Local Hip Hop Musician Has Big Dreams
Kolton Pierce’s life has featured a bit of hopping. So, in a way, it only makes sense that he wants to spend his career making hip-hop music.
The 25-year-old was born in a mental institution, sent to foster care, adopted at age 8, and is now a budding musical star. With family ties in Waxahachie, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in business management and marketing – which, of course, could come in handy in the career he’s chosen.
“I graduated from UNT in 2020, amid the COVID-19 shutdown. Unfortunately we didn’t get to walk the stage,” he recalled.
Oh, and he’s been the star of a reality TV show, “Marrying Millions.” He starred alongside Katie Hamilton, ex-wife of former Texas Rangers baseball star Josh Hamilton, whom he was dating at the time.
Kolton has 22 songs released so far. He has at least seven more releases planned, with videos to go along with most. His top performing song is also a recent one entitled “L.A.”
“I’ve really only done hip-hop music, but people tell me my music isn’t all hip hop. I have some other pop records as well,” he said. “Unfortunately I do not play any instruments. I never planned on doing music until about three years ago. I would like to learn the piano though.”
Kolton writes almost all of his songs
“If I need help, I have other people that help me that are very good at what they do. I get inspiration from other artists, things I have been through in life, or by manifesting what I want to accomplish in the future,” he said.
And while many might think being a reality TV star might have helped his career, well, he said it was fun, but it would help if folks understood who was who. In other words, if they understood that it was actually Katie who was the millionaire.
“The experience was a learning one for sure. I enjoyed it for what it was and I am ultimately grateful for all the lives I was able to impact in whatever way that might have been,” he said. “It actually hurt my music career more than it helped initially because all these big time managers/artists would contact me to work. The catch was they wanted $10,000-plus because they thought I was this millionaire.”
Kolton actually got into singing by accident. While at Texas State University he wanted to play basketball, but his painful knee had other ideas. He hung out with friends who would freestyle rap, only recording them and not getting in front of the microphone himself – until one day one of them did not show up, so he stepped in himself and thus started his musical career.
Kolton said he remembers a lot about his early childhood before getting adopted.
“Probably more than I should, but that’s life. The inspiration I draw from that impacts me daily and is a part of what I give back to people when they meet me or are around me,” he said.
He has not been in contact with his birth mother, though it has crossed his mind, he said.
“I have thought about it but it is a very slippery slope when it comes to something of that nature, especially with how everything unfolded,” he said.
Kolton recently moved to the Deep Ellum part of Dallas where he can focus even more on his musical career. His dreams remain big, along with his faith.
“My goal is to get a big enough audience to tour. If I can make $30,000 a year off of music alone, that is a huge win for me,” he said. “I know that God has a plan, and whatever that may be, I’m ready for it.”
