Koan: A puzzling, often paradoxical statement or story, used in Zen Buddhism as an aid to meditation and a means of gaining spiritual awakening.
As a result of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath that included a political struggle and problems encountered by residents in their rebuilding and repopulation efforts, the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana has begrudgingly and reluctantly become a symbol of despair. While that may have been well earned, what many fail to realize is the amount of talent that the Ninth Ward, and New Orleans as a whole, has to offer the world of entertainment. Enter Koan, a rapper hailing from the Ninth Ward.
Koan offers his listeners a living, breathing commentary on many social ills, with his lyrics laced over impeccable beats.
His most recent effort, “Chronicle of a Dying Breed”, offers up not only insight into his talent, but it causes the listeners to be unable to pause it until the very last word.
I must admit, I was completely enthralled with the album – it is pure, unadulterated genius that educates its listener beyond anything that one expects when downloading an album. I expected to hear some great music – after all, Koan was recently honored with a NOLA Underground Hip Hop Award nomination in the category of “Hottest Album”. What I didn’t expect was that the album would capture my full attention, but it did that and then some.
Koan is, without a doubt, an artist to watch. He’ll be around for a long time to come and we can’t wait to hear more from him.
We recently caught up with Koan and here’s a chronicle of the conversation we had with this dying breed (a true lyricist):
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Who is Koan?
KOAN: Koan is hip hop at its purest form just straight expression of life and music – organic and real.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Do you believe that being from New Orleans influenced your style?
KOAN: Being from New Orleans definitely gave me a lot of instrumental music influence, but my rap style is mostly influenced by the early to mid-90’s style of hip hop.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Who influenced you musically, growing up?
KOAN: Growing up, I was influenced by a lot of different types of music. I really loved everything from Hip Hop to Classical. I’m just a true lover of music.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Tell us about the album.
KOAN: The album was written and produced by myself and Sean C. It was recorded at Nothing Studios. The concept of the album was an idea I’ve been having on my mind since high school. I wanted to do something fresh and new to break the monotony of the same old songs and content. I wanted to breathe new life into Hip Hop, in an effort to save the culture from an economic apocalypse. (LOL)
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: The production is impeccable. Tell us about your producer.
KOAN: Sean C. is, in my opinion, the greatest in the world. His talents are unbound and alive. His understanding of music goes far beyond just Hip Hop. We have this working chemistry that cannot be denied. You can expect to hear great things from him and from me in the future.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What’s in the future for Koan?
KOAN: You can expect more real Hip Hop from the soul and great music to listen to and enjoy, plus a nationwide tour coming next year, so look out for me.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I certainly hope our readers paid attention to the last part of the interview, because we are confident that we will certainly be seeing and hearing a whole lot more of Koan in the very near future. This is a talented young man whose future is extremely bright! Make sure to check out his website at http://www.koanmusic.com.
Neph U spittin dat firaya right da. Man I lvs it. Keep blazin dat shit.