Rapzilla interviewed KnuOrigen, who Ki’Shon Furlow featured on his projects Keep an Open Mind and Voices, at SXSW 2016.
KnuOrigen, who forms the rap duo Out of the Blue with Kay Sade, discussed his faith and music background, as well as the anime background which influences his art. He said he started watching anime around seventh grade and became a fan of series like Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
“I incorporate that a lot into the music,” KnuOrigen said, “and that’s why I think when you watch the videos you see a lot of different imagery. Some people have been getting on us about that, saying Illuminati stuff.”
Last year, KnuOrigen and Kay Sade wore animal masks in the music video for their song “QU,” which is on their free project, Blue Gene Origins.
KnuOrigen believes his anime-inspiration may separate him from other artists.
“I have wordplay. I try to do the quick cadences and things like that and definitely always have content, but I try to portray that through images, try to paint a picture that you can see in your mind,” he said, “similar to storytelling — maybe exactly the same as storytelling — but instead of just talking about my past or talking about someone’s life situation, I’m trying to construct fantasy.”
Watch KnuOrigen’s three-part interview below.
