Born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas, Vargo Knowles grew up in a country conducive to Caribbean sounds like Junkanoo, Reggae, and Calypso.
But Knowles gravitated toward a different genre of music: hip hop.
“The sound, the drums, the bass line, the bars, the 808s,” he says. “Whatever form of Caribbean music, it doesn’t have the kind of 808s and bass that hip hop has. The sound was different for me. It wasn’t about the dancing or the power it was just the sound was different. I fell in love with the drums and the 808s and the way it was delivered.”
Now known as VK Da General, he’s made a name for himself as a rising hip hop artist with a simple goal: bring rap back.
“There’s a lot of music out there that sounds the same,” he says. “Everybody talking about the same thing, gang gang, trap trap, shoot, kill. Everybody saying the same thing. My whole thing was to bring back positive rap. Back in the day we used to listen to rap songs and it was all about punch lines and metaphors. Get something from the song. My whole thing is every time you hear my music you could get a message out of the music, get something from it.”
VK grew up listening to artists like Tupac, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, and DMX and wanted to be a hip-hop artist at an early age. He especially felt a connection with Notorious B.I.G. and would pretend to be the rapper while performing for his sisters around the house.
When he got older and started putting money into studio time and recording his own music, he quickly drew acclaim around the Bahamas for his sound. That opened more doors, and in 2019 the owner of Tempo Networks made a special trip to one of his concerts and came away so impressed he asked VK to host the first season of a television documentary series called Hip Hop Origins that explored the beginnings of hip hop in the Caribbean.
That cemented VK’s status as one of the top hip-hop artists around.
“It took a lot to get here, a long time and a lot of nights up in the studio never giving up just believing and praying,” he says. “I’m very proud because you can’t speak hip hop in the Bahamas without mentioning VK Da General.”
VK describes that feeling in his single “Top Of The World” and declares, “Mama we made it” over a booming beat. The music video was the No.1 video on Tempo in the Caribbean for 10 weeks.
“It’s a rags to riches story,” he says. “I felt like we on top of the world and already made it because we’ve accomplished a lot already. Everybody do it for their family. What’s the point of success if you don’t have a family to share it with? Guys going into the NFL, the NBA draft, trying to get that baseball deal, the whole thing is to tell Mama you don’t have to work anymore, we made it. No matter what kind of business you’re doing, white-collar work, construction, it’s all about telling your family we made it.”
VK has already completed a double album and has had conversations with some major record labels for releasing it. VK promises a song for every occasion on the project.
“If you in a party mood we got records for that, if you want to tell your mom how much you love her if you want to tell that special lady what you think if you and a record to chill with your homeboy. Any mood, whatever you’re feeling, I’ve got songs for you,” he says.
VK says the bottom line is everything starts with a dream so don’t give up on yours.
“Anything is possible in this world,” he says. “The sky’s the limit and once you dream and achieve your dream you literally will be on top of the world.”
VK’s music is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. The music video for “Top Of The World” is on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmw2EiKK79s. Follow VK on Twitter @general_vk and Instagram @iamvkdageneral, or @vkdageneralfanpage.
