My name is Kara Bowers. On the stage and on the mic I am known as KB the Boo Bonic. I'm 26 years-old and have been rapping since I was 16. I grew up in Houston, Texas. I am now living in Austin, and I recently independently released my debut album "Scars Are Sexy", which is available on Itunes, CDBaby, Amazon.com and www.kbtheboobonic.com.
People dig what I do, and I love what I do. I think big and need to have like-minded people around me. I know biographies are supposed to be written in the third-person, but I feel like a dumbass speaking in the third-person. This is me.
I was dealt a pretty unique musical hand. As a child, I was exposed to country music that was real raw stuff. My grandpa kicked it with Johnny Cash, my parents listened to Hank Williams Jr. and George Strait. The pain and the ability of a songwriter to capture emotions like that has always been very impressive to me. I branched out and bought my first CD, Biggie's "Life After Death." It was edited of course because my mom was not down with the curses. Ever since then I began listening to anything and everything to do with rap and hip hop I could. I got really big into Texas rappers that are legendary now such as UGK, Scarface, Devin the Dude, Lil Keke and Geto Boys. In high school I can remember seeing Chamillionaire and Paul Wall selling CDs out of their trunks, hustling and pushing their music. At the same time, my parents were divorced when I was eight years-old. Even with a single mom, I always had everything I could ever want. I watched my mom work hard and become a very successful business woman. I somehow have taken this same mentality and applied it to my life. I'm pretty much a regular chick who complains about how her ex-boyfriends are whack, how dudes are annoying, other girls hating and having a crappy job. But then, I also happen to have a really amusing way of expressing myself.
I began freestyling at the age of 16, while listening to old DJ Screw tapes and my friend's turntables. All the dudes I was hanging out with were doing it, and I figured "Why can't I do that?" As I began my college career and moved to the Austin area, I met a producer in San Antonio, Bad Boy Ben with Universal Records affiliated F.A.M. Studios, who cut my first track in a professional studio, "Click Clack". From there out I continued recording and doing shows in the San Marcos and Austin area. I also did several guest MC spots for a reggae band in Austin called Full Service. Venues where I have performed in the past year include: The Hot Spot and Boss Bar in San Antonio, Spiro's, Bayou and Karma Lounge, Flamingo Cantina, Dirty Dog Bar, Barccelona and Club Deville in Austin, Thirsty's in New Braunfels and Club Rio in Houston where I opened for Papa Reu. I have also played at some of the Wego Tour car shows where I opened for Trae and Rob G. Last year I performed at my first South By Southwest showcase in Austin during the four-day festival where I opened for Pugs Atomz and GLC of Chicago at Barcelona. I recently opened up for Cappadonna of the Wu Tang Clan and 7th 7ign of the Killa Beez at Club Rio in San Antonio.
The album features a majority of production by stellar producer Bad Boy Ben, Dope E, Dialek and JJ Jones of Lethillweapon in NY. I was also very excited to have Texas rap vet Rapid Ric on board to do the final mix.
I have been in rotation at Texas State's radio station KTSW, NYU's radio station 89.1 FM, 91.7 FM KOOP Radio in Austin, 90.1 FM in Houston, Cal State Fullerton's "Under the Radar" radio show, 420 Radio, LastFM.com and Arkansas' 92.3 FM. I have also been featured on IMRadio and RichardCranium radio on live365.com. My first single "Click Clack" has been featured in the independent film "On Impulse", which dropped in 2009.
I was honored to have been featured in the August 27th issue in the Austin Chronicle. The piece titled "The Wrecking Crew- This Time Just the Girls" focused on females in the Austin hip hop scene.
(http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A826100).
University of Texas film student Chelsea Hernandez took an interest in my career after reading the Austin Chronicle article, and I was so pleased to be a part of the short film "FeMC", which documents my life as a lady MC trying to make it in the male-dominated rap game. The film is being entered in festivals nationwide and will be screening June 11th and 12th at the Deadcenter Film Festival this summer in Oklahoma City.
I am also very thankful to Mystage Music for making me their featured hip hop artist for October 2009. My music was featured on their player every time another hip hop artist's music was played. (http://www.mystagemusic.com/mystage-hiphop/).
I was also pleased to be featured in the Summer 2010 issue of MF Magazine.
I do feed off of the shock value that my presence and rhymes deliver every time that I perform. Although, I do get irritated because I feel that people don't get past the whole aesthetic thing and really listen to what I'm saying or respect how lyrical I am. I am a serious MC, but I don't take myself too seriously. I'm fully aware that the fact that up on stage with a mic in hand is where I feel at home is funny. Rhyming is a way for me to release my creativity and make fun of life in general. I like to think of my music as a lovechild between Janis Joplin and UGK. I find it really ironic that they all come from the same little Texas town (Port Arthur). It's about music, expression and having a good time for me. I also hope that my music can serve as a way to show people that they can and should do whatever they want to if it makes them happy and enriches their lives, especially young women. I am admittedly no role model or saint, but I am a strong, determined woman and I think that is something to be admired.
"SCARS ARE SEXY" is available for purchase on iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon.com.
www.kbtheboobonic.com for CDs, shirts, stickers and posters!
