Kid X On The Key Music Business Lessons He’s Learned
Kid X On The Key Music Business Lessons He’s Learned. South African hip hop artist Kid X has reflected on the business lessons he gained from a previous partnership, highlighting the importance of aligned interests, clear expectations and understanding ownership structures when entering a business arrangement.
Speaking about the experience in a YouTube interview with Nine80 Network, Kid X said one of the key lessons he took from the setup was the importance of alignment of vision among business partners.
He explained that he was a minority shareholder in the arrangement, while the other three partners had a stronger common interest connected to former label mate and business partner Kwesta.
According to Kid X, the situation created a dynamic that he did not fully understand when entering the partnership. He said that, despite being in the same hip hop space, there could still be a competitive energy between himself and Kwesta.
Kid X described himself as “very naive” about this aspect of the arrangement when he entered it. His initial motivation, he explained, was to move beyond being solely an artist and take on greater responsibility.
He wanted to grow from his position as an artist and participate in building a platform that could also accommodate and support other artists.
However, he said being a minority shareholder in a situation where the other shareholders shared a common interest presented challenges. He explained that the collective position of the other shareholders could influence decisions and that some of the initiatives he wanted to pursue did not necessarily move forward.
For Kid X, the experience became an important part of his business learning curve.
Despite the challenges, he does not view the partnership solely in negative terms. He described the lessons gained from the experience as “priceless”, pointing to the music created, partnerships established and relationships developed during that period.
He also reflected on what the partnership achieved, saying the parties were able to accomplish things that he believed may not have happened under different circumstances.
His reflection highlights a central tension in business partnerships: an arrangement can produce valuable opportunities and achievements while also presenting challenges when partners have different interests or levels of influence.
Rather than separating the positive and negative aspects of the experience, Kid X said he sees them as connected.
Looking back, he said the situation had both “pros and its cons” and indicated that he would ultimately lean towards the positive aspects because of the lessons, music, partnerships and relationships that came from the experience.
Check Out the FULL INTERVIEW HERE :
