Samuel “Kidd LOS” Muyaka – Hip-hop artist

Age: 18
School: Senior, Madison Preparatory Academy
Extracurriculars: Soccer and football
Dream job: Touring full-time and teaching music to children
Inspiration: Pharrell Williams

Growing up in Congo as the son of a traveling preacher, Samuel Muyaka didn’t even know for sure what rap was.

“When you hear about rap in Congo, you hear about it as a bad thing; there was nothing positive,” he says. “You gotta cuss women out, you have to talk about guns. That’s how rap is defined.”

After he and his family moved to the United States six years ago, Muyaka came across Christian rapper Dooney Da Priest, and he was instantly grabbed by the creativity, the rhymes and the positivity in the music.

As his mastery of conversational English improved, Muyaka began making his own poppy hip-hop with a positive message under the moniker Kidd LOS—for “Leader of Salvation.” Today, at 18, Muyaka sits on an album Determined and is working on an EP with his brother Honore Muyaka—aka Yung Honore—as the first release from their record label ReachNations. Their The God Life EP is due out this summer.

Both Muyaka brothers want their music to help youth and spread positive messages. ReachNations is turning heads in the gospel and Christian hip-hop communities. The group has landed opening spots for several touring musicians, including Grammy-nominated gospel singer Tye Tribbett and rapper Da’ T.R.U.T.H.

In early 2013, Charles Chenier linked up with Kidd LOS to produce his music. The two have since grown close, and Chenier says he’s struck by the teenager’s work ethic.

“That thing that attracts me to LOS the most is his heart,” Chenier says. “He has a great heart and a great humble spirit. A lot of cats out here, they kind of get a big head, but with LOS, he’s not like that. He’s a real humble guy.” reachnationsmusic.com