Mr. 16BarZ
"The Man - The Artist - The Elevation"
KiRon Starks, born January 16th in 1988, is an American lyrical hip-hop artist, songwriter, and producer; professionally known as Mr. 16BarZ from Omaha, Nebraska. He is on his way to becoming a widely regarded influential artists, with much respect to the rap game.
Inspired through music to tell his story, KiRon has been influenced by hip hop artists Chamillionaire, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Kendrick Lamar, and Tech N9ne; as well as local artists Pocket Pete, Full Clip, Aso Omaha, Toot, and others. The first rap song that inspired him was Bone Thugs N Harmony's “Thuggish Ruggish Bone”, which he learned every single word to at the age of six. Determined to learn the art of rap, six years later he reached out to his best friend for help; which led him to writing his first song. During the one and a half years at Nathan Hale Junior High School, KiRon was still learning how to properly formulate a song. Not always going down the right path at that time, he went from living with his Mom to staying with his Dad until the end of his eighth grade year. Moving back in with his mother at the start of his High School year at Omaha North, KiRon developed an even stronger passion for music and along with that came football. Eventually music would out weigh his love for football and his mind was made up; music it was.
Trying to find his way at sixteen, he would find himself caught up in the street life and the importance of graduating didn't seem all to important back then. On the verge of not graduating, KiRon decided to buckle down. With the help of his mother and first cousin, KiRon graduated in the summer of 2006. After having to move out right after high school he started to sell drugs while also holding down a job at Target. He continued to work at Target for three more years and managed to get his own place at the age of nineteen. In 2009 KiRon went to Pine Ridge Job Corps and gained two trades; one in Business Management and the other as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). After graduating in 2010, KiRon left Job Corps and got a job at West Telemarketing, where he became a manager three years later. He decided to start working on his first mixtape titled "I’m Finally Here", which was released locally in 2012. At the age of twenty-five, he moved away from Omaha to provide a better opportunity for himself... going door to door selling magazines in multiple states. That journey came with multiple lessons learned and a great opportunity to get a different view of the world. This is explained best in his single “Gettin Dis Gwap”, from his 2021 album "KiRon - A Wise Teacher" (rereleased in 2023).
After being gone for five years, he returned to his hometown with a purpose. With growth strapped to his back and persistence in his heart, KiRon will stop at nothing to make his dreams come true. In 2021, He launched his own business called GotBarZ Entertainment LLC and that has allowed him to grow as an artist. In addition to putting his music on multiple online platforms, KiRon started a promotional walk by mixing a little old with the new... selling CDs to a variety of people. Whether it was going from store to store, different shows, or even standing outside of gas stations; KiRon continued to put in the work. He has dropped multiple hits, such as; KiRon, It’s My Time, Getting To Da Stacks, Pray For Me, Make It Clear, Hang On, Never Stop, and No Matter What… just to name a few (all of which can be found on his YouTube page – Mr. 16BarZ). With the city of Omaha on his back, determination in his heart, his family on his mind, and the love of God instilled in him; KiRon is destined for greatness.
"I'm not just doing this for me. I'm doing this for my mom who taught me what it means to be strong. I’m doing this for my family who continue to stand by me through it all. I’m doing this for my son who gave me a new meaning to life the day he was born. I'm hungry and it's my time. It's time to elevate."