The multitalented Kenny Mason really showcases his potential in his recent EP.
21-year-old rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer Kenny Mason released his EP, 6, on June 5th. The Atlanta native provides something different in this album, with everything being done by him. His genre-bending abilities make him stick out eminently!
Rock & Rap
From the age of 12, Kenny fell in love with many bands like My Chemical Romance, Deftones, My Bloody Valentine, and more. He explained to Rolling Stone that he was introduced to these bands through video games, and fell into a “rabbit hole” researching different bands and listening to different music. Around the same time is when he also began liking rap and writing songs. “I get a lot of ideas listening to them…From the heaviness of their guitars and their melodies,” he tells Rolling Stone.
He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia in a close knit Black community. He was raised by his grandmother who passed away when he was ten, which resulted in him bouncing from home to home. At 14, he decided to take rapping seriously.
Kenny learned to make beats, and began to make his own. He formed a group called House 9 with some friends in 2014 and started releasing mixtapes on SoundCloud. He reported that these mixtapes were all experiments; teaching himself how to make beats, how to record, auto-tune, and “make art at the same time”. From 2016-2018, he released his singles “22” and “4Real”. In 2018-2019, he released singles “Nike 2” and “G.O.A.T” which received millions of streams. His debut album, Angelic Hoodrat, was the results of his experimenting.
Kenny’s Individuality
Kenny Mason sure knows how to put a twist on rap. His album Angelic Hoodrat displays a mixture of rock and hip-hop. Many people even compared him to big names like Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne. He does this mixture of genres in 6 as well.
The EP begins with a rocking electric guitar intro for the song “DARKSIDE”. With some added sound effects and a fire beat, it definitely makes for a great first song. Kenny’s flow here also sounds like Kendrick Lamar’s, which makes the comparisons understandable. The song after that, “RICH”, begins with a sample from Honey & The Bees; “I’ll Spend My Life Loving You”. He adds another beat and continues with the chorus “Momma I’m rich”.
The genre-bending, rapping, singing, auto-tune, and everything about this EP is a hidden gem. Anybody who listens can tell just how much time and effort Kenny spent on it. He is definitely rising to stardom and more attention with this one!
To listen, click here.
