KANGE, “Reach 4 The Stars”, “Storming on The Window”, & “Summer Rain”
KANGE is an underground artist and musician living in the United Kingdom. Her global influences and wide range of international ties shine through her music, with KANGE experiencing living in many cultures and countries throughout her childhood. Born to Nigerian parents in England, before moving to France at only 8 years old, KANGE experienced a wide range of people, music, and artwork from an early age.
“Storming on The Window”, KANGE’s newly-released 2-track project dropped on November 8th, 2024. Containing a feature from the popping musician “9dreamz” based out of Gwinnett, GA, on the opening track, “My Heart Was Stolen Then Broken”. KANGE takes full control with a solo vocal performance on the chilled-out guitar beat of “Alien Mode”, closing out this 5-minute & 9-second Autumn tape.
She describes her latest single, the self-produced “Summer Rain”, as “a delightful fast-paced song meant to fill you with a sense of nostalgia.” KANGE created the instrumental after receiving a sample from her friend, ANOverWorldMemory, a fellow rapper and producer last year. “Summer Rain” was released on October 4th, 2024 and stands as her 27th all-platform single.
"Reach 4 The Stars”, a 6-track EP that released on July 26th, also contains 4 instrumentals produced by the artist herself. KANGE explains, “It’s really a mark of a new era for me; four of the songs were produced by me and I see the project as a declaration of my ambition and how serious and dedicated I am to music.”
KANGE's SoundCloud page biography describes her discography as a " unique blend of Pop, Emo Rap, and Alternative Hip Hop... with catchy choruses, chaotic moods, and thought-provoking lyrics."
First inspired by a recording of the legendary “All Along The Watchtower” guitar solo performed by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock 1969, and various performances from Michael Jackson, KANGE knew from an early age that she wanted to express herself through instruments and stage performances. Originally holding childhood ambitions to join a band as a guitarist, and growing up interested in playing the steel drums, KANGE explains her unexpected path toward an independent hip-hop-style singing career.
“Growing up, I always dreamed of being in a band—that was the ultimate goal. I tried to start a band at least three or four times around 15 and even once more in university, but it just never took off. I didn’t see myself as a singer, had never tried rapping, and barely listened to hip-hop back then. I was mainly confident in my guitar playing, but when I studied music at university, that confidence faded because I was surrounded by people who were way ahead of me in singing and guitar playing. The bandmates I did manage to find along the way didn’t seem to have the same ambition as me, so I had to face the fact that the whole band dream might not happen. That’s when I asked myself, “How can I make music by myself without needing to rely on anyone else?” That question opened a whole new world.”
Her debut solo track “Come in My Direction” was released on October 1st, 2019 and set a foundation for the evolution of her modern work. Instead of relying on others, KANGE undertakes the entire creation process herself. She crafts original beats, writes her lyrics, performs & mixes her vocals, alongside being independently self-managed.
“I dove into music production and started discovering artists like Childish Gambino, Tupac, XXXTentacion, and Drake. It was like finding a new language, and I just went full steam ahead from there. It wasn’t the path I’d expected, but it’s the one that felt right.”
In an exclusive interview with RSO Underground, KANGE explains, "Growing up with Nigerian parents in a multicultural environment, I draw inspiration from both my UK and French backgrounds and I like to think these are aspects of myself I put into my music and content.” She has since moved back to the UK, and describes the current scene as, “Good, it’s diverse for sure and you can find gigs happening in like every corner of the UK.”
Regarding her own sound, KANGE stated, “I think my sound is like late-night overthinking mixed with beats that make you want to move. I make music based on vibes, from getting deep and introspective to just having fun with unexpected sounds and stories. At the end of the day, I want people to feel like they’re connecting with something real, whether it’s through the music or my content,” and further explained that, “I write music for you to escape. I aim to hold up a mirror to myself, society, and others. I want my music to be a safe space where we can explore the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ultimately, I hope to inspire you to have confidence in yourself and to strive to become a better version of yourself while pursuing your dreams and goals. And hopefully, I’m packaging all of that in a catchy way with my music.”
In an RSO Underground exclusive interview with KANGE, she describes her early aspirations to be a “Back-to-the-Future-Style” visionary inventor, before she “discovered physics and that dream died.” KANGE also provides us with insight into her personality beyond the music persona, “I’m someone who finds humor in life’s weirdest moments—honestly, I’ll laugh at a serious situation before letting it pull me down. I love good food, and learning about new things and places.”
RSO Underground Interview with KANGE
Who are you?
I’m someone who finds humor in life’s weirdest moments—honestly, I’ll laugh at a serious situation before letting it pull me down. I love good food, and learning about new things and places. Growing up with Nigerian parents in a multicultural environment, I draw inspiration from both my UK and French backgrounds and I like to think these are aspects of myself I put into my music and content. I think my sound is like late-night overthinking mixed with beats that make you want to move. I make music based on vibes, from getting deep and introspective to just having fun with unexpected sounds and stories. At the end of the day, I want people to feel like they’re connecting with something real, whether it’s through the music or my content.
Where are you from? (How is the music scene there?)
I’m originally from the UK but I was raised in France. I live in the UK now. The music scene in the UK is good, it’s diverse for sure and you can find gigs happening in like every corner of the UK.
Why did you get into the music/creative industry?
I got into the industry because of musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson. I remember watching them all the time on MTV and I just thought they were really cool. I remember specifically seeing Jimi Hendrix on TV perform a guitar solo for All Along The Watchtower at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and I remember thinking, “I want to do that one day.” Jimi Hendrix made me want to play guitar and Michael Jackson made me want to write songs and perform on stage.
Who and what inspires you?
My family inspires me. There are artists that give me inspiration but it’s my family that inspires me to do the things I do with conviction and confidence.
Do you have any stories of your artistic journey to share?
Growing up, I always dreamed of being in a band—that was the ultimate goal. I tried to start a band at least three or four times around 15 and even once more in university, but it just never took off. I didn’t see myself as a singer, had never tried rapping, and barely listened to hip hop back then. I was mainly confident in my guitar playing, but when I studied music at university, that confidence faded because I was surrounded by people who were way ahead of me in singing and guitar playing. The bandmates I did manage to find along the way didn’t seem to have the same ambition as me, so I had to face the fact that the whole band dream might not happen. That’s when I asked myself, “How can I make music by myself without needing to rely on anyone else?” That question opened a whole new world. I dove into music production and started discovering artists like Childish Gambino, Tupac, XXXTentacion, and Drake. It was like finding a new language, and I just went full steam ahead from there. It wasn’t the path I’d expected, but it’s the one that felt right.
Another little story I have is when I was younger, I wanted to learn the steel drums but my parents couldn’t afford the instrument, so they suggested I learn the violin. I hated it and begged my parents to learn guitar instead.
What song/project are you currently promoting and what is the story behind it?
I got too many. I am currently promoting my latest single called Summer Rain, which is a delightful fast-paced song meant to fill you with a sense of nostalgia. I made it last year after receiving a sample from AnOverWorldMemory, a friend of mine that's a producer and a rapper. I also released a six-song EP over the summer called Reach 4 The Stars that I am still promoting as well. It’s really a mark of a new era for me; four of the songs were produced by me and I see the project as a declaration of my ambition and how serious and dedicated I am to music. I have another EP dropping on the 8th of November with the artist 9dreamz as a feature.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I wanted to be an inventor when I was younger, and create cool gadgets like self-driving cars, watches you could use as phones, or hoverboards like in Back to the Future. I used to have a notebook that I used to draw sketches of these inventions and what sort of material I could use or ideas I could use to build them. Then I discovered physics and that dream died.
Where can we find your music and art?
You can find me on all music streaming platforms and social media. I don’t have Snapchat though. I love connecting with people on socials, and you can find me the most active on Instagram and TikTok.
What is your message to the world?
My motto is that I write music for you to escape. I aim to hold up a mirror to myself, society, and others. I want my music to be a safe space where we can explore the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ultimately, I hope to inspire you to have confidence in yourself and to strive to become a better version of yourself while pursuing your dreams and goals. And hopefully, I’m packaging all of that in a catchy way with my music.
Check out KANGE Everywhere!