Nodding his head to the beat and scribbling down lyrics is when sophomore Keneh Ejike feels most like himself: as rapper and music artist K’nae.
Ejike’s music is a fluid combination of rap, melody and his personal experiences. Although Ejike does not have any of his own music released currently, he plans to reveal his songs to the public in the near future.
“Something cool about making music is that there’s always a certain type of music I want to listen to, like rap. If I hear something and I want to make it my own, I can make it myself,” Ejike said.
Taking inspiration from rappers like Polo G and Rod Wave, Ejike merges their styles together and reflects them in his songs, while also adding his own personal flair.
“Usually, I’ll come up with a tune and think it’s something I want to make music with. And then, I’ll sit down and let my creative juices flow. I listen to different beats I want to use, I write my lines and I record. Then, I just try to make it as beautiful as possible,” Ejike said.
Ejike also perseveres through challenges that he faces as a music artist, such as finding out what to write about and seeking inspiration from his life.
“I think every artist has writer’s block when you can’t figure out what you want to write. Sometimes, I struggle when I don’t have time to really come up with something,” Ejike said. “But I try to think to myself, ‘Oh, it’s all going to come to fruition.’”
One of Ejike’s most recent songs, “Getting Along,” explores the struggle for finding oneself and genuine relationships with others. It highlights some of Ejike’s thoughts and experiences regarding friendship.
“People can be friends one moment, but something happens and they’ve cut ties and they don’t get along anymore,” Ejike said. “It’s hard trying to figure out that kind of stuff, which is what I’m trying to say through my song.”
Ejike first found his passion for making music from his 18-year-old brother, who is also a rapper. Looking up to his brother as one of his biggest role models and supporters, Ejike decided to follow in his footsteps and experiment with the art of sound.
“Music allowed me to find where I fit in. I was able to decide, ‘Oh, this is what I really want to do with myself,’” Ejike said.
Ejike’s biggest goal for his music is to be able to make money off of his songs, while simultaneously enjoying the experience. He wants to make music a hobby that he loves and gets him somewhere big, especially in discovering more about himself.
As Ejike raps in his song “Drown,” “I can’t be normal, it would be a curse if I was average. I ain’t one to live a normal life, I live lavish.”
