On Music…
Atlanta rapper Kenny Mason has stolen my heart. If you follow my DJBooth pieces, you know very well how ever since our first interview, I’ve been enamored by the candor and consistency of every Kenny Mason release following his debut album, Angelic Hoodrat. On July 26, Kenny dropped “Nightmare on Dill Street,” wherein he sounds so hungry and so focused, I cannot help but get inspired off the strength of Kenny Mason’s strength. He is a special artist for this very reason: Kenny inspires me to be a better writer and a sharper thinker through the sheer quality and edge of his music.
“Nightmare on Dill Street” runs two minutes and 44 seconds. Within that time, Kenny raps with a steady flow, as if he is zeroing in on every target. The standout lines are aplenty, but the real kicker comes on the second verse. “Don’t call me no new Kendrick I’m tryna outdo Kendrick / All legends I respect, but challenges I accept,” Kenny announces. These words are not as cavalier as they read. They’re true. They’re grounded in the reality of Kenny Mason’s hustle and his reverence for his craft. They remind me of my time spent reading the masters, returning to Baldwin and Hurston and Murakami, and realizing there are bars to be met.
Through Kenny Mason, all creative goals feel achievable. The plodding delivery of “Nightmare on Dill Street” mimics the way I slog through the page on muggy summer mornings, reminds me of the way I fight for each word, for each sentence, rejoice when I make a graph, and so on. I feel in lockstep with Kenny’s music, simply because we both has a rapt passion and desire to make it to the next syllable. Listen to the way Kenny breathes his raps as if they were sticking to his soul from jump. Who else sounds so within their artistry?
To open “Nightmare on Dill Street,” Kenny Mason declares: “I already won,” with his deadpan demeanor. His confident air carries itself. Later, we hear him say “All facts…” and trail off ever so into the next movement. Kenny’s ego is tiny, but the awareness of his skill keeps him energized. These are not aimless brags from an upcoming rapper. These are powerful manifestations from a deserving star with no taste for stardom. Kenny Mason feels like a relief. “Nightmare on Dill Street” is the perfect single to introduce new fans to the ethos of an unlikely—but clearly obviously—Atlanta hero, one who inspires simply by being himself and sharpening his sword.
I love an artist who makes me want to write and write well, which seems to be Kenny Mason’s specialty. We all know I am a sucker for my rituals and routines, and lately, I’ve been spinning Angelic Hoodrat with my tea and allowing myself to be a vessel for my biggest and brightest ideas as Kenny raps about his coming of age in a nightmarish Atlanta. It’s all in his voice and his unshakable cadence. It’s all in Kenny’s unwavering deliveries. He is a fearsome artist. Unstoppable. He is the freight train I see outside my window every few hours. He is an incarnation of the power creation affords us all. Kenny Mason inspires me, and I hope that never changes.