Lillianna Kryzanek, better known as her stage nameLili K., is an American jazz and soul vocalist and songwriter born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and based in Chicago, Illinois. She released her debut albumRuby on April 21, 2015, after becoming widely known for her feature work with artists such as Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa.
Biography
Lili K was born on July 1, 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Raised by her mother, Lili moved from Milwaukee to Chicago in the mid '90s, then to San Diego for the majority of her elementary school education. It was in San Diego that Lili K began singing in school and church, as well as writing music. Her mother moved them back to Milwaukee in 2002 where Lili studied music at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts, and then Milwaukee High School of the Arts. Lili studied jazz, opera, classical, gospel, and music theory at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, but it was jazz that really caught her attention. After high school she received a scholarship to Columbia College and took classes with Ruby Hornet's Alex Fruchter, also known as DJ RTC. She also met producer Peter Cottontale upon her move to Chicago in 2009. She graduated from Columbia College Chicago in December 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, with a focus in Music Business. She has been a large part of the Chicago music renaissance, as highlighted in the 2016 Chicago Magazine cover story. Lili K performs with The Lili K Band. Members consist of Phil Patterson on keyboards, Myron Cherry on drums & percussion, Matthew Skillz on bass, and Cullen Bogan on guitar.
Career
Lili K entered the Chicago music scene with Peter Cottontale. The two became collaborators and released three EPs. Metal Petals, which includes contributions from Chance the Rapper, Sulaiman, and the GTW, and My Favorite Things, an EP of revamped jazz standards. Chicago Reader wrote that Lili K tends to blur genre lines in her solo work, which led to her to work with hip-hop producers and MCs. Lili K has performed at Made in America, SXSW, and North Coast Music Fest as a main act, as well as Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, and Summerfest as a background vocalist for numerous artists. Her performances with The Lili K Band at Made in America, North Coast, and SXSW 2015 were met with acclaim. She met Chance the Rapper in 2010 and introduced him to Peter Cottontale. The three became frequent collaborators, recording and performing together. Soon after meeting Chance, Lili and Peter also began working with Vic Mensa. On April 21, 2015, Lili K released her debut album, Ruby with independent Chicago label Freshly Baked.The album was executively produced by Lili K. and was written and recorded by her and The Lili K Band at Mibal Studios in Chicago. Jay Z's streaming service, Tidal, named Lili K as their first ever Tidal Rising artist – their feature aimed at emerging artists. After exclusively streaming Ruby a week before its official release, Tidal released a docu-series profiling Lili and her life in Chicago. They went on to book her as the headlining act on their Tidal Stage at Made in America 2015. She was named Best Jazz Artist by the Chicago Reader in 2015. In 2017, Lili K appeared as a recurring background vocalist on FOX's hit show Empire.
