From Queens to the World. Who Is Kevin of No Seeds NYC?
New York’s creative pulse has always been defined by reinvention — and few embody that spirit like Kevin, the mind behind No Seeds NYC. His journey spans cultures, mediums, and continents. Born and raised in Queens, Kevin began as a teenage rapper writing bilingual lyrics in English and Spanish, eventually launching a streetwear brand that landed in Japan, Korea, Australia, Miami, and New York. Once the founder of the underground streetwear brand No Stems NYC, Kevin is now the sonic architect behind New York’s emerging Alt R&B movement. But Kevin’s creative story goes deeper — and starts much earlier.
He grew up watching his mother practice an elite, museum-level craft called gold gilding. She has applied gold leaf to frames displayed at the MoMA, the Met, and even the official U.S. Presidential portraits — including President Obama’s. As a kid, Kevin watched her transform raw materials into fine art. Sometimes she brought work home, letting him place gold flakes onto ornate carvings with surgeon-like precision. That early exposure wasn’t just artistic — it was formative.
Where Did Your Creativity Begin?
No Seed’s artistic roots stretch back to childhood — not just music, but visual imagination. Watching his mother gild frames taught him patience, detail, and discipline. When she brought work home, she’d let him try applying gold leaf himself. That skill translated into his first love: drawing.
He obsessively sketched anime characters — Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh, Marvel — then redesigned their outfits, creating alternate styles and color variations. He even customized his toys: turning Spider-Man into Venom with Sharpie and White-Out or repainting a Hulk figurine to serve as the “referee” for a homemade wrestling ring he built out of shoeboxes and rubber bands.
No Seeds describes this as his earliest form of “production” — “I didn’t see it as ruining a toy — I saw it as making it serve the purpose I wanted.” A pure creative instinct: modify, remix, rebuild.
How Did You Get Your Start in Fashion and Music?
I started making music around 13 as a rapper and songwriter. My friends and I — a bunch of Latin and Black kids from Queens — would record demos in English and Spanish. By 18, I had my first writing credits on a Spanish-language album.
At 21, I launched No Stems NYC, the original New York stoner lifestyle brand. We were selling in Japan, Australia, Korea, New York, and Miami — even Schoolboy Q wore one of our bucket hats during his Oxymoron promos.
That success pushed me to focus on the brand full-time until I shut it down at 26 to return to music. That’s when I launched No Seeds, a solo project that connects all parts of my journey — from streetwear to studio. Now, I write and produce for other artists, and I’m just looking to keep growing from there.
How Would You Describe Your Sound? Hip-Hop, Latin Trap, or Something Else?
I’d say my sound lives between Indie Rock and Soulful R&B; both rooted in Pop aesthetics. New York has deep roots in both lanes — from The Velvet Underground and The Strokes to Alicia Keys, Carole King, and A Tribe Called Quest. I draw from all of that. Whatever comes through me is what I create.
What Draws You to the Alt R&B and Alt Pop Space?
I’m leaning more into Alt R&B and Alt Pop. I have love for rap and New York hip-hop, but that’s not where my heart is musically. I don’t naturally gravitate toward making boom bap, trap, or drill — that scene is in great hands already. Me? I’m trying to write for the next Dua Lipa album… or the next Solange record, you know?
Why Keep a Low-Key Brand Presence on Social?
Exactly. My outward brand is understated. I’m trying to be that background player — the writer, the producer — not necessarily the star. If you know basketball, I’m Lou Will. I’m Jamal Crawford. I would like the art to speak for itself.
How Did Your Recent Collaborations Come About?
Tayla and I met about a year and a half ago. We both wanted to make more music, so we started writing together. After six months, we had enough for an EP and decided to release them as singles over time. She’s an incredible vocalist and songwriter; She is definitely going places as a solo artist. She’s not “my artist,” just a close friend and collaborator.
How Does Fashion Influence Your Music?
My sense of style is just an extension of myself. One day I might be in some baggy Girbaud jeans, Jordans, and a Knicks jersey — the next, I might be wearing Thom Browne or Prada that fits snug.
I keep my fashion choices the same as my musical ones: true to how I feel that day, in that moment. It’s important for me not to fit into one box — I’m claustrophobic. An open and growth mindset is what I try to maintain.
What's Your Philosophy on Art, Risk, and Reinvention?
No Seeds believes artists often stick to the “safe” path — the traditional route — because failing normally feels more acceptable than failing innovatively. Labels reinforce this by signing artists young, capturing them at their “rawest” moment, then discarding them when reinvention becomes harder.
No Seed’s entire career has been a push against that. From studying music business as a teenager to advising his collaborators on contracts, to building independently, to pivoting between genres — he embraces evolution. That’s why he aligns with the sixth-man metaphor: dependable, adaptable, always adding value, always authentic.
The Wrap-Up
Kevin’s story is a masterclass in reinvention — proof that the most authentic artists don’t just evolve, they expand. From his early rap demos in Queens to a global streetwear brand worn by industry heavyweights, to now defining the Alt R&B sound of a new New York, Kevin’s path is equal parts grit and grace.
Whether he’s in Prada or Girbauds, on stage or behind the boards, No Seeds embodies the modern artist: fluid, fearless, and unapologetically true to himself.
Check out “No Seeds” recent collaborations on all streaming platforms: