Electronic press kit

Press kit

Bios, photos and links for promoters, press and venues. Everything here is free to use when featuring Kekoa The Artist.

From: Maui & Oahu, HI
Based in: San Diego, CA
Sound: 90’s R&B · Hip Hop · Island Reggae
Formerly: Lead vocalist of CitySide
Latest release: “I Chose You” 7″ (2025)

Bio

Short bio

Kekoa The Artist is a singer, songwriter and musician from Maui and Oahu, HI, now based in San Diego. The former lead vocalist of Hawaiian reggae group CitySide, he blends the soul of 90’s R&B, the beats of new school hip hop and the calm of island reggae.

Full bio

Raised on Maui in a big family with deep musical roots, Kekoa Tsukiyama took the mic for his first performance on the eve of his third birthday.

At 18 he started CitySide, a Hawaiian reggae trio whose debut album, Welcome To The CitySide, produced the #1 hit “Come On Pretty Baby” and the crowd favorite “Lady Soul.”

After time in the Pacific Northwest he moved to San Diego, cut “People Unite” with producer Lewis Richards and teamed up with Josh Cardinali of Stoney Eye Studios. Performing as Kekoa The Artist, he has played more than 50 stages, from House of Blues and Belly Up to the Waikiki Shell and The Studio at Webster Hall in New York.

His positive energy, warrior mentality and old school values shape every set. In 2025 he released his first 7″ single, “I Chose You” b/w “I Got Too Faded,” as a 200-copy limited pressing in Japan and the US.