Ace Kurokami: Identity & Intention

Sound, Style, & Self

INTERVIEW BY: EMILY ARAUZA

JULY 10th, 2025

From Oakland to Houston, from band tees to Jordan 1s, from jazz band stages to fashion club meetings; Ace’s journey is one of layered identity and honest transformation. A performing and visual artist, a self-taught musician, a genre-blending creative, and now a student at Texas Southern University studying Marketing and Entertainment Recording Industry Management, Ace lives in the space between worlds and finds harmony in the contrast.

But what makes Ace captivating isn’t just his sound or his style—it’s his clarity of purpose.

In this conversation, Ace opens up about rediscovering his spark, the performance that brought him to tears, the emo kid in colored skinny jeans who never really left, and the punk rock ethos that taught him to trust his own light. 

This is Ace Kurokami.

Ace Kurokami: “Hi, my name is Ace Kurokami. I’m from Oakland, California & I’ve been living here in Houston, Texas for the past two years. I’m a college student and an artist.”

Emily Arauza: “That’s a big move, going from Oakland to Houston. Do you feel like the change in environment has had any effect on your creativity or how you approach your art? Also what school?”

AK: “I’m at Texas Southern University studying Marketing and Entertainment Recording Industry Management. I think that I’m more honest and intentional with my art. I believe in myself a lot more since I’ve gotten older. I had lost my spark for a long time, but now I’ve found it again. it’s felt rejuvenating and I’m back to being who I was before in a more cohesive and defined manner.”

EA: “That’s really powerful. It takes a lot of growth to get to that point of clarity and self-belief. When you say you’ve found your spark again, what do you think helped you reconnect with it? Was there a specific moment or experience that reminded you of who you are? Also what type of art exactly?”

AK: “I’m a performing and visual artist. I took a lot of time alone to sit and reflect about who I was, who I’ve been, and who I want to be. It took a lot of being imaginative and executing my vision to become who I am now and still growing into being. I recall my biggest recollection of who I’ve been was when I performed at the homecoming talent show in 2023. It was my first major performance since high school. I didn’t really believe I was that good at anything anymore, I hadn’t practiced in forever and didn’t know if this new crowd of people would accept me. I remember the whole week I was practicing up until the day of the show. Even minutes before I went up, I was closing my eyes and playing the keys with no sound just so I had a muscle memory of where my hands are supposed to be. Upon getting on stage there was a technical difficulty and my piano wasn’t playing any sound. I recall people in the crowd being confused and making noise. They were posting all kinds of jokes on sidechat (it’s like anonymous reddit for college students). They closed the curtains. Yet in that moment the other performers all rushed to stage like the avengers to assist me in fixing my sound. The curtains re-opened and I played a medley of rain by swv, I ain’t mad atcha by tupac, drowning by a boogie, and runaway by kanye west. I recall the lights being bright and the crowd being loud, singing along to each song I played. I kind of zoned out. I just played because I felt if I looked at the crowd it would all be too real. I played runaway, the last song and my favorite, and when I walked off stage I remember a loud applause and the host let out a huge “WOW”. She had even stopped the show to come backstage after I quickly walked off and tell me that my performance inspired her to play piano again. She said she hadn’t played since she was younger. After hearing the applause and seeing my practice, even after years of not performing or taking practice seriously, I actually came out to a substantial product.. I felt validated and elated. I had rushed down to this underground section below the stage, usually where they hold costume changes for the theater students, and I just cried. I usually don’t cry for anything, but there was a sort of euphoric release in that performance and a sense of recognition I hadn’t received in a long time. So since then I really believed in myself again. It is a bit spotty and I have my days where I forget my accomplishments. Yet overall, I’ve set out to do things and executed them successfully.”

EA: “That’s honestly incredible. The way you pushed through all that self-doubt and technical chaos and still had a moment that powerful says a lot about your character and your talent. You can feel the emotion in the way you told that story like it wasn’t just a performance, it was a breakthrough.

How old are you now, if you don’t mind me asking? And how old were you when you first started performing or creating art in general? Because it sounds like this has been a part of you for a long time, even before you fully realized it.”

AK: “I’m 22 now, 23 in November. I was 20 during that performance. I recall performing in school stuff since at least kindergarten, doing like group singing and stuff. I was in a play in 2nd grade. I began teaching myself piano since I was at least 10 years old and I taught myself guitar once I was 16. In high school I was in jazz band so we had concerts at the end of every semester. I usually played keys and guitar but my senior year I actually had my first lead performance. I performed all falls down by kanye west. I remember practice after practice after practice lol. Once we hit the actual concert, the stage was so bright I remember I actually couldn’t see the crowd that time. It was a lot easier to just block all the fear out and just perform. There were moments where I didn’t want to say the next word, but I still pushed through out of instinct. Like I couldn’t not say the next word, it just was flowing. I got the crowd involved, I had friends there, everything. Our band was stellar. I remember a loud applause. I had people standing up. Once I got off stage I remember people I hadn’t spoken to in years come congratulate me. My first two years of high school I was real quiet and reclusive, it wasn’t until my junior or senior year that I was more approachable and confident. So it was jarring to get that kind of recognition and actually see how much I had changed from my first two years compared to my last two years of high school. Yet that was my last performance up until my college talent show in 2023. So that whole time from 2019 to 2023 I felt like I was out of the game and washed, like I had no motion. Part of it due to quarantine, but the other half due to the situational and life changes I ended up going through. I’d say 2023 is really where I changed everything around. I had also always been in art class, since 3rd grade. I was always drawing or sketching. Primarily anime characters like Goku and Naruto growing up. I was also doing Lego stop motion videos. I had won art awards in high school for drawing, painting, and claymation.”

EA: “I really appreciate how open you are. That gap between performances and everything you went through in between makes your return to the stage even more meaningful. And I love that you performed All Falls Down, I love Kanye. That song has so much soul and urgency, so I can imagine how powerful that moment must’ve been, especially with the band and the crowd behind you. And I relate to what you said about teaching yourself piano. I actually learned how to play too, and I’ve always been drawn to music. That connection has shaped so much of what I do now, so it’s refreshing to hear someone else describe it with that same depth. You’ve clearly come a long way, both artistically and personally. What’s a piece of advice or a mindset that’s stuck with you through it all; something that’s helped guide you even when things got uncertain?”

AK: “That’s actually really cool that you play piano, how long have you been playing and what draws you to it? Also, what made you pick up journalism? I had always thought of starting a magazine myself and curating the world from my eyes and interviewing interesting people. The world needs more of that.

To answer your question, I’d say that a mindset that I’ve had is to always “keep moving forward”. It’s something that stuck with me from Attack On Titan. In tandem, in high school I took psychology class and studied two different types of motivation. Intrinsic and Extrinsic, basically internal and external motivators. Some are internally motivated by their own beliefs or willpower, others are motivated by the reaction or notice from others. For our final we had to write a 10 page paper on a topic we learned in class. I studied Kobe Bryant and his Mamba Mentality. It was a form of Intrinsic motivation. What I took away from it was that his sheer determination and desire to be the best is what motivated him to achieve all the accolades he did. He was a man who over-practiced so even that if he had an off day and fell off a bit, he would still be above standard. That’s part of why I practice, practice, practice (even though I really only do it right before a show, instead of all the time like I should be). I learned that with practice comes preparation. If you practice enough you’ll always be prepared. I also learned that there will always be adversity in life, yet through it all I will still rise. There are times to grieve and feel bogged down, but afterwards there is opportunity in living with loss and discovery within oneself when falling short. I also learned a bit from Tyler, The Creator who talked about how he always believed in himself and everything he said he’d do he ended up executing and achieving years later even when no one else believed him. It’s because he knew himself, knew what he loved, knew what he wanted, found his wings and began to fly. I remember when I was younger I would always would tell people to trust yourself, your ideas, and to keep moving forward. I didn’t want to be old and talking about the life I could’ve lived. From being inspired, I learned that believing in yourself is the first step, then making a plan, being consistent, and following through will get you where you want to go.”

EA: “That’s such a thoughtful answer. I really respect how intentional you are with your mindset and how you pull inspiration from so many places, whether it’s anime, psychology, Kobe, or Tyler. I think that kind of self-awareness and drive really shows in the way you carry yourself and the way you create. I’ve been playing piano for 10 years too. And I picked up journalism just because I love to write. I published my first book when I was 15, and I just released my second one this past Christmas. Doing journalism is fun for me because it gets my writing out there in a different way. I like putting people in the spotlight—and people love to be in the spotlight—so it’s kind of a win for both of us. When it comes to your own music and art, what’s something you want your audience to walk away with after experiencing it? Like, is there a message or emotion you hope always comes through?”

AK: “That’s actually really cool, do you know how to sight read? I had worked on it when I was learning moonlight sonata but I never really got that good at it. That’s really cool that you wrote and published a book at 15, and again just recently. What are they about? I had written a book and a manga for English projects in middle school. I’d love to get back into storytelling. I’m glad that you have a way to express yourself and do what you enjoy. When it comes to my art I want people to feel seen and represented. I feel like way too often there are groups of people who feel marginalized, under appreciated, or invisible. I want to be an advocate for the unheard and a voice for the unspoken. I’d like to represent them the best I can and make sure that we all feel seen, heard, understood, and appreciated. Overall, celebrated for who we are and for being ourselves.”

EA: “Yes, I do know how to sight-read. But it’s been so long since I’ve played, so I totally get how challenging it can be. As for my books, the first one is a poetry collection, and the second is more of a self-help piece. It’s rooted in my connection with Jesus and focuses on learning how to be not just confident but to stop shrinking yourself & to push past self-deprecation and really show up in your own life. I’m really passionate about that kind of growth. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you. And I really admire what you shared. Wanting to be a voice for the unspoken and making people feel seen, heard, and celebrated that’s a powerful mission. You can feel the heart behind your intentions, and that kind of purpose shows in the way you speak about your art. I’d like to ask you, what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects or goals you’re working on that you’re excited to share?”

AK: “You’re real interesting! That’s cool. 

I appreciate you for sharing that with me. What’s next is a few shows and then getting back into the school semester. I’m president of the fashion club at school so I’m currently getting things organized for this upcoming semester. I’m hoping for the best possible turn out for the year and putting my best foot forward with that. As far as anything else, we’ll see how the ball rolls with that.”

EA: “I appreciate the kind words. It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate, but in the best way

between performing and leading the fashion club, you’re clearly someone who likes to stay creative and involved. How has being involved in fashion influenced your music or your overall creative expression? Do the two ever overlap for you in how you present your work or tell your story?”

AK: “I’ve been emo since middle school. I would wear band t shirts, the band wristbands, vans, colored skinny jeans, cut finger gloves, SnapBack hats. I fell out of it a bit since emo wasn’t really accepted back in 2013. I was also the only emo black kid, so that was pretty lonely. I didn’t fit a mold. Eventually, I recognized how I grew up around streetwear and sneaker culture and got into that. I fell in love with Jordan’s, Air Max, Yeezy’s, Ultra Boosts. My favorite pair of Jordan’s are the Chicago 1s. They hold a special place in my heart, and especially when Miles Morales ended up wearing them in Into The Spiderverse (I’m a huge spider man fan). I got back into emo and alternative styles later in high school. As I got older, I ended up combining the two and understanding the history and my roots in both cultures. There were black rockstars like chuck berry, prince, and jimi hendrix. There were also black alternative artists currently like Tyler, The Creator (especially Goblin era), Lil Uzi Vert, Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Rico Nasty who were excelling while being black and alternative. So I felt more accepted in being and appearing in myself as there were others who came before me doing similar things. As well as those who are currently doing it. I started to wear rip my jeans, tatter my jackets and put spikes on them, paint on my clothes, put clips and kandi in my hair, do liberty spikes, wear eye makeup, skirts, platform boots.. yet also still wear sneakers and other typical streetwear pieces. Both of these genres of fashion are apart of me and my culture. I hold them both in the highest respect and dear to my heart. I work to best represent and combine both worlds in how I dress and how I express myself through fashion. It’s allowed me to feel like me. I definitely think my motivation for how I express myself through fashion plays into the story of how I express my art. Wanting to be seen as all sides of myself and be represented when I’ve felt like an outcast.”

EA: “That makes a lot of sense, and it really ties your story together in such a meaningful way. The way you express yourself through fashion isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about visibility, identity, and healing. Wanting to be seen for all sides of who you are, especially after feeling like an outcast, gives everything you do a deeper purpose. Whether it’s music or style, you’re telling your story in a way that says, “This is me, fully,” and in doing that, you’re creating space for others to feel seen too.

So with all of that, what do you hope people feel or understand when they see you? When they see the way you dress, move, and show up, what message are you trying to send without having to explain it?

And to wrap everything up, if you could leave people with one piece of advice about self-expression, especially for someone still trying to find the courage to be themselves, what would it be?”

AK: “I recently really got into the punk rock ethos, especially through my self discovery and becoming more comfortable with being who I am and expressing that. Ultimately I’d want people to know that I show up to be my most authentic, honest, and true self. In that, they can see that it’s possible that they can do the same. I always want people to see the potential in themselves. You are the light, it’s really within you. In that, create the life you want. Trust yourself, trust your ideas, and keep moving forward.”