Miami, FL – November 25, 2015 – With a sound as vibrant as the city that made them, Problem Kids are a 6-piece Miami band on a mission to spread their infectious music to the rest of the world. Just one spin of PK and it’s apparent they are a true product of their culturally-diverse, frenetic environment. Is it Island Hop? Tropical Urban? Nu Wave Rap?! Label them what you will, but with a fiery mix of street-wise “Spanglish” rhymes, pulsating beats, and luscious sing-along melodies, one thing is for certain – these Kids aren’t playing around.

World Red Eye spent some time with the Problem Kids, where they gave us look into what a typical rehearsal is like, as well as let us tag along for their epic performance at Sidebar. We chatted with Mario Obregon of Problem Kids who spoke about how they formed, what they’re currently up to and what we can expect from them in the future.

Studio Rehearsal

WRE: How did Problem Kids form?

MO: Problem Kids formed about three years ago, but the journey really began in 2010 with MC’s Marty and Tish forming the “DreamTeam.” We began making music together while Tish was studying Audio Engineering at SAE. As we started putting out songs online, our group of friends really enjoyed what they were hearing. At that point we decided we wanted to start performing live, so we called upon our good friend Nick Lebess, who is currently our drummer, to perform our first show with us alongside DJ Ethics. After that first show, we knew that live music was the way we wanted to go. The rest, as they say, is history.

WRE: How has Problem Kids evolved to now? Are all original members still apart of the band?

MO: Like everything in life, PK has evolved and grown since those early days. When we first began, we had Tish and Marty as the MC’s, Nick on the drums, Joseph Espinoza (Jesp) on the bass, Jorge Velazquez on the Guitar, and Bert Casanova on the keys & sax. Jesp and Jorge have since moved on to work on other projects, so currently we have Eddy Davis on Bass & Omar Williams on guitar, along with Tish, Marty, Nick and Bert. Those are the current Problem Kids!

WRE: What genre do you consider yourselves? Describe Problem Kids’ sound.

MO: This is a questions that we get a lot, because if you have ever been to a PK show you know that we like to take you on a musical voyage through our life and musical experiences. We don’t necessarily like to box ourselves into a genre, because we feel like all types of music have influenced us. But we would say hip hop and rock are definitely at the core of our sound, with a tinge of salsa and R&B mixed in. You can hear all of those different genres in our music.

WRE: You guys have a very unique sound, where do you draw your inspiration from?

MO: Having a unique sound is very important to us, so thank you for that. Inspiration for the PK sound comes from everything around us. Whether it be from a past relationship, a hardship, or from good times, inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. Ultimately, we like to get inspiration from actual things that happen in our lives and our family history, like when my grandparents were forced to leave Cuba 60s years ago. Those stories resonate through us on stage. When it comes from something real, the audience will feel that and that’s our ultimate goal.

We strive to make our lyrics and sound universal so that it appeals to people like us going through the same things, but also resonates with your Abuelo/Abuela and the younger kids out there.

Mario Obregon of Problem Kids

WRE: Top 5 bands who have been a major influence to Problem Kids?

MO: Only 5?!? Hahah man, this list could go on forever, but if we HAVE to narrow it down, we would have to say 2Pac, Wu Tang Clan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Roots, and Buena Vista Social Club. Oh, and Sade. That’s 6, but we can’t leave out Sade.

WRE: Who do you guys want your music to speak to?

MO: We strive to make our lyrics and sound universal so that it appeals to people like us going through the same things, but also resonates with your abuelo/abuela and the younger kids out there. A lot of music today has become very materialistic and has lost that substance that has made it last for so long. The stories we tell come from an honest place, and we feel that honesty is shared with our fans.

WRE: Your lyrics are very thought out, do you all take part in writing them?

MO: Our lyrical content is very important to the Problem Kids sound. While we all partake in the creative process, most of the lyrics are written by Marty and Tish, the Mc’s of the group. Once they bring in an idea, that is when the band gets going and creates their own musical “lyrics” around the words. The same applies when the band comes up with a gnarly groove. We all go in and brainstorm how we want to music to sound, and then the MC’s write the lyrics to that particular song. This is one of the hardest, yet most rewarding processes of being a part of this band. There is nothing better than seeing a song come to life from a simple idea.

WRE: Where is the best place here in Miami for you guys to get your creative juices flowing?

MO: Miami is an amazing city, and we thank it for being a place where we have been able to grow up and learn from every day. There is so much culture and energy in this city that we can get the juices flowing from a simple coffee stop at Versailles, a Saturday spent at the beach, or just roaming the streets of Wynwood and taking in all the city has to offer. We are blessed to live in such a culturally diverse community.

WRE: How often do you guys practice and play?

MO: We try and get together as often as we can. You have to remember there is six of us in this band, so scheduling and getting everyone on the same page is one of the hardest things. But we love making music and getting together, so whenever we have a chance to, we make it happen.

Performance at Sidebar

There is nothing better than seeing a song come to life from a simple idea.

Mario Obregon of Problem Kids

WRE: Most memorable moment as a band so far?

MO: We would have to say our most memorable moment has been winning the $5,000 grand prize at the Magic City contest down here in Miami. We went up against some great bands from down here and came out victorious. It helps to know that our hard work pays off, you know? A close second was the Southeast tour we did last year where we got to perform in Gainesville, Atlanta, and Mobile, AL to name a few. The response in other cities was amazing. Hopefully we’ll be out on the road again soon so be on the lookout!

WRE: In 10 years from now, what do you guys hope to have gained?

MO: Problem Kids has been an amazing outlet for all of us. From the friendships we have gained to the people we have met along the way, this journey is just beginning for us. We just hope that we can bring good music that everyone in the world can enjoy and maybe even learn something from.

WRE: In 10 years from now, what do you guys hope to have gained?

MO: Problem Kids has been an amazing outlet for all of us. From the friendships we have gained to the people we have met along the way, this journey is just beginning for us. We just hope that we can bring good music that everyone in the world can enjoy and maybe even learn something from.