I’m proud of this group and how far they’ve come fueled by pure passion for creating music and a desire to put smiles on the faces of everyone who listens to their music or meets them in person. With the recent addition of female vocalist Taylr Smith to the once all male group, and their relentless manager Shawn Chait, Non-P has become a well rounded music force. In less than a year, Non-p the group, has accomplished so much we felt compelled to bring you a tale of their success and personal sacrifices to pursue the dream. Now at the cusp of their destiny, unified by a single dream, I present you Non-P...

Watch Non-P Video of hit single "Radio".

CD: Where are you guys originally from?

CC: I was born in Oakland, CA and raised in San Jose, CA with my brother and 3 older sisters. Tai and I moved to Seattle, WA to attend college and that's where we met Kyle.

Tai: CC and I are from the Bay area. We moved to Seattle for school. I feel like that's where we "found" ourselves. Now we call OC home.

Kay-Styles: Kirkland, Washington

Taylr: I was born and raised in Placentia, California.

CD: Tai, how would you describe your sound?

Tai: I didn't know I had a sound! That's cool! I'd say very melodic. Universally friendly! I love for music to tell a story; make you feel a certain way. Words direct you, but music should move you!

CD: I’ve watched you guys work your way from the ground up, from bars to clubs, to the stages of KIIS FM’s Wango Tango. Describe the feeling when you won the KIIS fm 2009 Breakout Star Competition?

CC: I was anxious and light-headed. I was proud because we had worked so hard to get to that point. It was the first time I really, really felt like we were on the verge of breaking out. At the concert, we ran into so many people we had never met that told us they had voted for us, and we're so glad we won. We wanted to be there and the fans helped put us there. It was AMAZING!

Tai: Unreal! Disbelief! You believe in your heart it could happen...and when it does, you're like...what just happened? I didn't believe we won for the first hour I think. I thought they were gonna call back and be like..my bad...we counted wrong! Then I drank and it sunk in!

Kay-Styles: It was like thousands of strangers telling us that we weren’t just full of ourselves and we actually have what it takes to be #1 in LA/OC. I tripped out! I Called my mom and my grandma. =) They say to enjoy the journey and I most definitely did. From what I recall, my mom had flown into town to surprise me that day, and a friend brought her and my brother to the club Non-P was celebrating at. GREAT! she got to witness me scream like I owned the world and run into the ocean at last call... long story =)

Taylr: A blessing. It was such a humbling experience. Excitement and joy are just a few feelings I had running threw my bod!

CD: The competition for 102.7 KIIS FM’s Wango Tango Concert was intense, how did you guys pull it off?

CC: We hustled non-stop. We hit the streets asking complete strangers to listen to the music, and if they liked the sound asked them to break out their celli and vote. We also constantly posted bulletins on Facebook and Myspace. We lived and breathed the contest until the winner was announced.

Tai: The fans pulled it off! We put it out there for help, and they ran with it! So much hustle involved man! We had people in other states pushing for us! We had to out do what we thought the other groups would do, and out do ourselves. It worked! Fans flew down from WA to see us! It was so dope!

Kay-Styles: Well, I’d like to think we took the bull by the horns, but the fans really took us where we needed to go. When we played Wango Tango, people I had never met or seen were coming up screaming, "I voted for you every day!" That is such an insane feeling. I just wanted to chill with those peeps but we were getting pulled all over the Verizon Amphitheatre for radio interviews. We were blasting the globe with word that Non-P needed votes to raise awareness and so many good friends helped out,(thanks Guys) but the music really won the competition for us!

Taylr: Being extremely bad ass helped a whole lot and my charm.

Shawn (Non-P's Manager): The support we got, not only from our fans, family, and friends but also from the promotion companies and venues that we have performed for. We had sky-writing above Coachella, a Jumbotron ad at three Angel's games and several email database blasts all donated by generous promoters and venues.

CD: Who did you share the stage with at Wango Tango?

CC: We opened the contest for Flo Rida, Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, Pit Bull, Jamie Foxx, MadCon, and the All American Rejects. Jeremiah and Jason Derulo performed just before us.

Tai: Jamie Foxx, Lady GaGa, B.E.P., All American Rejects, Jeremih, Madcon....most importantly, CC, Kyle, Taylr, and Joseph Gettright! My favs...

CD: Kay-Styles and CC, who are your influences?

CC: I love listening to wordsmiths like: Eminem, Black Thought from The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, and Mos Def. Tai and Kyle have this constant game of one-upsmanship that drives every verse you hear. Some of the things they come up with kill me!! Ever since we've started, they've been my inspiration to be better.

Kay Styles: Assuming we’re talking about musicians, my list is long but I’ll give ya the highlights. Initially all my Mom listened to in the house was "New Country", (HAHA) yup I said it...country Boy! So Garth Brooks and other good vide country music is how it started. I loved watching my mom throw parties with good vibe country music playing. It seemed like when it came on, the party was starting. I loved that. Then, I was introduced to HipHop/Pop music and that was it! I would always wear ear phones in class; I would run the wires up my sleeve and on my palm. So, I studied rhymes in class until I was able to rap Twista’s adrenaline record like it was my own. HUGE INFLUENCE to fast forward to the music I make today. I think I'm influenced by peeps who bring new styles and swag to the top 40 table. Still love Method Man, Busta Rhymes, and Biggy but, Luda, Kanye, Drake, Jason Mraz, (yes I said it) Little Wayne, and Jay-Z are dropping the styles that motivate me to make more music.

CD: Non-p, you guys have so many different types of offers raining on you right now, which one is the most exciting?

CC: I'm looking forward to locking down a performance spot at Coachella in 2010 and possibly South by Southwest. I think that would do wonders for the group. The quest for college airplay should really open up some doors for Non-P in the future also.

Tai: Any one of em that'll help with a bill or two! LOL kiddin...Nah, I'm excited for every offer and opportunity that comes! You never know where it'll lead to and that's exciting! If I had to pick one, we got offered to play in Brazil...I love Brazilian women...do the math on that one!

Kay-Styles: The best one of coarse! =) Just kiddin...It feels sooo good to have people call us for a change and it’s a major compliment too, but were still moving this ship forward on our own looking forward to bigger and better opp’s.

Taylr: I'm excited about getting in the studio and creating new hits! These boys are mad talented and I love making music with them.

CD: You guys recently had electro sensation “Speaker Junkies” remix one of your songs, it peaked 30,000 plays in the first week on MySpace, did you expect such a great response from your fans?

CC: I didn't really know what to expect. It was our first crack at the electro sound. I just knew we were excited about the remix. It was cool to see such an overwhelming response.

Tai: I didn't have any expectations...I just thought it was a really cool song! Speaker Junkies killed it! The outcome was crazy! A friend of mine made an electro mix tape for me and it was on there! It took me a sec to register, it was us! Pretty cool!

Kay-Styles: Speaker Junkies KILLED that song! We knew it could make some noise in the electro world because it had Speaker Junkies name attached to it. But it was instantly apparent that the combination of our 2 worlds made some electro magic! 100,000 plays in less than 30 days! Not too shabby ;)

CD: What triggered this journey, was there something specific?

CC: For me, it's feeling like all we need is one major push to reach our goal, since we're at the threshold with so many eyes on us. All the pieces that seemed to be missing have come together, and there's no time like the present to make our dreams a reality.

Tai: Its time. No one's gonna do this for us. Five people all passionate about the same thing working for the same dream....it’s gonna be something special watch.

Kay-Styles: Basically, the overwhelming amount of opportunities we had to turn down due to our day jobs. Our group members were taking “unacceptable” amounts of sick days and it was only a matter of time before something had to give.

Taylr: I've been thinking about us all moving in together for awhile, but didn't know the boys were thinking about it as well. We had a meeting and Tai brought it up and I was so F'n pumped! They thought I was gonna be the one who needed convincing! Haha! hell naaah! I started dancing. Boooya!

Shawn: It was just time to take the leap. If we waited 3, 6, or 8 months to do this, we may have wasted valuable time. We don't want to ever look back and ask ourselves "What If?" Not our style.

CD: It’s true you all just quit your jobs to pursue your dream, what did you give up?

CC: Not much if we're talking about my paycheck. Haha! Just kidding. But seriously, we gave up the creature comforts. Everything that is temporary but can be replaced like: the security of a steady paycheck, my own room in an apartment, my car, personal space and comfort. My credit is gonna take a hit for sure.

Tai: Nothing worth keeping. I was worried about comfort, money, girls, whatev... Then I realized, I'm not comfy now and I have no money. I'm a horrible date and I hate everything I do outside of what I was blessed to do. Buildings get broken down to nothing but the foundation to be rebuilt as skyscrapers. I want to be that skyscraper. I'll give everything to find happiness.

Kay-Styles: Security. The group decided that day jobs are simply anchors that hinder your dreams. You may have peace of mind that you have a steady income, but no “behind the music” show has ever featured a super-star who played it safe and waited for opportunities.

Taylr: My apartment in Korea Town, my job at John Frieda Salon and my favorite restaurants in LA. Haha, I'm ready to be free.

Shawn: My steady income, my awesome co-workers, 5/6ths of my house (sh*t), privacy, dating, etc. Now I look at that same list and think, we are going to succeed so the income won't matter. My co-workers still have my number. I'm gonna have a much bigger house someday. This is way more private than Marine Corps boot camp was; I was always on the phone with Non-P during my dates anyways.

CD: From what I understand you will now all be living together in a 2 bedroom beach house, 4 guys and 1 girl. Is this a Real World or Three’s Company living situation?

CC: Not really. Don't both of those shows grant people their own rooms? This is about to be a hub of creativity and hustle. Five shining lights combining their energies to form a super star. It's gonna be uncomfortable and beautiful. You can watch the mayhem unfold at www.non-p.com.

Tai: Man...those both sound better than what's about to transpire! LOL, it’s about to be 5's a crowd! I may just sleep on the beach!

Taylr: Actually 5 guys, because Shawn has a roommate named Chris! A-ha this is going to be heaven. I already told the boys we are going to have a night a week where we all cook dinner together, a night we all watch movies together, and I'll be giving them voice lessons. It’s going be a busy household.

Shawn: This is going to be Real World (without the hook-ups) meets Apprentice (without the getting fired) meets Making the Band (without a clear path to follow). I'm gonna TIVO this show for sure.

CD: I mean here you are in a crowded beach house starting this journey together, I see the makings of a great reality show; any thoughts?

CC: It's an idea. Hilarious things are always happening. I often catch myself saying, "I wish we had that on camera". We aren't making the band though; the band has been made and nothing is being handed to us. We reach out and make everything happen ourselves. It would be a great way to help people see what you've got to be willing to do to claim what you want out of life. Could be inspirational.

Tai: Get MTV or VH1 on the line! It's about time for a new breed of reality TV! Nothings being handed to us. We survive off of what we create! Survival....music industry edition!

Kay-Styles: We're filming everything! All videos will be on www.non-p.com and updated as they happen on www.Facebook.com/NonpLive / www.Twitter.com/NonPLive and www.Myspace.com/NonP

Taylr: When talking about the different shenanigans we will be getting ourselves into, we instantly thought this would be great for our fans and other unfamiliar people to get to know us. I know I would love to get to know my influences on a personal level and filming us all 24/7 raw will definitely do it.

Shawn: We will start filming and posting videos daily on www.non-p.com starting on Nov 3rd. MTV and VH1 should come take over as soon as they tune in for an episode or two. Way more inspirational than seeing some spoiled brats b-day party or seeing people being handed anything. This is going to be a true rags to riches story in the making.

CD: I think the biggest question we all have is, “How are you going to live without daytime jobs?”

CC: Performing and making music is a daytime job. Nighttime, too! We just have to find ways to get our music to the people and help them believe Non-P is the next best band. If they sign on to that, they'll start signing those checks, buying CDs and repping the crew in our gear. And also telling their friends to do the same.

Tai: Nothings worth doing if you're gonna half ass it! Jobs are hindering us more than helping. So we're all in! As long as we're all hustling (legally) money will come. Money should be the bi-product not the main goal!

Kay-Styles: HAHAHAHA! It’s that mentality that will hold people back. =) Non-P has tons of shows opp’s, cd sales, and merchandise sales. If we fall short, we will hit 3rd Street Promenade and do shows all day collecting donations and handing out cd’s. When the group was just us 3 guys we did this exact thing in an apartment in Redmond, WA. We went just crazy enough to get our single on Redmond's #1 Top-40 station. We lived off selling cd’s only for a year. So this is more exciting than scary.

Taylr: It’s going to push us to make money and get us out there. We've wanted to do this for a long time. I know for myself, I'm going to be more inspired and grateful that I get to do what I've always wanted to do every morning I wake up! MUSIC with my boys!

Shawn: Easy, make f*cking money. We have one of the hottest products out there, now we just have to sell it to the world.

CD: What you are doing in pursuit of your dream is truly inspirational; could this experience be the inspiration for some new tracks?

CC: It's this kind of experience that inspired songs like "Hide Away", "Break It Down", "Radio", and a few others that don't really have titles, yet. New songs and ideas are always being created. We just need the money and time to record them.

Tai: For sure! Music comes from life. You can't write and inspire if you're not living. We wrote some of our best stuff when we were struggling the hardest! Everyone struggles and has a hard time. "Hide Away" was written 4 or 5 years ago at a real tough point in our lives, and still pulls at heart strings today!

Kay Styles: For sure. Listen to our song called "Hide Away" and you’ll hear the first thing we recorded when we left our lives behind in Washington and moved to California.

Taylr: Of course! I see a bird shit on a car window and somehow I'm inspired.

CD: Ok, I don’t want to leave your manager out of the discussion; Shawn, what does success for the group mean to you?

Shawn: It means that we have come together, believed in ourselves, made other people believe in us, worked our mutha f*cking asses off to overcome many obstacles and have shown the world that dreams do come true. I told my friend Erika that I would hire her to run the Non-P Facebook page when we got too busy to do it ourselves. I can't wait till we have ourselves that busy doing what we love. Good times ahead!!!

Kay-Styles chimes in: Well, first off, it’s Spelled “Shawn Puffy Chait” =) and he is the ball of positive energy the group needed. He started as our road manager brought on by our previous management company. But once our previous manager proved to be worthless, he stepped up and is going wild to keep this Non-P train moving. I’d say more great things but then other groups may come and try and recruit him... and you can’t have him... so don’t try... He’s ours!!! BACK OFF! =)

CD: Short of quitting your job and moving in with 4 guys, Taylr what is a unique piece of advice you can give aspiring vocalists?

Taylr: Never let fear take over. Be grateful for your gift and all the little things around you because it can all be taken away in a blink of an eye. Also surround yourself with people who truly love you and who will always tell you the truth. Even if it hurts.

CD: Thank you so much for taking the time to tell your story. We all support your dream! Remember, being successful in music is about creating songs that make people happy. As long as you focus on that, and not the money and fame, the fans will line up. And Taylr, if you ever get tired of the "mac n cheese", Mr. Club Dees got ya covered LOL.

Find Non-P Online

www.myspace.com/NonP
www.facebook.com/NonPLive
www.twitter.com/NonPLive
www.non-p.com

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