              Son Da One

Kaleo, A.K.A. Son Da One, was born March 7, 1980 on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The translation of his Hawaiian name Kaleo is “The Heavenly Voice.”  Son Da One is a true poet and entertainer with a strong recognition of the power of the spoken word.  His stage presence and delivery are dynamic and captivating.  Each word is infused with profound meaning and dramatic imagery.  Inspired by the elements and message of hip-hop culture, Son Da One was naturally drawn to grafitti, breaking, turntables and ultimately the art of spoken word, free-styling and emceeing.

Uprooted at a young age, relocating to the East Bay of Northern CA, Son Da One grew up with a rich musical background and family influences like Grandfather Ben Largusa who was The Grandmaster of Villabrille-Largua Kali System who was a professional jazz musician.  Son Da One's grandfather's teachings included respect and the value of family and cultural history.  After experiencing first hand street violence and racial discrimination while growing up in the city, his mother uprooted Son Da One and his siblings back to Kauai in '90. He then experienced similar experiences only this time, as a Native Islander in Kauai.  Son Da One has a different perspective, his own style and an artistic way of expressing that authenticity.

Son Da One's affiliation with hip-hop early on, has led him to become one of the pioneers of the emerging culture on the state of Hawaii. Being involved in some of the first cyphers brought Son Da One in contact with like-minded individuals. From '03-'05 Son Da One joined forces with “The Highlanders,” a Hawaii-based group who had a sound of their own, unlike anything heard in Hawaii. With a unique fusion of hip-hop, funk,  jazz, R&B, rock and metal; their style appealed to a wide variety of people and inspired a loyal local fan-base. The Highlanders turned down several major distribution deals for lack of creative control (Sony and Interscope). 

Son Da One continued to pursue a solo career simultaneously and also began to organize open-mic forums showcasing local talent. He has been honored to share the stage with fellow hip-hop heads Zion-I, Atmosphere (Mr. Dibbs), Coolio, Ladybug Mecca, Parrish “PMD,” Fatlip [Pharcyde], Mikah 9, Jennifer Johns, Medusa, L.A. Symphony, BLX Crew (Craig Malkovich, Omni), 2 Live Crew DJ Honda, Pepper and the Alkaholiks. Kaleo is currently focusing his creative energies on his first full length album which is due to be released spring 2016.

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