#NuMusic: Keilan Chayce Releases First EP, “Watch the Walls!”

Straight out of St. Mary’s County, MD, some may have first heard of this artist when he first arrived on the music scene in 2018 as Keichainz with the Baltimore rap group Ricky (@rickybadsounds). However, this week for #NuMusic, we are re-introducing independent rapper and producer Keilan Chayce as he releases his first-ever solo EP project, Watch the Walls!

Released on December 18th, each of the four tracks in Watch the Walls! give a unique blend of powerful hip-hop and pop production, complete with catchy hooks and flows. Though totaling just four tracks and spanning a little over 8 minutes, Keilan leaves no second wasted and explores new sounds with each track. The bold lyrics and textured instrumentals are written and produced entirely by Keilan. Track 2, “Alone,” features a hot guest verse from rising Baltimore star Butch Dawson. The entire project was mixed and mastered by Papi Beatz of PVTSTCK, who has worked with artists such as Saba.

Keilan Chayce photographed by Jarret Leoffler.

The entirety of the EP was created during the first few months of the pandemic, which is reflected across the lyrical content and the vibe of the instrumentals. Keilan tells NUNAR, “the phrase ‘Watch the Walls!’ is a direct reference to being stuck inside the walls of my home, but also being stuck inside the ‘walls’ of my mind with my thoughts and emotions.”

Watch the Walls! starts off with a pop rap flavor on "Daylight” then it gets down bad and bumping on “Alone” featuring Butch Dawson. The title track “Watch the Walls!” picks back up on pop rap influences with a hardcore ending before things wrap up with a hype crunk beat for “Toothpick.”

Keilan’s sound draws influence from genres such as alternative & pop, but its core is hip-hop. In 2018, Keilan relocated to the Baltimore, MD area to attend The Sheffield Institute for the Recording Arts. There he received a certificate in AudioWorks. While living in Baltimore, Keilan was involved in the formation of the rap group Ricky (@rickybadsounds) with Brent From School, GrayPex, Danny Lions, and Jarett Loeffler. Their 2019 debut LP “BadSounds, Vol. 1” was met with encouraging praise from the surrounding scene. One of the lead singles, “Background,” was featured in Spotify’s algorithmic Discover Weekly playlist. Overall the project has amassed upwards of 250,000 streams across platforms. Ricky disbanded in October of 2020 to allow the members to further explore solo careers.

Be sure to stream Watch the Walls! on all streaming platforms.