Meet Ken The Rapper

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ken The Rapper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ken below.

Ken, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

To keep my creativity alive especially as an artist, I remind myself that inspiration is literally everywhere. I just need to stay open to it. I experiment with new techniques, genres, or mediums, even if they feel way outside my comfort zone. Immersing myself in music and the real world feeds my imagination. I also remember why I create. When I feel stuck, I take breaks, explore the world, and give my mind space to wander. Creativity is a practice, and nurturing it means staying curious, fearless, and authentic in everything I do.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a musical artist and a new model. I recently started my own self-record label, KENCORE RECORDS, which is a bold and personal step toward owning my craft and vision entirely. Right now, I’m working hard on my new 11th album. It’s been an exciting but deeply introspective journey because I’m still figuring out the direction I want to take. I’m intentionally taking my time because I want this project to be perfect—not just good, but something I’d listen to on repeat myself.

At the moment, I’m dealing with writer’s block, which has been a challenge. I have some demos that I’m still on the fence about and one song that I absolutely love, but I’m holding off on sharing too much. For me, it’s important not to rush the process. I want every track to feel authentic and intentional, not just something I’m putting out for the hell of it. I really do this. I’m also excited because the quality in my music just got a whole lot better and I can’t wait to share. I put out a throwaway song called “LOVER”
which I completely loved listening back to it and I put it out just to kind of keep me active in some way even though I just released my album in August 2024. It’s also the last song you guys will hear from me with that sound quality! Not that it’s bad or anything.

What’s most exciting about all of this is the freedom to explore who I am as an artist and what story I want to tell and what genre I’m going to do it in.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back on my journey as an artist, I’d say the three most impactful qualities and skills have been authenticity, resilience, and adaptability. Authenticity has been my anchor; staying true to myself and my vision is what allows me to create work that feels genuine and connects with others and my fans. My advice to anyone starting out is to dig deep into who you are and embrace your uniqueness. Don’t chase trends. Focus on your own voice and let your work reflect your truth. AUTHENTICITY. Resilience has also been important. This path isn’t always easy, and moments of rejection, doubt, and creative blocks like the writer’s block I’m currently facing. It can be challenging. What’s kept me moving forward is the ability to push through all the setbacks, learn from them, and use them as fuel to keep creating.

For anyone early in their journey, I’d say to stay open to learning, be flexible in your approach, and take risks, but always stay grounded in your vision. Growth takes time, so trust the process and give yourself the space to experiment and refine your craft.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I believe it’s important to find a balance between going all in on your strengths and working to improve areas where you aren’t as strong. Your strengths are what set you apart. They’re your natural gifts and what people will connect with most. For me, I know my ability to create meaningful, fun, emotionally driven music are my strengths, so I lean heavily into those. At the same time, I’ve had areas where I’m not as strong, like managing the business side of starting my label, or overcoming creative blocks. While these aren’t my skills, investing effort into improving them has made me more well-rounded and confident in my overall journey.

One specific moment that stands out was when I first started thinking about creating my own label. I knew I had the vision and creativity to drive it, but the technical and logistical side felt overwhelming. Instead of avoiding it, I took the time to research. It’s not easy, but it gave me the info I needed to take my career into my own hands. I think the key is to play to your strengths but not let your weaknesses hold you back. Investing time in areas you’re less confident about can open doors you didn’t even realize were there, and that growth can really amplify your strengths even more.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idiotcharming
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/wrapped/share/share-e6c3aaafa3ab4fde86a8dae73b34b8b7?si=VData9xrSd2G6WPx1JxzpQ&feature=wrapped&artist-id=1pC5hPTz3PLLMj43nuarMS

  Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ken-the-rapper/1105677728