Meet Kaine Hughes

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

Hi Kaine, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The music industry can be a scary space to navigate without a trustworthy team, as many “sharks” lurk, ready to take advantage of artists by throwing money at them or making situations seem too good to be true.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My form of art is music. I like to think of the beat as a blank canvas, and my lyrics are what paint the picture for my listeners. What sets me apart is that I create music I enjoy listening to, rather than focusing on what I think others will like. I’m really excited about my upcoming project, Life Lately, which will be available on all streaming platforms on January 3rd, 2025. I’m also looking forward to releasing new music and a music video in the new year. I’ve gotten to where I am today by the grace of God and with a great team behind the scenes who help keep me grounded and true to myself. It hasn’t been an easy road—there were times I thought about quitting, and I even stepped away for a while in 2014. My father’s passing in 2016 reignited my passion for music, and I started using it as a way to express myself. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that the music industry is both a gift and a curse. The gift is being able to get paid for doing what you love; the curse is that many people compromise their morals for financial gain. One thing I want the world to know is that who you see before you today isn’t who I was when I started. I’ve rebranded myself as an artist multiple times along the way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
That’s easy we’re going to explore Durham North Carolina.

Monday- Morning Visit the Museum of Life and Science, an 84-acre science museum located in Durham.
Afternoon Explore the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, a 55-acre garden with 5 miles of paths and allées.
Evening Have dinner at The Original Q Shack, a restaurant serving Western Carolina and Texas-style BBQ.

Tuesday- Morning Visit the Nasher Museum of Art, an art museum located on Duke University’s campus.
Afternoon Explore the Duke Lemur Center, a non-invasive research center that houses over 200 lemurs and bush babies.
Evening Eat dinner at Local 22 Kitchen & Bar, a gastropub offering updated comfort food and craft beer.

Wednesday- Morning Visit the North Carolina Museum of Art, an art museum with outdoor trails.
Afternoon Explore the American Tobacco Campus, a historic tobacco factory complex that now houses shops, restaurants, and more.
Evening Have dinner at Plum Southern Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant serving modern Southern cuisine.

Thursday- Morning: Visit the Durham Performing Arts Center, the largest performing arts center in the Carolinas.
Afternoon: Explore the Eno River State Park, a 4,319-acre park that preserves over 14 miles of the Eno River.
Evening: Eat dinner at Maverick’s Smokehouse & Taproom, a restaurant serving classic American BBQ and a full bar.

Friday- Morning: Visit the Duke Chapel, an ecumenical Christian chapel located at the center of Duke University’s campus.
Afternoon: Explore the Cameron Indoor Stadium, an indoor arena that serves as the home court for the Duke Blue Devils.
Evening: Eat dinner at The Blue Note Grill, a restaurant serving hickory-smoked BBQ and cocktails.

Saturday- Morning: Visit the Bennett Place, a former farm and homestead that was the site of the last surrender of a major Confederate army in the American Civil War.
Afternoon: Explore the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, a 10,000-seat ballpark that is home to the Durham Bulls.
Evening: Eat dinner at Succotash Southern and Creole Kitchen., a restaurant serving classic Southern and Creole cooking.

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?
First off, I want to give a shoutout to God for blessing me with this talent. I also want to shout out my Uncle Sam, an incredibly talented jazz musician who introduced me to the drums and also plays guitar. Much love to my cousin and mentor, BJ Huxtable, who not only introduced me to hip-hop but also became my favorite rapper. When I told him I wanted to rap, he told me the two albums I needed to hear were Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z and Illmatic by Nas. And a special shoutout to my cousin, Darius “D-Phlat” Bynum, who was the first to welcome me into his studio to record music, and I’ve been hooked ever since!

Instagram: @deycallmekaine

Facebook: Kaine Hughes

Youtube: Kaine Hughes

Image Credits
Lacy’s Photography Studios Domtoldme