KARNAGE KILLS
Rapper
What do you stand for?
Change. I almost see myself as a mirror that’s being held up to society, showing people that gender and expression are two different things; you can be a specific gender but the way you choose to express yourself is completely down to you. There’s so much pressure around gender expectation and it’s holding us back as people. You should be allowed to express yourself without judgement.
How have you found navigating your career as a Black queer artist?
It’s definitely been a lot harder, but there was never an option to do it any other way. I think if I had watered myself down to fit into industry standards, then my music wouldn’t be as authentic as it is. Hoe Diaries is one of my biggest songs [and] people don’t love it because I’m pretending to be straight, they love it because it’s a relatable story, just from a gay man’s perspective.
How empowering has it been for you to articulate your identity and sexuality in your music?
It’s extremely therapeutic, and I’m grateful that I can have that connection with my music and feel comfortable enough to put it out there to the world, because sadly not a lot of artists feel as though they have that luxury. Your music should be where you lay it all on the table; I’ve had sessions where I’ve literally ugly-cried while the lyrics are just pouring out of me — no holding back.
What are your thoughts on the conversations that have been happening around race and ‘blackfishing’ within the industry?
It’s a bigger topic altogether. Algorithms have had a massive impact on who gets exposure and who doesn’t, algorithms controlled by these platforms that we rely on for income and viewership. Everyone’s been affected, but I definitely see a certain type of gurl being pushed more than others.
What do you make of Lil Nas X?
I love Lil Nas X. Any representation we have of LGBTQ+ talent winning in this industry is a great thing and will hopefully open doors for more of us to thrive.
“Any representation we have of LGBTQ+ talent winning in this industry will hopefully open doors for more of us to thrive”