K I R K C O LL I N $
Kirk Collins is a Charlotte-based artist, songwriter, producer and audio engineer whose work explores the intersections of hip-hop, soul, art and design. His songwriting combines personal storytelling, cultural memory and conceptual imagery with production shaped by traditional hip-hop and experimental sound.
As a recording artist, Collins is developing a body of work centered on emotionally direct songwriting, layered cultural references and experimental soul production. His forthcoming records “Fly to the Sky” and “Wait & See” reflect that direction, using recurring ideas of flight, possibility and inheritance to examine aspiration from distinctly different perspectives.
"The whole concert was split in half bringing out artists from Kirk Collins and Austin Royale to Key! (former member of Two-9) and Denzel Curry’s fellow labelmate, JK The Reaper. Media outlets like Smoker’s Club, The Fader, and many others were present to take notice of the range of talent that came out to perform."
- RESPECT. Magazine (LINK)
The direction of his content could be described as hazy, even sometimes despondent. The music swims in conflict, floating between perspective and reality. Singing over thin drums, glazed in warping synths, Kirk minimizes the most saturated elements of present-day Rap into something between Traditional Hip-Hop and R&B.
In a recent interview on UNC Charlotte's campus radio, Kirk named a dynamic range of influences, from Beyoncé to MF Doom. He also mentioned beginning to write music more often as a way to clear his own depression, emphasizing the "storybook" elements of his work.
"I've always thought of my music as an act of service & purpose, and I've always associated Hip-Hop to speaking up for the unheard..
So I know the heaviest responsibility on me as an artist is creating the conversations that we need to have within-
and still make it beautiful to hear."
- Kirk Collins, 2026
Working across music, fashion and immersive media, Collins approaches these disciplines as parts of a cohesive creative practice. That vision is currently taking shape through Kids of York, his debut EP and multidisciplinary art project rooted in hip-hop culture, imagination and the relationship between personal identity and collective expression.
Designed by Ismael Abdallah of NBD DESIGN, the artwork is a bubble-lettered graffiti font, colorful and stark, yet filled with animated qualities.
"My newest record, 'Wait & See' is a true story of dream I actually had in real life... Music is something to be enjoyed, but it's also a window into the mind. "
- Kirk Collins, 2026
Writer/Producer Hip-Hop/R&B/Soul CLT/NYC