Kayo & Kuma met each other in high school, where Kayo discovered Kuma’s talent after seeing him perform in the school’s musical. Through music education, they quickly discovered that they each had dreams of becoming pop stars. The two boys then decided together to stay focused on only one thing – to reach the top.

But how do you get through the noise and get a musical breakthrough in an increasingly noisy entertainment industry? The now 20- and 21-year-old boys created a TikTok profile, with the stated goal of gaining 10,000 followers, and in doing so gain the attention of the music industry. Already after one month, they had over 30,000 Danish followers and over 8 million plays of their videos on the popular platform.

Kayo comes from a very musical family which has been teaching him singing since he was just 5 years old. With his teenage years came the choice: Should Kayo continue his aspiring football career for Brøndby, or should he strive for music? Fortunately, Kayo chose the music over football, and with that choice also came a welcome confidence boost. Kayo had not only a talent for singing, but especially also for performing – which was evident when he and Kuma performed together at their high school.

Kuma’s story is a bit different. Kuma’s father is from Angola, but he grew up with his mother in Canada, England and Denmark. As with Kayo, Kuma has had an interest in singing and performance since childhood. As a 5-year-old he was so inspired by Michael Jackson that he taught himself to moonwalk, as an 8-year-old he started dancing at competition level and as a 14-year-old he taught himself to sing and rap, with inspiration from among others Nas and Gorillaz.

Kuma has always had an incredibly extroverted personality. Maybe because of his childhood with the many moves where something very special is required of a child to fit in. With his extroversion and mixed roots, Kuma was often the victim of teasing at school. It has left a clear mark in Kuma, which today encourages everyone to dare to express their differences and backgrounds, even if it can make you stand out.

Kayo & Kuma’s music is inspired by reggaeton and dembow rhythms and binds ties between Latin America and Danish pop culture.