When Kid Maestro landed in Memphis, he didn’t know the city’s motto was “grit and grind”, but the moment his feet hit the pavement, it was clear he belonged.
“I came here extremely focused on pursuing my passion and making that work,” he says. “Memphis is a city that is very primed for that type of energy.”
And that energy has propelled both his personal journey and the growth of the creative force that is UNAPOLOGETIC., which turns 10 years old on August 16 with a blowout mini-festival at Memphis Made Brewing Co.
🧠 A Creative Powered by Curiosity
“I wouldn’t say my superpower is talent or skill,” Kid Maestro explains. “It’s dedication, curiosity, and passion.”
Those traits became his north star when, after his family relocated from Chicago, the University of Memphis offered him a lifeline. He arrived in the 901 ready to give his all. What he didn’t expect was how the city and its creative community would give so much back.
“I was just super blessed to find the right people that allowed me to be me.”
🤝 One of the Originals
Before there was an official name, before the now-iconic movement had a logo, Kid Maestro and IMAKEMADBEATS were laying the foundation of UNAPOLOGETIC. Together, they envisioned a collective that pushed boundaries, encouraged vulnerability, and rejected conformity.
“I joined before it had a name. It was just me and MADBEATS,” he says. “And it gave me permission to be an artist.”
As someone who battled with the confidence to call himself an artist out loud, this mattered. A lot.
“Over the decade of being in this team, I’ve been able to chip away at that exterior of fear... Now I can actually publicly call myself an artist, even though I’ve wanted to be one since the beginning.”
🎶 The Unafraid Party
In 2024, Maestro took on an audacious creative challenge dropping music every week for the entire year. Throughout that journey, he met that goal and he also met himself along the way.
That effort culminated in the Unafraid Party.
“That was the final boss,” he says. “I got to see in person, not just online, how my journey touched and elevated the people I care about. I’m going to remember that night and the look on people’s faces forever.”
🔭 Looking Ahead
While the first 10 years of UNAPOLOGETIC. were filled with divine detours and unexpected blessings, Kid Maestro is most excited about returning to the original visions he and MADBEATS imagined a decade ago.
“There were ideas we had back then that the world just wasn’t ready for. But now? It feels like the time is finally right,” he says. “I’m looking forward to seeing some of those visionary situations come to life.”
And as UNAPOLOGETIC. marks a decade of reshaping Memphis’ creative identity, Maestro sees the future clearly with more boldness, more beauty, more belief in what’s possible.
💿 What Memphis Means
From the outside looking in, Memphis might seem like a city defined by its past. But for Kid Maestro, Memphis has always been about becoming.
“This city made it comfortable for me to interface with people,” he says. “They made use of my drive and curiosity, rather than making me feel ostracized for it. I feel like I can be that now for someone else, whether they’re new to Memphis or born here.”
🎉 Celebrate UNAPOLOGETIC.10 with Kid Maestro
Saturday, August 16
5-10PM
Memphis Made Brewing Co. – The Ravine
FREE
Expect music and memories as UNAPOLOGETIC. celebrates 10 years of shifting the culture and empowering artists like Kid Maestro to go from hesitant dreamers to confident creators.
💡 Leading up to the event, we’ll be dropping Choose901 artist profiles highlighting the entire UNAPOLOGETIC. roster, so stay tuned for those stories.
Until then, take a note from Kid Maestro himself:
“My ideas were given to me for a reason. And that reason is to share and make the world a better place.”
