Indie Profile: Windsor/Detroit’s Bar Society

Tell us about your band, including your history, where you are from and how you started.
Bar Society was formed in 2020. We collaborated on each other’s projects for years and the music sounded good. Then after working on a track called SOS for Nykles solo album we decided to form a group. Kayyce Closed is originally from Detroit and entered the Windsor hip hop scene in 2003 then in late 2004 created the Windsor rap collective called Academy. Kayyce decided to go solo in 2016 and released two albums: “Because I Can” and “Closed Caption”.

Nykle is a Windsor native who started making hip hop music in the late 1990s and started making public appearances in 2003 with former rapping partner Dyme and a few years later made the transition to a solo artist. He has also been a member in various underground hip hop groups like North Coast Outlawz, for example.

How did you come up with your band name?
The name comes from our penchant for top notch lyricism and songwriting hence the word “Bar” Society.

Do you have any recorded music available for fans?
New music is coming soon. But Kayyce and Nykle both have released many solo projects on all streaming and downloading platforms as well as making features on other artists projects.

How would you describe your music?
Versatile hiphop and creative poetry. Our music is a nice blend of 90s style lyricism with the “now-a-days” meets “Back then” type of production on the instrumentals.

What makes your band and music stand out from the others?
We don’t promote any negative stereotypes, our music is rooted in 90s hip hop, but also holds the newer feel hip hop that has take on.

What do you like to do outside of music that contributes to the music? Example, painting inspires many singers.
Kayyce – I read and read.

Nykle – I also read a lot. It widens your range of knowledge and can expand your vocabulary.

Name your two biggest musical influences and why?
Kayyce – Prince and WestCoast underground rapper Ras Kass. Prince because of his varied and adaptive songwriting ability, his willingness not to conform, and longevity of his music. Ras Kass because of his ability to blend intelligence and street sense while maintaining his integrity in his music.

Nykle – Tech n9ne because of his lyrical skills and ability to build from the ground up. He proved that independent artists and labels can rise to the forefront of the industry.
Big pun, the lyricism flat out. He’s the artist that made me want to build on my lyrical ability.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?
We both write our own lyrics and collaborate on topics. Most of our themes are based in top notch creative lyricism and are based off life experience… the good and bad.

What has been your biggest challenge as a band/artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Our biggest challenge has been recording our debut project from separate locations due to border closing, securing production and features, mixing and mastering all online. Emails. Direct messenger. But we did it.

What current projects are you working on at the moment?
We have recently wrapped up our debut album “Back On That BS”. 18 tracks. With features from Phokus(Windsor), E(North Carolina)Caliber(Cleveland), Dedman(Windsor),

JMBK (Windsor), Guydia(Detroit), Traffimatics(London), Jux Cain(Hamilton), YoungZ(Windsor) a singer from Detroit NWOME and introducing a 14 year old singer from Windsor named Illyana.

Band Members:

Kayyce Closed
Lyricist and Manager