How far are you planning to go with the items on your bucket list?

If you are a member of Kreative, Real, Underground, then you have probably already gone farther than most.

KRU, created chiefly by junior Rod Walker, senior Kevin Tiller and junior Josh Williams, aims at strengthening the Guilford College community and even reaching outside the “Guilford bubble” to forge stronger connections with those not a part of the campus.

The trio’s seemingly unrelated desires were combined into one big project through which they would help and support each other.

“We all had a bucket list, and we set out to do those things,” said Walker. “We just help each other do whatever it is we want to do.”

Those things include creating their own line of clothing, now available for purchase, and their own rap music, which is available for free download. In addition, they plan to organize community events next semester such as high school athletic meets. They have made it clear that the last thing they want is to limit themselves to a particular field just yet.

“We want to make a splash in every industry,” said Walker. “We’re not sure exactly how yet, but we just know we want to do something right.”

Rather than throwing them off course and making them disorganized, this uncertainty allows them wiggle room to figure out the best way to complete their mission while still enjoying what they do.

“We don’t know who we are yet,” said senior CJ Green, longtime member of the group. “We’re still young, still trying to figure out how the world works.”

“It’s more than just an endgame to be rich and famous. It’s about becoming more than we are, what we want to be.”

Each member of the group has this conviction in common, hoping that recognition will bring them not only success but more opportunities to bring together the Guilford community through common interests, and even to reach out beyond Guilford to the local Greensboro community.

“We definitely want the whole Guilford community to know who we are and what we want to do,” said Tiller.

Walker shares Tiller’s desire to make the group known.

“We just want people to understand that we’re doing this for the community,” Walker said.

Their passion for what they each do have only made the quality of their work that much better, but they are always looking for ways to improve.

“We don’t hope for anything out of the Guilford community except love, support and feedback,” said Williams.

They need that very same love, support and feedback from us that they have given each other, and that has kept their group going since its creation three years ago. Their friendships has only strengthened their work, creating a balanced team dynamic that is hard to rival.

“We all bring different things to the table,” said Williams. “Someone’s final product probably has about two-thirds of the others’ contributions.”

Green agrees, seeing their teamwork as a system of checks and balances.

“We all balance each other out like Pokemon,” said Greene. “I’m Pikachu, kind of wild and electric. Kevin’s very structured and smooth, a big thinker even though he doesn’t seem it sometimes, so that makes him like Squirtle. Rod’s very intelligent and passionate like Charmander, and I’ve gotta say that Josh is the Bulbasaur of the group: solid and reliable.”

That system has worked out well for them, allowing them to establish steady and organized production without making them want to kill each other out of frustration. They are currently taking orders for apparel from their clothing line, so be sure to check it out with them before Christmas comes. Also, Rod’s mixtape will be available for free download, so watch for announcements about his release date.

Like KRU, the Guilford community is invited to come together and enjoy what KRU is putting out for us. Just think — it all came from a trio of bucket lists.

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