Ken Carson

Hitting mainstream hip-hop for the first time with the blaring anthem “Yale,” Atlanta-born Ken Carson emerges as one of figureheads of the 2020s rage rap scene, establishing a cult fan base via the Playboi Carti-helmed Opium imprint. His relentless, electronically abrasive instrumentals, brash vocals, and whirling ad libs built a sound that continued to evolve over projects like Project X (2020) and Lost Files 3 (2022), culminating in the sound of his highly anticipated third LP A Great Chaos (2023). Born on the westside of Atlanta before moving to the southside at a young age, rapper/producer Kenyatta Frazier, Jr. began making his own tracks as early as age 13 amid a turbulent school life. Having befriended producer Lil88, the nephew of Atlanta producer TM88, he found a gateway into the industry through invitations to 808Mafia studio sessions, where he gained vital exposure to the recording process and connections to major rappers including Future and Young Thug. Taking the alias of Ken Car$on (later removing the “$”), Frazier, Jr. issued the debut single “32” while enlisted in military school in 2016, followed by a string of loose singles (since taken down online) and his first on-stage performance in 2017. Having connected with rapper Playboi Carti at a TM88 studio session, Carson became one of the first signees to Carti’s Opium imprint in 2019, starting a working relationship that would help define his career. Carson’s scheduled debut EP, Boy Barbie, was reworked for an Opium release, dropping from ten tracks to six and boasting features from Lil Yachty and Lancey Foux. Released in May 2020, the project proved relatively conventional, sticking to the bright, looping sounds and light Auto-Tune of contemporary trap; it was Carson’s second EP, issued just months later, that would mark the first emergence of his sound. Recorded in between sessions for Carti’s rage-rap statement piece Whole Lotta Red, Carson’s Teen X EP played around with messier vocals and darker instrumentals from Outtatown and Star Boy, producing Carson’s first major hit in the siren-like “Yale.” Spearheaded by urgent synths and offhand flows, “Yale” soon became an early blueprint for the rapper’s signature style, accumulating over 200 million streams within a few years of its release. Further EPs Lost Files, Teen X: Relapsed, and Lost Files 2 continued to build the core of Carson’s sound through early 2021, before debut album Project X was released in July of that year. Loaded with anthems like “Rock N Roll,” “Run + Ran,” and “Hella,” Project X pushed Carson’s template into the rap zeitgeist almost overnight, with his bass-heavy and feverish style finding viral success on online platforms. A prolific 2022 saw the release of EP Lost Files 3 (including notable Destroy Lonely collaborations “Gang” and “Raver”), a series of viral leaked singles including “X for Breakfast” and “Aquafina,” and Carson’s second album, X, which included major hits “MDMA” and “Freestyle 2,” and became the first of the rapper’s projects to break onto the Billboard 200. A series of further leaks in 2023, along with the Destroy Lonely collaboration “Money & Sex,” built significant anticipation for Carson’s third album, A Great Chaos, which arrived in October that year. Pushing his signature sound even further with wilder flows and more forward-thinking beats, the project received widespread acclaim, producing major singles “Fighting My Demons” and “Jennifer’s Body,” and debuting at number 11 on the Billboard 200. In 2024, Carson hinted at a deluxe treatment for A Great Chaos before issuing the hotly anticipated single “Overseas” in April. ~ David Crone