Ken Carson

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Ken Carson

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Kenyatta Lee Frazier Jr.

| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

| alias = {{hlist|Teen X|X Man|Ken Car$on}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|04|11}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter|record producer}}

| years_active = 2015–present

| genre = {{flatlist|

Southern hip hop{{Cite web |last=REVOLT |title=11 facts you need to know about Ken Carson, Atlanta's rising rap star |url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/11-facts-you-should-know-about-ken-carson |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=REVOLT |quote=With tracks that fuse elements of rage rap, hyperpop and traditional Southern rap, the rising star is pushing boundaries in Hip Hop...}}
trap{{Cite news |last=Dominguez |first=Sebastian |date=September 7, 2022 |title=Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely Come to Fonda |url=https://dailytrojan.com/2022/09/07/ken-carson-destroy-lonely-come-to-fonda/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026134154/https://dailytrojan.com/2022/09/07/ken-carson-destroy-lonely-come-to-fonda/ |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |work=Daily Trojan}}
rage

}}

| discography = Ken Carson discography

| label = {{hlist|Opium|Interscope}}

| past_member_of = {{hlist|808 Mafia}}

| website = {{URL|kencarson.xyz}}

| module = {{Infobox person|embed=yes

| signature = Ken Carson sig.svg

}}

Kenyatta Lee Frazier Jr. (born April 11, 2000), known professionally as Ken Carson, is an American rapper and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Carson initially gained attention for his SoundCloud releases and collaborations with fellow Atlanta rapper Destroy Lonely. In 2019, Carson signed with Playboi Carti's record label Opium, an imprint of Interscope Records, to release his debut studio album, Project X (2021).

His second album, X (2022), entered the Billboard 200 amidst negative critical reception.{{cite web |last=Cabison |first=Rosalie |date= |title=Billboard 200 Week of July 23, 2022 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2022-07-18/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907171537/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2022-07-18/ |archive-date=September 7, 2022 |access-date= |website=Billboard}} His third studio album, A Great Chaos (2023), peaked at number 11 on the chart and received warmer reviews by comparison; its deluxe release spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with the single "Overseas".{{cite tweet |number=1716505380400906510 |user=billboardcharts |title=Debuts on this week's #Billboard200... |date=October 23, 2023 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214061457/https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1716505380400906510 |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |url-status=live}} Carson released his fourth album, More Chaos, on his 25th birthday on April 11, 2025, and became his first number 1 on the Billboard 200.{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Elaina |date=January 14, 2025 |title=Per Kai Cenat, Ken Carson's 'More Chaos' Is Dropping in April |url=https://hypebeast.com/2025/1/ken-carson-more-chaos-kai-cenat-album-announcement-stream-release-info |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115021117/https://hypebeast.com/2025/1/ken-carson-more-chaos-kai-cenat-album-announcement-stream-release-info |archive-date=January 15, 2025 |work=Hypebeast}}{{Cite web |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=2025-04-20 |title=Ken Carson Claims First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘More Chaos’ |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/ken-carson-more-chaos-number-one-billboard-200-chart-1235950942/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}

Carson is associated with Opium label-mates Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang.{{Cite news |last=Gee |first=Maddie |date=October 18, 2024 |title=Is There an Opium Group Album in the Works? |url=https://raptv.com/article/destroy-lonely-says-opium-is-working-on-a-group-album/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241102010822/https://raptv.com/article/destroy-lonely-says-opium-is-working-on-a-group-album/ |archive-date=November 2, 2024 |access-date=November 1, 2024 |work=RapTV}}

Career

=2015–2019: Beginnings=

Carson initially joined 808 Mafia in 2015 as a rapper after meeting fellow record producer TM88,{{Cite web |title=Ken Carson (Friday) |url=https://creativeloafing.com/event-515891-ken-carson-friday |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915165617/https://creativeloafing.com/event-515891-ken-carson-friday |archive-date=September 15, 2022 |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=Creative Loafing}}{{Cite web |last1=Park |first1=Stephanie |last2=Pinsky |first2=Hannah |date=April 20, 2024 |title=Ken Carson: A Rising Rapper |url=https://parkspantherpress.com/14680/new-articles/ken-carson-a-rising-rapper/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007174253/https://parkspantherpress.com/14680/new-articles/ken-carson-a-rising-rapper/ |archive-date=October 7, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Parks Panther Press |publisher=Parks Junior High School}} and began releasing music on SoundCloud in 2017. After gaining popularity in the underground rap scene, he was discovered by fellow Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti and signed to his label Opium in 2019. Carson was also the first to be signed to Opium out of Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang.{{Cite news |last=McKinney |first=Jessica |date=July 7, 2022 |title=Ken Carson is a Leader of the New School |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/j-mckinney/ken-carson-interview-july-2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205010748/https://www.complex.com/music/a/j-mckinney/ken-carson-interview-july-2022 |archive-date=February 5, 2024 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |work=Complex}}{{Cite news |last=Satten |first=Vanessa |date=April 12, 2022 |title=Playboi Carti Interview – How One of Hip-Hop's Most Elusive Artists Stays Making Waves |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/playboi-carti-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915123604/https://www.xxlmag.com/playboi-carti-interview/ |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |work=XXL}}

= 2020–2022: ''Teen X'', ''Project X'' and ''X'' =

After signing with Opium in 2019, Carson released two extended plays—Boy Barbie and Teen X—the following year.

At the start of 2021, he released his third EP, titled Teen X: Relapsed, before releasing his debut studio album, Project X, later that year.{{Cite news |last=Barlas |first=Jon |date=July 23, 2021 |title=Ken Car$on Drops Long-Awaited Debut Album 'Project X' |url=https://ourgenerationmusic.com/news/ken-caron-teases-upcoming-album-project-x-with-six-new-songs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910013041/https://ourgenerationmusic.com/news/ken-caron-teases-upcoming-album-project-x-with-six-new-songs/ |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |work=Our Generation Music}}{{Cite news |last=Sundaresan |first=Mano |date=August 12, 2021 |title=Ken Carson: Project X Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ken-cardollaron-project-x/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926125903/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ken-cardollaron-project-x/ |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |work=Pitchfork}} In February 2022, he appeared as a guest on the track "Gëek high" off American rapper Yeat's second studio album 2 Alive.{{Cite news |last=Caldwell |first=Brandon |date=July 31, 2022 |title=Yeat Teases Upcoming 'LYFE' EP With Two Lil Uzi Vert Features |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.72167/title.yeat-teases-upcoming-lyfe-ep-with-two-lil-uzi-vert-features |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731203643/https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.72167/title.yeat-teases-upcoming-lyfe-ep-with-two-lil-uzi-vert-features |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |work=HipHopDX}} He released his second studio album, X, on July 8, 2022.{{Cite news |last=William Cowen |first=Trace |date=July 8, 2022 |title=Stream Ken Carson's New Album 'X' f/ Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/tracewilliamcowen/ken-carson-x-album-stream |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910013041/https://ourgenerationmusic.com/news/ken-caron-teases-upcoming-album-project-x-with-six-new-songs/ |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |work=Complex}} It peaked at number 115 on the Billboard 200 and reached number 50 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.{{Cite web |last=Crone |first=David |date=n.d. |title=Ken Carson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More ... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ken-carson-mn0003808453 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329222228/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ken-carson-mn0003808453/ |archive-date=2025-03-29 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=AllMusic |language=en |quote=}}

In October 2022, he and fellow Atlanta rapper SoFaygo released a single titled "Hell Yeah" for SoFaygo's debut studio album, Pink Heartz, with an accompanying music video.{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Alexander |date=October 21, 2022 |title=SoFaygo & Ken Carson Bring Undeniable Energy On "Hell Yeah" |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/442707-sofaygo-ken-carson-bring-undeniable-energy-on-hell-yeah |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021144712/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/442707-sofaygo-ken-carson-bring-undeniable-energy-on-hell-yeah |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |work=HotNewHipHop}}{{Cite magazine |last=Dolan |first=Jon |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift, Lil Uzi Vert, Carly Rae Jepsen, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-lil-uzi-vert-carly-rae-jepsen-songs-you-need-to-know-1234615801/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314190303/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-lil-uzi-vert-carly-rae-jepsen-songs-you-need-to-know-1234615801/ |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} On October 31, 2022, Ken Carson released a deluxe version of his X album, titled Xtended, alongside a music video on YouTube for his song "MDMA" featuring Destroy Lonely. On January 16, 2023, a music video for "Freestyle 2" was released.{{Cite web |last=Schube |first=Will |date=2023-01-16 |title=Ken Carson Shares Music Video For ‘Freestyle 2’ |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/ken-carson-freestyle-2-video/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}} On June 13, 2024, the song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).{{Cite web |title=American single certifications – Ken Carson – Freestyle 2 |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Ken+Carson&ti=Freestyle+2&format=Single&type=#search_section |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Recording Industry Association of America |language=en-US}}

=2023–present: ''A Great Chaos'' and ''More Chaos''=

Carson released the single "I Need U" on February 14, 2023.{{Cite news |last=Crack Staff |date=March 9, 2023 |title=Here's What Went Down at Ken Carson's Sold-Out London Show |url=https://crackmagazine.net/article/profiles/heres-what-went-down-at-ken-carsons-sold-out-london-show/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314034910/https://crackmagazine.net/article/profiles/heres-what-went-down-at-ken-carsons-sold-out-london-show/#expand |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |work=Crack}} On May 5, 2023, Carson featured on Destroy Lonely's debut studio album, If Looks Could Kill, on the song "Money & Sex."{{Cite news |last=Pointer |first=Flisadam |date=May 2, 2023 |title=Destroy Lonely's New Album 'If Looks Could Kill': Here's Everything We Know So Far |url=https://uproxx.com/music/destroy-lonely-new-album-if-looks-could-kill-release-info/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502204154/https://uproxx.com/music/destroy-lonely-new-album-if-looks-could-kill-release-info/ |archive-date=May 2, 2023 |work=Uproxx}}{{Cite web |last=Barlas |first=Jon |date=May 15, 2023 |title=Destroy Lonely's 'If Looks Could Kill' is a Beacon of Triumphant Darkness |url=https://ourgenerationmusic.com/new-music-spotlight/destroy-lonely-if-looks-could-kill-neverever-fakenggas/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920173404/https://ourgenerationmusic.com/new-music-spotlight/destroy-lonely-if-looks-could-kill-neverever-fakenggas/ |archive-date=September 20, 2024 |access-date=October 10, 2023 |website=Our Generation Music |language=en-US}} In June 2023, Carson produced the song "x2" from Lil Uzi Vert's third studio album, Pink Tape.{{cite web |last1=Bras Nevares |first1=Gabriel |title=Lil Uzi Vert Thanks Ken Carson For Producing "x2" Off Of "Pink Tape" |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/692540-lil-uzi-vert-ken-carson-x2-pink-tape |website=HotNewHipHop |access-date=2023-11-16 |date=2023-07-03}} On October 6, 2023, Carson tweeted a pre-save link for his third studio album, A Great Chaos, indicating that the project would be released on October 13 with a tracklist of 18 songs;{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Sam |date=October 8, 2023 |title=Ken Carson Announces New Album 'A Great Chaos' |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/ken-carson-a-great-chaos/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011195028/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/about-us/ |archive-date=October 11, 2023 |website=uDiscoverMusic |publisher=Universal Music Group}} three days later, nearly the entire album leaked online after several tracks were shared on a Discord server.{{Cite news |last=Zamora |first=José |date=October 9, 2023 |title=Opium's Ken Carson Has New Album Leaked Online |url=https://raptology.com/featured/opiums-ken-carson-has-new-album-leaked-online/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909220613/https://raptology.com/2023/10/09/opiums-ken-carson-has-new-album-leaked-online/ |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |access-date=October 10, 2023 |work=Raptology}} On October 12, an album launch party was held at the Silo dance club in Brooklyn to commemorate the album's release. Carson performed tracks "Fighting My Demons," "Lose It," "Hardcore," "Singapore," and "Paranoid" alongside his Opium labelmate Destroy Lonely, before bringing out fellow rapper and the aforementioned label's founder, Playboi Carti, to perform songs from the rapper's latest album, "Stop Breathing" from Whole Lotta Red (2020), and "Fein" from Travis Scott's fourth studio album, Utopia (2023).{{Cite news |last=Kurzweil |first=Lucas |date=2023-10-14 |title=Ken Carson Introduces 'A Great Chaos' With Action Packed Concert at Silo in Brooklyn |url=https://nysmusic.com/2023/10/14/ken-carson-introduces-a-great-chaos-with-action-packed-concert-at-silo-in-brooklyn/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020121542/https://nysmusic.com/2023/10/14/ken-carson-introduces-a-great-chaos-with-action-packed-concert-at-silo-in-brooklyn/ |archive-date=2023-10-20 |access-date=2023-10-15 |work=NYS Music}}

On July 5, 2024, he released the deluxe edition of A Great Chaos, containing seven additional tracks, including the single "Overseas," which was released on April 12, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Bernstein |first=Elaina |date=July 5, 2024 |title=Ken Carson Drops 'A Great Chaos' Deluxe Edition |url=https://hypebeast.com/2024/7/ken-carson-a-great-chaos-deluxe-announcement-release-info |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910214103/https://hypebeast.com/2024/7/ken-carson-a-great-chaos-deluxe-announcement-release-info |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |website=Hypebeast}}{{Cite news |last=Espinoza |first=Joshua |date=July 5, 2024 |title=Ken Carson Unleashes 'A Great Chaos' Deluxe Edition |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/joshua-espinoza/ken-carson-a-great-chaos-deluxe-edition |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705171523/https://www.complex.com/music/a/joshua-espinoza/ken-carson-a-great-chaos-deluxe-edition |archive-date=July 5, 2024 |work=Complex}} The single became his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 79.{{cite magazine |title=Billboard Hot 100: Week of April 27, 2024 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2024-04-27/ |access-date=April 23, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} On November 1, 2024, Carson released the single "Delusional" in promotion of his fourth studio album More Chaos. The single debuted at number 49 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.{{Cite web |last= |date= |title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of November 16, 2024 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-songs/2024-11-16/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} He would eventually release the album on his twenty fifth birthday, April 11, 2025, and became his first album to reach the number 1 spot and his second album to enter the top 10 on the Billboard and grinder 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums respectively, earning 69,500 album-equivalent units in its first week.

Musical style

Carson's musical style was described by HotNewHipHop music critic Alexander Cole as "having electronic production that is energetic in nature" and having focused "flows."{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Alexander |date=September 26, 2022 |title=Ken Carson Makes A Statement With New Album "X" |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/408979-ken-carson-makes-a-statement-with-new-album-x-new-mixtape |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001111412/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/408979-ken-carson-makes-a-statement-with-new-album-x-new-mixtape |archive-date=October 1, 2022 |work=HotNewHipHop}} Mano Sundaresan of Pitchfork compared Carson to his mentor Playboi Carti, especially his 2020 album Whole Lotta Red, as well as to Lil Uzi Vert for his flow and mentality.