The summer of 2014 changed DePauw senior Mitch Brown’s (better known as Kid Quill) life. Growing up with a passion for music, Brown was found rapping wherever he went. With encouragement from classmates, Brown produced two mix tapes in his friend's closet. Little did he know, his music would lead to a top 40 album on iTunes and spending his college years as a touring performer.
Brown grew up in the small town of Shelbyville, Indiana, eventually moving to Greencastle to attend DePauw University. Originally choosing DePauw for its excellent academics and soccer program, Brown had to sacrifice for the hours he now spends on the road. He quit soccer during the spring season of his sophomore year to pursue his music. He is a communications major with a political science minor.
His pursuit in the music industry truly began when a friend uploaded a video of him to YouTube. The video received a surprising amount of views, shocking Brown. He took the video down and created two mix tapes. From there he was urged to make his first professional studio album, released June 2014. He was thrown into the industry, his dad by his side as his manager and sister as his publicist.
His main motivation to do what he does comes from the inspiration he finds from artist like Kanye West and Big Sean. “They just really inspired me, not necessarily as an artist but just as a person to work hard,” Brown said.
After his YouTube video experience then success with his album, Brown received a lot of feedback from people in the industry, including Eminem’s attorney. Brown said, “They told me you’ve got it; you just have to be patient. It takes ten years of work to blow up overnight.”
When it comes to his creation process, Brown explains that songs come to life in different forms and fashions. He is either inspired randomly and writes down his ideas to later put to music or sometimes the music is made first and he writes the corresponding words later.
Although at times balancing his DePauw education and life as an artist may seem challenging, Brown appreciates his liberal arts education. He said, “Today it is really important to have a degree. Really no matter what you are doing it shows you are educated and can think for yourself, especially with a liberal arts education.”
Brown compares his time-management abilities to that of a student athlete. As athletes are occasionally on the road two times a week, there are times when he is on the road as many as four times a week. However, there are also weeks where he does not go on the road at all and feels just like a normal student. Some weeks are heavier than others, but Brown manages his time and works ahead in order to pursue his dream while remaining in school.
For the first time since the start of his musical career, Kid Quill performed for DePauw University following this year’s Old Gold Homecoming football game. He said the experience performing in front of his peers was much different than on the road. “It was at first daunting, like wow, I can’t screw this up. After the nerves settled, it was like OK, this is fun,” Brown said. Fans from out of state joined DePauw students in cheering for Brown, making the environment a little more similar to his typical performances.
Although Brown recognized some audience members attended as critics, he understands not everyone will like him or his work. Overall, Brown had a great experience performing at DePauw and appreciated the support as well as being joined on stage by various organizations.
This performance was Brown’s first at DePauw but just one of many stops he has done throughout his tours so far. While touring as an opener, Brown performed at a pageant in St. Louis to a crowd of over 2,500 people, the largest crowd he has performed for to this day. He says their energy is something he will never forget.
Now, touring as a headliner, Brown’s performance at DePauw ranks as one of his most memorable, next to his first trip to Spaulding University. He said around seventy people attended his Spaulding University performance, but each genuinely knew the words to his music. “It was just mind-blowing, the last time it was time to sing the hook, I just let them sing. It was like, wow, people actually care about what I have to say and what I do. That was just really inspiring to me,” Brown said.
Ultimately, Brown aims to inspire people as Kanye and Big Sean did him. He said one female fan actually had his name and lyrics tattooed on her body, demonstrating to him how he too can have an impact on individuals' lives.
With graduation quickly approaching, Brown confirms he will pursue music full-time once he completes school. He said, “I think if I was on my death bed and I did not pursue music, I would regret it, and I don’t want that feeling to ever come.” He also acknowledged the benefit of receiving a degree because even if performing does not work out, he can still pursue a job in the music industry.
Kid Quill will release new music this Wednesday. Doing his own shows allows him to have a larger budget. His new music will include live instruments and a children’s choir in one of the songs. He hopes fans will hear it and realize he is in this for real. The new music will first be available on YouTube and later on SoundCloud.
