Kankan

Known first as a producer who broke through with Smokepurpp and Xavier Wulf's "Fuck a Swisher" (2017), Dallas native Kankan realized he was a dual threat after he tried his hand at rapping. Since taking the mike for laughs, he has proven to be a quick study, refining his unhurried flow and urgent lyrics with a torrent of output including "Wokeup," his most popular track, and EP and full-length projects such as Kankan (2019) and WAY2GEEKED (2022). Dallas native Kankan, born Keandrian Qynzel Jones, effectively launched his career through SoundCloud, networking on the platform and becoming part of the loose, short-lived collective known as Slayworld. He gained major ground throughout 2017, producing "Fuck a Swisher," as well as Famous Dex and Lil Pump's "Talkin Shit" and ThouxanbanFauni's "No Tomorrow." Within a couple years, he discovered his voice -- unintentionally so, after he jokingly asked his Instagram followers if he should "hop in the booth" -- and enjoyed the challenge so much that he shifted focus. In 2019 alone, he issued numerous tracks and a pair of EP-length projects, Radiant 2 (with Kobe) and Kankan. A slew of additional tracks and another EP, B4 AMGs & SRTS, arrived the next year. The Oxy & Codeine EP and Rr (a full-length featuring a pair of Yeat collaborations), along with the particularly well-received single "Wokeup," highlighted his 2021 activities. No less busy in 2022, Kankan was behind another EP, ##B4W2G, and the full-length WAY2GEEKED. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi