Another one: Revisiting Kayvon after a year of making moves in the music industry

While his classmates are worrying about On-Campus Recruiting and fulfilling core requirements, Wharton sophomore Kayvon Asemani has been rising quickly in the world of hip-hop and rap music.

One year ago, Asemani was just getting his name out at Penn. Since then, he has performed at Spring Fling, co-founded a clothing line, released songs and videos and created a network of other collaborators.

“What’s changed now is people know the story, they got to know me as a person,” Asemani said in an interview this month in Van Pelt Library. “Now the focus has been a lot more on the music.”

Asemani, who walked into Van Pelt wearing a sweatshirt with a picture of his face on it, said that as his focus has shifted he has grown as a musician. Originally, Asemani just wanted to release a high school mixtape and tell the story behind the music. Today, he is focusing on creating the best sound he can and working with other Penn students to promote his brand: KayvonMusic.

“I didn’t have the background in mixing and mastering the way the people on my team now have,” Asemani said. “Back then it was a lot about the story and the passion.”

He believes that now people can enjoy the music for the sound, and not just the lyrics and ideas behind it.

His music will be available on Spotify soon, something Asemani said will draw people to the brand. He then uses that customer base to sell merchandise and tickets to shows.

This winter, Kayvon released a clothing brand with friend and fellow artist, College junior Adam Reid.

“I love [Kayvon’s] work ethic and how he thinks,” Reid said. “We work well together.”

Reid designed the original shirts that were sold last year to promote Kayvon’s music. The new clothing line is being endorsed by KayvonMusic but is its own brand, Hirosol.

Hirosol’s name is derived from the title of an Egyptian god and the sun. The brand is meant to represent that everyone is worthy of royalty. The design, created by Reid, is a crown next to an “x”. The crown represents royalty, while the “x” represents the common man.

Currently, the only clothing item available is a beanie, which can be purchased for $17. Reid and Asemani have plans to release more clothes in the near future. Reid hinted at a potential tank-top shirt or hat in time for Spring Fling. Asemani wants the brand to be versatile and indicated that he hopes to create a workout line, potentially with the help of ThreeTripletsFitness, a fitness brand run by College sophomores Khalil, Ahmad and Malik Jones.

Asemani prominently featured his team in his videos and songs. In the music video for his song, “Breakout,” he included many of his Wharton classmates.

Asemani’s next move is to expand his brand to other schools in the Philadelphia area such as Drexel University and Temple University. From there he hopes to continue to expand and see how far he can take the brand.

“You got to keep your options open,” he said. “You got to apply things you learn in certain groups and certain atmospheres and apply them elsewhere.”

Like other Wharton entrepreneurs, Asemani has worked to find his niche outside of the traditional business realms of consulting and finance.

“When you try to be unique, a lot of times people try to put you in a box,” Asemani said, “I don’t want to be in a box.”

View Kayvon’s latest music video for his song “Breakthrough (Yeah, Alright)” [featuring Nakuu] here.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.