First Day Feature: K.A.A.N. chats about Abstract Art, the honesty in his music & future plans

What drew me to Tupac’s music was the honesty of it. He had tracks on his projects that would be about street shit, but he had tracks that were universal. It didn’t really matter where you grew up you could relate to it. It was more about what he said then how he said things that made me a fan. In terms of inspiration for my music I think its the tone and always talking about something other than materialistic shit. The inspiration I get from his music is more like just make an effort to constantly be honest in my music and not fabricate anything.

What other artists are instrumental in you being a musician today?

I like all hip hop honestly. There really isn’t a group of artist, or a certain artist that’s relevant today I look for inspiration from. I listen to everyone from Flatbush Zombies to King Los. I just really love hip hop, and rap music, and can appreciate it all.

I think what separates me from other rappers is my subject matter. Guys have always rapped fast, or had meaningful content. I just know that I have a relate-able story. It may not be relate-able to someone that grew up in different circumstances, but I’ve lived in a trailer park, and I’ve lived in the suburbs. I’ve had life experiences that I feel like the average person can relate to.

I think I put knowledge in the forefront by the way I present the music. From the vocabulary to the cadence. I try to make sure the content is something that will make people think. Its hard because people will get caught up in the flow, and just be stuck on that, and completely ignore the vocabulary being used, or even what I’m saying in the song. If you really listen to my music you hear more than just the flow. You here historical references, political and social issues, mental health, poverty. I think that’s how I put knowledge in the for front of what I do. People are really one track minded so they’ll hear a faster cadence, and to them that’s all I do. There’s really no attention being paid by a lot of listeners to music period. If I make a song about a slave complex, or a story about a kid that shoots up a school, but all you can talk about is the flow then I know that I need to improve on the delivery of my message, and also that I’ll prob have to water down my delivery to make sure the content is received properly.

In terms of choosing songs that had elements that we could play off, or take away from for inspiration I honestly don’t. I just go off what I like when I play it. If I like it I’ll write to it, and see what happens. My camera man made that beat, and he asked if I wanted it. There wasn’t like a list of samples, or songs that I wanted to use. It was more like I just want to see what can be created honestly.

With writing the verses I have a certain structure, or way I like to put the words, and sentences together, but I’ve only been seriously putting out music for a year, and a half almost two years. I still have a lot to learn about song writing period. Its structured in a way, but at this point its really just experimenting, and seeing what sticks.

The one thing that I would like for people to take away from my music is that it was real. It wasn’t made to make you dance. I want people to feel like they just listened to a song about something they can relate to. Something tangible where they feel like they’ve had that same experience, or felt those emotions in the song.

If I could listen to one of my songs my whole life It would prob be Get Away rmx. I liked the content of it, plus I’m a really big fan of Khelani. I really like her voice. Her stuff’s real R&B which is dope. It wasn’t an original composition, but I just really like khelani’s music. Honestly I don’t even listen to my music after its put out. I just hear the flaws, imperfections, and the areas I need to improve in. If I listened to my music once its put out I’d want to take it all down, and re record it. I listen while its being made, and mixed, but not when its out. I’m way to critical in a bad way though.

I honestly don’t fuck with that song. It took the least amount of time to make. It was a Yo Gotti beat I found on his last mix tape, and it honestly took the least amount of effort to write. there was no real thought behind it. I had songs on there that I felt were stronger structurally, and were deeper, but people gravitated towards that one the most. In terms of breathing we’ll do a lot of takes. Do some of the song all the way through, and see how it sounds. Do takes with cut ins, and see how it sounds. If it sounds better all the way through we’ll keep it. If it sounds better with cut ins we’ll use that. I could care less if its cut in’s or if its all the way through. The point of recording is to have the song sound as dope as possible, so it doesn’t matter to me if its cut in’s or all the way through.

For the future I’m working on a lot. I have a small project called January 12/199? done. It’s five track remix project with all classic 90’s beats. no real time table on a release, but soon. I write all the time. Right now I have enough material to put out a couple projects, but I want to keep creating, and see what we can make.

I try to spend all my free time in the studio. I work a day job, so I have to prioritize, but I just like writing, and being in the studio. Any time I’m not at work I’m trying to be in the studio, or writing. Right now I’m in the studio five, or six days a week. It really just depends on my work schedule.

Right now the artist that I would like to create with Would be KRS-One, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Meth & Redman, Rakim, Nas, Khelani, and Allesia Cara. I have more producers that I want to work with like DJ Premier, Statik Selektah, 9th wonder, No I.D, Rick Rubin. I really love 90’s hip hop, so I wanna work with the producers that helped make the sounds that inspired me.

Thats exactly how I wanted the visuals to come off. I wanted to keep them super simple to put all the attention on what I’m saying. I dont like the idea of having a lot of props or people in the videos. In that small window of how ever long the video is I’m selling my self to the person thats watching. That video is like an add showing people the product that I have. Some will like it, others wont, but the point is to sell them on my music, and what I’m saying. Not the bad bitch dancing, or this nice ass car, or shiny shit. Its like here yo go this is it. Nothings fabricated. The more realistic it is. The more relate-able it is.

The biggest challenge I have is with the content. I know that to get where i’m trying to go at some point I’m going to have to dumb it down. Its cool now cause its just all raw because I’m still in the beginning stages. At some point though the content cant be as extreme as it is. I can keep talking about suicide, depression, all those things, but I feel like I have to deliver it in a different way. I believe I can do it with out compromising the artistic integrity, but I know it’ going to take time.

The Lawd thing was just random. I said it recording one time randomly and just kept saying it. It was definetly more of a felling thing.

Best way for anyone to contact me is my email. perrybrandon52@gmail.com.

The only thing else I would say is I’m really just trying to make honest music. I’m not trying to sound like any one else, or bite someone else sound. I’m just writing about my life, the things I’ve seen and been through, my personal thoughts. I could care less if people can dance to my shit. I kept to my self a lot growing up, so its like this music is just twenty four years of emotions and experiences that I didn’t talk to anyone about. Music is just honestly therapy for me. It’s that simple. I just don’t want people thinking its something its not. Plays, views, and all that other shit is cool but I’m just glad I found an outlet, honestly.