? followed a year later, as did appearances with PRo and Tedashii.[6][7][8][9] Who is KB? obtained 30,000 downloads by the following year.[6] His first single, "Hello", featured Suzy Rock and was released in October 2011.[10] In January 2012, he released a second single, "Zone Out", featuring Chris Lee Cobbins.[11] Burgess then made an appearance with Andy Mineo on the Trip Lee album The Good Life.[6] In June 2012, he released a third single, "Go Off", featuring Tedashii and Andy Mineo.[12] Burgess’s debut album Weight & Glory was released a month later.[13][14]

On May 30, 2013, Reach announced a four-part project entitled 1st & 16th. This project would consist of Burgess releasing a new song every first and sixteenth June and July. On June 1, Part 1, "HCB Freestyle", was released.[15] The songs "Ride" and "Be All Right" were also part of the 1st and 16th project.

On February 10, 2014, KB announced his new project, an EP titled 100 released on March 4, 2014.[16] Burgess appeared in Family Force 5's music video for the song "BZRK", released on May 23, 2014, on which Burgess is a featured artist.[17]

On February 3, 2015, KB took to social media to reveal his second studio album, Tomorrow We Live, along with the cover and release date. It was scheduled to be released on April 21, 2015.[18] The first single off the album, "Sideways" featuring Lecrae, was released on February 23, 2015.[19] The second single "Crowns & Thorns (Oceans)" was released on March 10, 2015.[20]

On October 20, 2017, KB released his third studio album Today We Rebel.[21] The first single off the album, "Tempo", was released a year before the album's release date.[22] The second single off the album, "Monster" featuring Aha Gazelle, was released on September 15, 2017.[23]

Signing with Essential Sound

In 2020, he announced that he would not be renewing his contract with Reach Records and instead signed with Essential Sound, a Sony Music imprint.[24] KB released three singles—"Armies", "10K", and "Lil Boy"—for his fourth studio album His Glory Alone. KB released the album on September 25, 2020.[25]

Personal life

Burgess is currently married to his wife Michelle, with three children.[26][27][28]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Chart positions
US
[29]		 US
Gospel
[30]		 US
Christ.
[31]		 US
Indie
[32]		 US
Rap
[33]
2012 Weight & Glory
  • First studio album
  • Released: July 17, 2012
  • Label: Reach
 34 1 1 9 4
2015 Tomorrow We Live
  • Second studio album
  • Released: April 21, 2015
  • Label: Reach
 18 — 1 2 4
2017 Today We Rebel
  • Third studio album
  • Released: October 20, 2017[34]
  • Label: Reach
 91 — 1 8 —
2020 His Glory Alone
  • Released: September 25, 2020
  • Label: Essential Sound
 — — 4 — —
2023 His Glory Alone II
  • Released: August 11, 2023
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Note: Beginning in 2015, Billboard rendered most hip hop/rap albums ineligible for the Gospel charts[35]

Collaboration albums

Year Title Chart positions
U.S. Gospel U.S. Christ.
2011 Man Up
(with 116 Clique)
  • Fourth studio album
  • Released: September 28, 2011
  • Label: Reach
 — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

Year Title Chart positions
US US Gospel US Christ. US Ind. US Rap
2014 100
  • 1st EP
  • Released: March 4, 2014
  • Label: Reach
 22 1 1 3 4
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Mixtapes

Year Title
2011 Who Is KB?
  • 1st mixtape
  • Released: March 22, 2011
  • Label: Reach

Multimedia series

Year Title Publisher
2013 1st & 16th Reach

Singles

As lead artist

Year Title Chart positions Album
US
Christ.[36]		 US
Gospel[36]
2011 "Hello" (featuring Suzy Rock) — — Weight & Glory
2012 "Zone Out" (featuring Chris Lee Cobbins) — —
"Go Off" (featuring Tedashii & Andy Mineo) — —
2014 "100" (featuring Andy Mineo) 31 18 100
2015 "Sideways" (featuring Lecrae) 29 — Tomorrow We Live
"Crowns & Thorns (Oceans)" 31 —
"Ima Just Do It" (featuring Bubba Watson) 37 —
2016 "Tempo" 48 — Today We Rebel
2017 "HomeTeam" (featuring Lecrae) — — non-album single
"Monster" (featuring Aha Gazelle) 39 — Today We Rebel
2018 "No Chains" 30 — non-album single
"Long Live the Champion" (featuring Yariel and GabrielRodriguezEMC) — —
"Die Rich" (featuring Ray Emmanuel) — —
2019 "DNOU2"[37] — —
"Hold Me Back" 29 —
"Lincoln" 43 —
2020 "Armies" 28 — His Glory Alone
"10K" 30 —
"Lil Boy" 41 —
2021 "Worship In The Moshpit" non-album single
2022 "King Jesus" (featuring nobigdyl.) His Glory Alone II
"Graves" 33 —
2023 "EZ" 31 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Note: Beginning in 2015, Billboard rendered most hip hop/rap songs ineligible for the Gospel charts
TitleGenreYearAlbum
"116"
(PRo featuring KB)		Hip Hop/Rap2011non-album single
"Passing"
(Json featuring Serge and KB)		Christian Hip Hop2013Braille
"All In"
(Flame featuring KB)		Hip Hop/Rap2013Royal Flush
"Northern Sky"
(Capital Kings feat. KB)		Dance2015II
"O God Forgive Us"
(For King & Country featuring KB)		Contemporary Christian2017Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

Year Title Chart positions Certifications Album
US Christ.
[36]		 US Gospel
[36]
2012 "Church Clap" (featuring Lecrae) — — Weight & Glory
2013 "The Saints" (Andy Mineo featuring KB & Trip Lee) 44 18 Heroes for Sale
2014 "Paganini" (Andy Mineo featuring KB & Canon) 46 21 Never Land
"Undefeated" (featuring Derek Minor) 39 21 100
"Earthquake" (Tedashii featuring Dimitri McDowell & KB) — 22 Below Paradise (Deluxe Edition)
2015 "I Believe" (featuring Mattie) 38 — Tomorrow We Live
2017 "DNOU" 45 — Today We Rebel
"Not Today Satan" (featuring Andy Mineo) 32 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances

TitleYearOther performer(s)Album
"Used to Do It Too"2010LecraeRehab
"Full Court Mess"2011ProDying to Live
"Young"Andy MineoFormerly Known
"You Know What it Is"Tedashii, PKBlacklight
"One Sixteen"2012Trip Lee, Andy MineoThe Good Life
"Fuego"Lecrae, Suzy RockGravity (iTunes edition)
"The Saints Remix"Black Knight, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee#ItsTheBlackKnight Beat Tape
"King of the World"2014Flame, V.Rose, Mike Real, Nico WellsJesus or Nothing
"For Those Who Can't Speak"Tenth Avenue North, Derek MinorCathedrals
"I Wouldn't Know"2016LecraeChurch Clothes 3
"Prove It"CrowderAmerican Prodigal
"Back Soon"20191K Phew, Parris CharizWhat's Understood

Music videos

As lead artist

TitleYearDirector
"Zone Out" (featuring Chris Lee Cobbins)2012—
"HCB Freestyle"2013Will Thomas
"Heart Song" (featuring Jasmine Leshea)—
"100" (featuring Andy Mineo)2014Squint
"Kamikaze" (featuring Prisca)[39]—
"Sideways" (featuring Lecrae)2015Kyle Dettman
"Drowning"2016Sam Brave
"Not Today Satan" (featuring Andy Mineo)[40] 2018 Nathan Corrona
"No Chains"
TitleYearDirector
"Young" (Andy Mineo featuring KB)2012Kyle Dettman
"One Sixteen" (Trip Lee featuring KB and Andy Mineo)2012—
"BZRK"[17] (Family Force 5 featuring KB)2014Ryan Hamblin

References

  1. ↑ KB official Twitter account (July 21, 2014). "Amazing birthday by way of my lovely wife!". Twitter. Retrieved February 8, 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Reach Records (July 6, 2012). "KB – Weight & Glory Behind the Music and More (@kb_hga @reachrecords)" (Video/Web). Retrieved July 23, 2012 – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Reach Records. "KB". Reach Records Official Website. Reach Records. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Go – Tedashii" (Web). Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Entermission". AllMusic. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Rogers and Cowan PR (July 17, 2012). "Reach Records' latest hip hop Artist KB, Makes July 17th Debut Release of 'Weight & Glory'". Breathecast. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  7. ↑ "PRo "116" feat. KB". Rapzilla. January 25, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  8. ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "Blacklight". AllMusic. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  9. ↑ "PRo 'Dying To Live' Tracklisting". Rapzilla. August 2, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  10. ↑ "KB "Hello" feat. Suzy Rock". Rapzilla. October 28, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  11. ↑ "KB 'Zone Out' feat. Chris Lee". Rapzilla. January 24, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  12. ↑ "KB 'Go Off' ft. Andy Mineo & Tedashii". Rapzilla. June 7, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  13. ↑ Ham, Robert (July 17, 2012). "KB: Weight & Glory". Christianity Today. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  14. ↑ Peterson, Aaron (July 3, 2012). "KB | Weight & Glory". The Christian Manifesto. Archived from the original (Web) on January 5, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Reach Records". Reach Records. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Reach Records". Reach Records. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Family Force 5 – BZRK [feat. KB] (Official Music Video)". May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ Daniels, David (February 3, 2015). "KB reveals new 2015 album title, cover and release date". Rapzilla. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  19. ↑ Daniels, David (February 23, 2015). "Lyric Video: KB – Sideways feat. Lecrae". Rapzilla. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Rapper KB Says 'Tomorrow We Live' was Inspired by African 'Motherland'; Album Focuses on Emotions of a Day [VIDEO INTERVIEW]". www.breathecast.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Today We Rebel by KB on Apple Music". iTunes Store. October 20, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Tempo – Single by KB on Apple Music". iTunes Store. August 5, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  23. ↑ Solis, Steven (September 15, 2017). "Music: KB – Monster ft. Aha Gazelle". Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  24. ↑ "KB Inks Deal with Sony Imprint – Essential Sound; New Album 2020". Rapzilla. April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  25. ↑ "His Glory Alone by KB on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  26. ↑ Sahms, Jacob (March 4, 2019). "KB Knows the Power of the Gospel". Dove.com. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  27. ↑ KB (January 18, 2020). "Her name is Nala. And she has my heart forever. Welcome, my beautiful daughter". Twitter. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Bay area man becomes top Christian hip hop artist". baynews9.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  29. ↑ "KB Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  30. ↑ "KB Chart History: Gospel Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  31. ↑ "KB Chart History: Christian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  32. ↑ "KB Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  33. ↑ "KB Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  34. ↑ "KB Reveals 'Today We Rebel' Cover & Release Date with Partial Tracklist". Rapzilla. September 14, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  35. ↑ Shellnutt, Kate (February 15, 2015). "Why Grammy Winner Lecrae Will Never Dominate the Gospel Charts Again". Christianity Today. Christianity Today International. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  36. 1 2 3 4 "KB – Chart history". Billboard.
  37. ↑ Sarachik, Justin (April 5, 2019), "KB – DNOU2", Rapzilla, retrieved June 3, 2019
  38. ↑ "American single certifications – KB – Church Clap". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  39. ↑ "KB & Prisca – Kamikaze (@KB_HGA @reachrecords)". Retrieved February 11, 2015 – via YouTube.
  40. ↑ "KB – Not Today Satan feat. Andy Mineo". Retrieved March 31, 2018 – via YouTube.
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