Kinda Neat

I've tried booking a Childish Major episode for a hot minute. Found him around 2015 as a rapper that I knew made beats. By the time we had J.I.D. on the show, I knew I had to reach out (I assumed he was part of Spillage Village). But I honestly wasn't aware of this man's pedigree. As it turns out his production credits are about a mile long. He's got placements with KN alums like the aforementioned J.I.D., along with EarthGang, and Rome Fortune. Not to mention works with J.Cole, Jeezy, 6lack, Big K.R.I.T., OG Maco, Two9, and Key!. But perhaps he's best know for the Rocko, Future, and Rick Ross collaboration “UENO.” A beat like that is a huge blessing, but it can also be the bane of a creative existence. When your art gets pigeon-holed and people want more “UENO style beats” it can become jarring. We touch on that in the conversation. From his beginnings in Minnesota with a father pursuing a rap career, his move to South Carolina, and eventually settling down in Atlanta, we discuss all of h

Caleborate breaks breaks our ongoing theme of bad dad relationships leading to great art. When his folks split as a kid, he and his brother decided to stay with their father. His dad was a working playwright and occasional teacher. They were no strangers to making a dollar stretch, and making it work. He instilled a sense of wonder and creativity in Caleb, acting in many of his fathers plays as a kid. After quitting basketball at 16, He started working on raps. His dad knew a guy with a studio and he started to hone his skills. After bouncing around a few colleges in the Bay Area, he met his current manager while working at the flagship Levi's store in SF. He's been putting in a ton of work, releasing Real Person, 1993, and Hella Good all within a 2 year period. Hear us discuss all of this and more and see him perform “4 Willem.” –Lee

Travis Thompson has been on my radar subliminally for many years now. Upon first hearing his music I was sure his name seemed familiar, but didn't research it. Then I saw Macklemore announce his recent Key Arena shows only to realize Travis follows me on Twitter. When the tracklist for Gemini was released, where he's featured with KN alum Dave B., I put it all together. Travis was a kid that had been reaching out on socials for years. Did some searching and realized he used to ask for music and podcasting advice way back. We'd tweeted back and forth multiple times. Travis was born in Alaska and raised in Seattle. As we've all figured out by now, Seattle really supports their own. That said, he's quickly gaining a following back home and with a big support slot on a national tour, the reach will surely be growing. His burgeoning love of rap started at skate parks in the area where they were bumping…Intuition songs!?!? It's always a pleasure, and a bit surreal, to meet someone that claims you as

I met Mike in 2005 at a Project Blowed anniversary show. Our mutual friend invited us to join their crew onstage for a big cypher during their set. The dj for the set was supposed to switch instrumentals for each rapper. He ended up blending the instrumentals completely off beat in the middle of people's verses. In turn everyone sounded like they had no idea how to rap on beat. About 4 people out of the 12 or so onstage got to rap before they cut the power off because we were doing so poorly. I got to rap (poorly and off beat), in my recollection the mic never got to Mike. Before the show, our motley crew of ragtag early 20's rappers gathered in a parking garage to practice. We all traded the verses we'd planned to perform onstage. Mike's instantly stuck out to me. Clever punches, original angles, and interesting cadence choices were already in his repertoire. He'd just moved from Chicago and was already making a name at the Blowed.  I lived in Santa Barbara at the time and was an outsider in the LA scen

Reo Cragun first popped up on our radar in January (2017). He dropped “Inconsiderate” seemingly out of the blue. His polished song writing, confident delivery and unique vocal tone instantly caught my attention . We started making arrangements to be on KN way back then. Serendipitously when I reached out via DM he was already following us. Turns out, being from the Washington, he'd found out about KN through our ILLFIGHTYOU episode. It took a while for this episode to finally come to fruition. Turns out Reo was in the lab crafting a masterful debut project. Growing Pain features 11 mostly self-produced tracks from the prodigious singer / songwriter. Ranging from full fledged bangers to slowed down ballads, Growing Pains shows range and expertise. Not bad for a guy that was in Washington working at Costco two years ago. To be fair, he'd planned on going to med school, but sometimes you just have to pursue the creative endeavor first. Honestly Reo nothing like I pictured him. His music is so forthrigh

Ravyn Lenae is a phenomenally talented singer from the South Side of Chicago. She's part of Zero Fatigue crew with the likes of rapper Smino, producer Monte Booker, and others. Consequently, her sound has a familial feel next to her musical comrades. Her angelic falsetto, story telling lyrics, and the chosen bouncy on-beat-off-beat rhythms create a soulful dreamscape of every song. A wunderkind of sorts, Ravyn has been a standout since childhood solos at church. By high school she'd been accepted to the Chicago High School for the Arts to continue honing her craft. Soon thereafter she met Booker, and they created Moon Shoes when she was 15. By her sophomore year she was mentally checked out of high school. Music and touring seemed to become viable options. She was adopted into a thriving Chicago music scene. She's collaborated with the likes of Mick Jenkins, Noname, Saba, and the aforementioned Smino. If you're a fan of the broodingly poetic music coming from Chicago currently, you're probably

Cuco celebrated his 19th birthday with us in the studio. The young singer / songwriter / composer / multi-instrumentalist is having quite the year. He's in the middle of an initial explosion that's seen his following double in only a couple months. That's because his sugary sweet pop ballads can melt the heart of a teenage girl, or catch the ear of a jaded mid 30's music fan. Upon first listen I assumed Cuco's music was sample based. Figured he must be digging through heaps of vinyl to find obscure loops from tender old love songs. But it turns out his music journey started as an 8 year old picking up a guitar and learning at least 6 others since. He's a one man band. Every layer of his songs are recorded through a humble home studio set up. Even his vintage lo-fi sound is a purposeful accident caused by a janky mixer channel. He prefers the warm grit the channel supplies over the high gloss mixing you'd expect in the pop world. In any case if you're a fan of previous guests Kali Uchis, TV Girl, or Dream Pant

Ivy Sole is a wonderful talent out of Philadelphia by way of Charlotte, NC. Ivy's a very thoughtful and self-aware person, it is apparent in her music and this conversation. Her latest EP, East, is a quick listen packed with poetic bars and soulful melodies. Her deep smokey voice is an outstanding tool for delivering hooks that won't leave the back of your head. From an early age, her placement in advanced curriculums gave her an outsider's experience. Residing throughout East and West Charlotte she'd go to school in affluent neighborhoods of North Charlotte. As a kid she didn't understand why her local friends couldn't attend with her. She faced culture shock, microaggressions, and knowing that in order to succeed she would need to portray perfection. Her diligence led to an Ivy League school for college, where she came into her own as a student, artist, and human. I found out about prior guest Dave B. through their outstanding collaboration on “Life.” So if you enjoyed Dave's episode and music, I think

Finally sat down with the legend: Nedarb. This dude's name regularly gets brought up on the show. Not only is Ned racking up production credits, he's one of the most prolific connectors in the LA underground. Truly a “guy behind the guy that did the thing” type. We go way back. Ned used to reach out about working on KN right as I started it. Oftentimes people reaching out get on my nerves pretty easily. There's simply something off about a lot of folks' approach. But Ned was always respectful, inquisitive, and really willing to soak up game. We became online friends a while before he and Milo decided to move to the West Coast from Wisconsin. In the 4 years I've known him, Ned has quickly blossomed into a true force. He's known as a guy that knows everyone. And everyone that knows him, knows he has an ear for what's next. He's produced multiple songs for Lil Peep, Lil Tracy, and other Goth Boi Clique affiliates. But beyond that he's largely responsible for connecting a lot of the members in the first

Dave B. is another phenomenal talent coming out of the Seattle scene. In a city known for supporting local rap acts, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the next heir to the Seattle throne. His latest record, Tomorrow, is a collaborative effort with Soulection's Sango (another Seattleite). The record brings the best out of both of them, and bottles up Seattle's vibe into beats and rhymes. Dave is cool and calm. His talking voice is reminiscent of a whispery old-timey radio disc jockey, smooth and warm. He's unassuming…reserved bordering on shy. That's why it's all the more impressive when he steps in front of a microphone. You aren't expecting this quiet fellow to unleash a masterful, booming performance with no warmup. This ain't some studio shit…Dave B. can really sing. We caught up with Dave in the middle of his first headlining tour. He's already gone out with other PNW faves like Macklemore and Sam Lachow. Laying those roots helped him garner even bigger turnouts than expected in every

Gizzle is currently working on an expansive self-assignment. She plans to release four tapes she'll record in four different cities by the end of the year. Each will be seven songs, representing the seven days she'll spend there catching the vibe, writing, and recording. So far she's released the first in the series, 7 Days In Atlanta. 7DIA caught my ear via “Oh Na Na,” which you can see her perform above. The infectious beat coupled with the immediate charm of Gizzle's gruff voice instantly drew me in. Her prodigious song writing talents are also easily recognized, and vaguely familiar. That's with good reason. She's spent much of her life in the studio writing with artists like Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye, T.I., Snoop, Travis Scott, and Boosie Badazz. 2017 will surely see her stepping into the spotlight. It makes perfect sense why artists would want to be in the studio with her. Beyond her obvious writing talents, she has a certain presence when she walks in the room. Her smile is contagio

This week we welcome back two friends of the show that went on to form a group together. Speak is an unpredictable and mischievous rapper that I've watched grow up. We met when he was just seventeen on a road trip to a rap battle in the Bay Area. Since then I've watched him adapt and readjust to the ever changing rap scene. He moved to Mexico after a revealing hallucinogenic experience. This new record puts his cultural growth and expanding maturity on display. Dream Panther is Greg Sheran's open ended alias. Sometimes it's a group, sometimes it's a solo project. Before moving to Detroit, KN alum Caleb Stone was in the group for a while when he was living with Speak. During this time Greg and Speak began toying with the idea of making an album together. SpeakPanther is the result of a few very intense studio sessions spread out over a few months. As Greg put it, “it was a really fast, and slow process.” With Speak in Mexico, and Greg in LA, they'd work whirlwind sessions during the short stints

EarthGang is comprised of rappers Johnny Venus and Doctor Dot. The duo's been putting in work for the better part of a decade and the payoff seems inevitable. They've been brought up on show by guests multiple times. Their crew, Spillage Village, includes KN alum J.I.D. who recently signed to J.Cole's Dreamville imprint. So needless to say it seems like EG and SV are in for a big year. Last year's Bears Like This Too Much compilation was a shining example of Spillage Village's effortless style. The tape was the 3rd entry in a series of “Bears” releases. Its opening track “Can't Call It” with the aforementioned Cole was also featured on Dj Khaled's Major Key. Bears was a late favorite of 2016 personally, and it proved the ATL underground is not to be ignored. SV are proper torchbearers of that Dungeon Fam / Goodie Mob bugged out ATL shit of yore. I'm always trying to piece together what that ATL scene is like. This episode showed how surprisingly small and tight knit the scene really is. Th

Deante' Hitchcock's song “No Secret” blew me away on the first listen. That led me to his slept on 2016 release “GOOD.” It's a solid and consistent effort that slipped under a lot of people's radar. He's got bar-heavy heady raps any backpacker would love. But he has the confidence and swagger only a Southside Atlanta native can emit at the same time. This episode seemed to have a lot of fate involved. Days after hearing “No Secret,” a viral Twitter video of Deante' thanking Barack Obama showed up in my timeline. That further inspired me to reach out to folks who might have his contact info. The day after I found his email address, I saw him tweet he was coming to LA. Bing bang boom, we got the episode in during his 4 day trip. Sometimes things go according to plan. After spending time with Deante‘ I'm convinced he's got something special. He's grounded and hardworking, an understated but magnetic performer, relatable but awe-inspiring. Turns out he's been practicing for a while. After an uncle

Buttress is an in-your-face character. She doesn't hold back as a performer, an artist, or as a conversationalist. Born to a strictly religious mother and attending Christian schools throughout her youth, she was once “punched in the gut by God” during a Pentecostal ceremony. While many would've used that experience to validate their belief in God, it made her believe in telepathy and begin reading up on the occult. Questioning everything and constant contrarianism seem to be ongoing themes in Buttress' life. She left home for art school in Savannah, GA to pursue dreams of a career in animation. Like many art students her initial goal soon changed. Realizing Savannah, that school, and animation weren't a good fit for her, she transitioned into studying film. She moved to Chicago and ended up in an art school with cliched snobby art students… the kind you see in movies. Finding the school's student body mostly obnoxious, she rebelled against the cultural norms. That's when she started experiment

This week we sat down with Ottawa's Night Lovell. The baritone voiced teen was a phenomenon from the jump. The first music video he released quickly gained traction, garnering millions of views in no time. Meanwhile, the quiet and shy student was still in high school, his classmates none the wiser to his meteoric rise. Hear us talk about his dad's past as a emcee, dealing with Ottawa winters, and how he will beat that ass at Call Of Duty. –Lee

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal has spent most of his life actively pursuing music. It's been the constant ever since starting bands in middle school. He went on to finding success with Tigers Jaw, and has now pivoted into the current form of Wicca Phase. You'd never guess that his hometown of Scranton was a hotbed of late era emo bands and record labels. But growing up there he found mentors and inspiration in local heroes. Now his somber lyrics laid over lo-fi trap beats are genre defying and bending the limits of modern rap music. He's found kindred spirits in Goth Boi Clique and Thraxxhouse, Hear us talk about growing up in Pennsylvania, reaching his goal of signing to a local label and needing to make new goals, and his step dad basically being the pope of the religion he grew up in. –Lee

Kenny Segal has a long and colorful history with Los Angeles rap. He's been a part of the underground scene in one way or another for 20 years now, dabbling in everything from Drum n' Bass, Turntablism, Blowdian rap production, to the current beat scene. He's had a rebirth of sorts in the last few years working with artists like Milo and Busdriver, his project The Kleenrz with Self-Jupiter, and becoming a part of Team Supreme. This episode paints a broad stroke of Los Angeles music scenes from the late 90's to today. Hear us talk about moving to LA for school (but really for the weed), keeping his sound relevant after 20 years of work, and P.E.A.C.E. being the guy on his dorm couch throughout college. –Lee

We caught up with wifisfuneral as he wrapped his first headlining tour. The Palm Beach rapper is only 19 yet has a surprising depth of knowledge about old school rap. He's faced hardships from abandonment to addiction. These struggles have helped him achieve a maturity beyond his years. He's got a good head on his shoulders. His music is firmly planted in the fundamentals but maintains a modern aesthetic. Hear us talk about dropping out of school, and discuss the ever-looming dad issues. We also have a debate about the merits of modern rap and classic rap. –Lee

Audio Push have been working together for years. Surprisingly their debut studio album 90951 was only released last week. They met in middle school but lost contact with each other. They were reunited after a happenstance dance battle in high school and joined forces. They've been in and out of the major label system twice. This led to them independently releasing their official debut. They utilized the breadth of knowledge picked up along the way. Audio Push had a smash jerk record in 2009. They've since developed, matured, and polished their sound to it's current iteration. Hear us talk about growing up with Hit-Boy, traveling to krumping competitions, and keeping a family structure with a sense of normality by narrowly avoiding CPS. –Lee