Meet Katie Ladubz | Singer & Hip Hop Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Ladubz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Music really saved my life. I had a long run with hard drugs starting as a teen well into my late twenties. My first time in rehab at age 25 I met the late Van Bates (Black Hesher) while attending and after a group that we wrote a song in he reached out to me after we both had left the program and taught me song structure and I began ghost writing for him and another artist. It was the first time in my life I felt I had a real purpose and the drive to make my own music and work on my first album is what got me clean in early 2020.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a recovering addict and a member of the LGBT community and I find a lot of people can relate to me or my music on either one of those fronts. I just make music about whatever I’m going through in my current life, sometimes that’s songs about overcoming addiction, sometimes it’s songs about a breakup I’m going through and sometimes it’s love songs. I am really excited about my upcoming release Home of the Brave produced by Oez on the Beat as it’s a song about the current state of America and current issues happening. I am dropping it this month and I am going to be donating all proceeds from the song to a friend I have in Gaza that is struggling to survive with her family. I’ve gotten to where I’m at today as an artist by networking and always building my team around me with like minded people that I believe in and that believe in me. It hasn’t been easy I often feel imposter syndrome or go through phases where I feel like I’m not good enough as an artist but I overcome those times by getting back in the studio with my team that believes in me and taking whatever I’m feeling and putting it into a track. I’ve learned that my art is an extension of me and that as long as I can be authentically me in my music it continues to be both therapeutic for me and something others can connect to. What I want others to know about my story and brand is that I’m someone who has a troubled past that has overcome it through music and surrounding myself with people on the same wavelength.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Definitely the beach, and me and my girlfriend’s favorite sushi spot OB Sushiya. Also PB for another day at the beach with smoothies from Rum Jungle and skateboarding down the boardwalk. I also like to walk a lot so probably walk to Bobboi from my apartment through downtown and little Italy. Then I would probably see if any of my friends that are artists are performing anywhere and go see someone I know live.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shout out to Black Hesher my best friend that passed away in 2021 who got me into making music as well as J. Andrew who along with Black Hesher produced my first album Moves to Make. I also need to shout out Oez on the Beat and Swan Johnson my producers for my album Pressure that won Best Hip Hop Album in the SDMAs in 2023 along with my engineer Max! All of them I consider close friends as well as colleagues and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

Website: https://Linktr.ee/katieladubz

Instagram: @kladubz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katie.ladubz?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@katieladubz?si=P_xeqw5vB465RTXK

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kladubz?_t=8oZUG7kZNrG&_r=1

Image Credits
Kimberly Miller, Ned Griffen