Entertainment

The Artists Behind The Viral Hip Hop Track on Soundcloud, “Reparations” — Meeting khildLike

Published

4 years ago

May 24, 2021

If you haven’t heard of them already, we’d like to introduce you to khildLike — a hip-hop and R&B group that has recently gone viral online for its hit song, “Reparations”. Since its release, the track has been recognized by several highly regarded names in the music industry, such as American rappers Jim Jones and Master P. And although the track made its original debut in late 2020, the artists behind the hip hop duo have been working toward their dreams in music for over a decade.

Orlando “Khosen” Major, from San Fernando Valley, California, is the lead singer of the hip hop duo. While growing up as the eldest of six, Major was identified as the family ‘superstar’, known for busting out in singing and dancing around the house and at family events. Over the years, he was also heavily involved in his school’s choir and his church’s mass ensemble. But it wasn’t until he led the choir during his senior year of high school that he received an overwhelming response of support which would change his life forever. “After that day, I started having this recurring dream at night. I’d see myself rising to fame and making it big in the music industry,” Khosen said. “It inspired me to go full force. I did all kinds of shows and put in the extra work to try and get discovered, but it was always a letdown. No one else could see the vision I had of myself in that dream. But even while getting ‘no’s’, the dream kept coming back. It hasn’t left me alone in the last twelve years, even when I’ve tried to do literally anything else,” he added. So, naturally, Khosen persisted. He continued to sing covers of songs and upload them to the internet in hopes that, one day, someone would offer him a deal that would jumpstart the musical career he had so longly awaited for. But in the midst of it all, he met Life.

Jerell “Life” Ray was exposed to music through his older brothers, who happened to be rappers and producers within the industry. He grew up in Compton, listening to over a dozen up-and-coming rappers at his brothers’ studio “rapping and feeling the mix” on a day-to-day basis. Needless to say, it was enough for Ray to fall in love with music and the process of creating it, hoping to someday follow in the footsteps of the artists he was lucky to witness. Following the loss of his mother at just 12-years-old, Ray used songwriting as a therapeutic outlet to cope with his grief. Eventually, with the help of his brothers, he learned to properly create tracks from beginning to end by the time he was 13, including the processes of songwriting, producing, and engineering. He recorded his own music and proceeded to use the popular “gorilla style technique” to get people to listen. In other words, he’d create flyers and CDs to promote his music and hand it out locally on nearby streets in his neighborhood. Once he was 18, Ray began to break away from his brothers’ paths and instead started creating his own in hopes to begin pursuing a full-time career in the music industry as a rapper. In 2011, Khosen and Life met through a mutual friend. After learning about one another’s backgrounds in music, they ultimately decided to collaborate on each other’s future tracks. Once they got into the studio and began to create as a unit rather than as solo artists, they realized their talents had the potential to break through the barriers each of them had difficulty overcoming alone. As a result, they decided they’d continue their journey together, and khildLike was born.

The two have been working together endlessly over the last few years in hopes to strike the right deal for their music. Thankfully, it’s beginning to pay off. Just last year, the duo joined other artists in a music-writing workshop named Mic Session, led by Tupac’s old manager, Leila Steinberg. At the seminar, the attendees were assigned to create a song with lyrics based on social injustice. Major and Ray came up with a song named “Reparations”, which would later prove to be the song that would start a remarkable journey for khildLike.

Not long after the track’s release, American rapper and record executive Jim Jones asked the pair to audition for a spot on the mixtape album he was in the process of recording. Thankfully, they managed to impress the renowned rapper and land a collaboration on the album, which releases in May 2021. The humble artists have said that this project has been their biggest one to date, despite having opened up shows for well-known artists like Nipsey Hustle and Eric Bellinger in recent years.

“Now that we’re getting a little exposure and [getting our music] into the ears and eyes of people, it’s been crazy to see the positive response not only on our recent track but on the ones we wrote and recorded years ago,” Khosen shared. “It’s been a long journey to get to where we are, but it’s been worth it. This is only the beginning.”

You can find khildLike’s music on Soundcloud, and you can also find their social profiles on Instagram and Clubhouse. In 2021, they hope to continue creating inspirational music not only for black communities, but for hip hop and R&B listeners on a global scale.

Entertainment

Getting to Know Adeia’s Fingerprints on Entertainment Evolution

Published

1 week ago

December 18, 2024

Jonathan Grilli

Photo courtesy of Adeia

By Joy Reyes

Behind every streaming recommendation, smart TV search, and seamless device switch lies hidden technology powering your modern entertainment experience. Although people might not know Adeia, they have likely used its technology many times. The company’s inventions are embedded in the modern entertainment experience, from sophisticated content recommendation systems to seamless multi-device streaming capabilities.

“Our basic inventions shape the way millions of people explore and experience entertainment and improve billions of devices in an increasingly connected world,” says Serhad Doken, chief technology officer (CTO) at Adeia.

Building upon this foundation, “we create tools that make watching shows easier and more fun. These tools work on televisions (TVs), phones, and other devices, no matter where or how you watch. They help organize your entertainment in a way that feels just right for you,” Serhad Doken adds.

Connecting Traditional and Modern Media

At the heart of today’s entertainment landscape lies a crucial challenge: bridging the gap between traditional television and modern streaming platforms. One of Adeia’s key strengths is its ability to connect traditional linear television with the new age of streaming services. The company licenses its patented media inventions for traditional linear television in North America and internationally through its extensive portfolio of patents.

This comprehensive approach ensures seamless integration with over-the-top media service (OTT), direct-to-consumer, and social media services that provide access to entertainment inside and outside the home on a broad array of devices. The result is a unified entertainment experience catering to traditional viewers and digital-first consumers.

“We believe the continued growth of video consumption, the changes in how consumers explore and experience video, and the need for content storage and high-performance computing present new opportunities for us to continue to develop patentable inventions,” Serhad Doken explains.

Improving Content Discovery

In an age where the average viewer can access thousands of shows and movies across multiple platforms, finding what to watch can be as challenging as creating the content itself. To address this content overload, Adeia has been solving this problem by developing new solutions for content discovery that make the viewing experience more intuitive and personalized.

At the forefront of these innovations is Adeia’s universal search capability, which allows for unified discovery across live, recorded, on-demand, and streaming content sources. This groundbreaking solution means viewers no longer need to jump between different apps or platforms to find what they want to watch — Adeia’s universal search brings it all together in one place.

Moreover, the company improves content discovery further with its personalized discovery experiences. Using sophisticated algorithms and machine learning, this includes personalized recommendations, predictive results, and popular and trending content suggestions. By analyzing viewing patterns and preferences, Adeia presents viewers with content that matches their interests and viewing habits.

Recognizing the growing prominence of voice-controlled smart home devices, Adeia has also developed a conversational interface to interpret voice commands and requests. This technology supports natural, conversational dialogue and interaction with smart responses, making it easier for viewers to find and control their entertainment.

Improving the Viewing Experience

Modern viewers expect a seamless entertainment experience across all their devices, and Adeia’s technologies make this possible. Their multi-device experience technology allows viewers to start watching a show on one device and smoothly transition to another without missing a beat.

To enhance the binge-watching experience that has become synonymous with modern streaming, Adeia has developed technologies that connect viewers with entertainment on their terms. These include features that automatically play the next episode or remember where viewers left off across different devices.

Perhaps most exciting is Adeia’s work in immersive content. “We are creating unrestricted entertainment experiences that are more engaging and gratifying than ever before,” Serhad Doken says. “This includes dynamic advertising, gaming, wagering, and even shoppable video integrated into content.”

Impact on Semiconductors

While Adeia’s influence on the entertainment industry is substantial, its inventions are not limited to this sector. According to Serhad Doken, the company also leads in semiconductor technology, developing solutions that expand the possibilities in electronic devices.

“With the rising cost of advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, the sector is looking beyond Moore’s Law toward advanced packaging and three-dimensional (3D) integration technologies,” Serhad Doken explains, adding that its skilled team and labs in California and North Carolina create advanced 3D integration methods. These methods, like hybrid bonding, help make future electronics work better, faster, and smaller.

The Future of Entertainment Technology

As the entertainment landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, Adeia will continue to play an important role in shaping it. With its extensive research and development capabilities and broad portfolio of patented technologies, the company is well-positioned to address the needs of both content providers and consumers.

This positioning has recently been reinforced by a significant development in Adeia’s business. The company has entered into a multi-year agreement with Amazon, covering Adeia’s media intellectual property portfolio. This partnership with one of the world’s largest and most innovative companies underscores the value and relevance of Adeia’s technologies in the digital entertainment space.

Paul E. Davis, Adeia’s chief executive officer, emphasized the importance of this agreement, stating, “Amazon plays a massive role in today’s innovation society. This collaboration validates Adeia’s technological prowess and promises to expand our developments’ reach and impact.”

“We are excited about the future of entertainment technology,” Serhad Doken concludes. “As video consumption continues to grow and change, and as new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) become more common, we will be there, developing new inventions that improve the way people explore, experience, and enjoy entertainment.”

In addition to the significant agreement with Amazon, Adeia has also recently renewed its long-standing partnership with Sharp Corporation. This renewal extends a relationship that has lasted for over 25 years.

Mark Kokes, Adeia’s chief licensing officer and general manager of media, commented on the renewal, highlighting Sharp’s reputation as a global leader in entertainment technology and its expertise in display technologies.

The renewed agreement covers Sharp’s smart TVs and consumer electronics, further solidifying Adeia’s position in the media technology sector.

These recent developments underscore the momentum in Adeia’s business, showcasing its ability to retain long-term partners like Sharp and attract new, influential clients like Amazon.

With its growing list of high-profile partnerships and ongoing innovations, Adeia is well-positioned to continue shaping the future of digital entertainment. The company’s advanced R&D efforts consistently result in fundamental innovations that power next-generation products, delivering breakthroughs in digital experiences for both consumer and enterprise applications.

Through its innovative solutions and forward-thinking approach, Adeia’s influence can be felt throughout the development of the entertainment industry, from the fundamental technologies that power our devices to the intuitive interfaces that help us discover and enjoy content. As we move into an increasingly connected future, Adeia’s technologies continue to shape how we interact with and experience digital entertainment.