Single Review: Virginia-based Rapper Ken Anthony Goes Hard on New Single ‘Talkin Shit’
Having almost landed in jail and spent years living paycheck to paycheck, rapper Ken Anthony uses hard times to fuel his beats and bars. On ‘Talkin Shit,’ he proves that his voice is worth listening to.
Rapper Ken Anthony has shared his latest single, ‘Talkin Shit,’ as he gets set to close off a triumphant 2023.
The rising hip-hop star has had a checkered history, which he’s always shared with his fans. He is now showing that he’s intent on using his past to energize his incredible music.
For those who haven’t yet encountered Ken Anthony, the artist grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, before moving to Virginia as a teenager. An obsessive rap fan since he was a kid, Ken Anthony used his teenage years to see if he could make his songs. He says he recorded his first song at 12 years old and has been writing and recording music ever since.
Despite being a prolific writer, Ken Anthony was guarded about sharing his work, as he was uncertain whether he’d have an audience out there to enjoy it. Coupled with this was the fact that he faced significant legal troubles at a low point in his life; he narrowly avoided facing five years in prison just a few years back, and even with his freedom, he was living paycheck to paycheck, feeling suicidal at the road his life was on.
At this point in Ken Anthony’s life, he told himself that he needed to keep going with his music – that it was the only thing he felt could pull him back from his dark path. He admits that he didn’t even think about releasing his music at first and wasn’t naive about thinking he’d turn himself into a star overnight – he was making songs to help him achieve a sense of peace.
But, as luck would have it, his music was straight fire. Fusing hip-hop, jazz, and soul music, he delivered lyrical masterstrokes with each song featured on or released himself.
On ‘Talkin Shit,’ listeners are treated to a rapid 2-minute burst of Ken Anthony going as hard as musically possible. The track sees Ken go scorched earth on anyone who questions his ability to be an artist. He positions himself amongst the rap gods that have influenced him – he has Eminem’s rasping growl and confidence here, and he throws out several references to 50 Cent and shouts out to Kendrick Lamar.
Ken Anthony said about his place as an artist, “I know many people have been doubting me since I started making music, from family to friends to acquaintances. But at the end of the day, I am only worried about how I feel about something, and when I do believe in a product, I will give it my all. I am not afraid of failure because I’ll get back up and go ten times harder than the last time – at least, I can say I tried. Life is about facing obstacles and being able to overcome them.”
Ken Anthony may have had to overcome a lot – but it has made for some incredible music.
