Q&A With South Brunswick, NJ Based Rising Hip Hop Artist AK

Dam!!…We haven’t come across a super dope young spitter like yourself for a good minute! Please tell us who is AK? Where are you from? Give us some background on your artist name?

AK is me, Austin Kassabian. I’m from South Brunswick, NJ. I got my name actually from my gamertag on Xbox back when I first created my account. The beginning of my gamertage was AK47 with a few numbers after that, which I’m going to keep to myself because I still use that account lmao. But yeah, when I was playing with friends and people I met online back in the halo days, everyone I played with would just call me AK, and eventually my friends at school caught on and it just stuck with me.

How long have you been in the music game? Also, tell us a bit on how you were able to craft your own unique style?

I started writing poetry in 7th-8th grade but the poetry turned to music around 9th grade. My writing process back then used to be that I would write my songs with no beat at all and then I’d find a beat later that matched with what I wrote. So, I feel like I was able to find pockets and flows early on that I thought were dope, without having the pressure of making it work right then and there with a beat. So over time i learned to use that mindset WITH beats and it gave me the upper hand.

Congrats on your latest EP “On Me” which we just got done conducting a review on and its dropping soon. Is this your first EP? Break down the project in a few words.for us.

‘On Me’ is my debut project. I put a lot of time and effort into making this project and I’m proud of how it turned out. The songs all have a different meaning to me and they all give off a motivational type vibe that I feel like could speak to a lot of people.

Your TOP 5 MC’s & Producer? Also, influences/OG’s of yours you would like to collab with?

MY top MC’s – Wanye, Cole, Kendrick, 50 Cent, Nas

MY top Producers – Dre, Scott Storch, Metro Boomin, Timbaland, JCole

I’d love to collab with Cole or Kendrick. I’m excited for that day to come.

You for sure kill it across all social media!! Any tips and tricks you recommend for all these new up and coming rappers?

Be yourself on there, that shit lives forever.

How is your current fanbase reacting to your project? Also, for all the new fans who come across your music, what do you want to them to walkaway with when they get a taste of your new EP?

Fans are showing crazy love on this project so far! They’re showing overwhelming support and love. I’m glad they rock with it as much as I do. To the new fans, take from the EP as you please. I just try to make people feel good with the music and I hope it does the same for y’all.

What are a few different moves your making for 2020 when it comes to your music career?

I wanted to get into doing another tour at the end of the year, but with the virus going around we’ll have to wait and see. But it would be awesome to get out on the road again especially with the debut project out now.

Any future collabs or projects you working on for 2020?

I have some things I’m definitely excited about. Don’t want to say too much, but just know there’s a lot I’m excited about.

Our highlight question, what your definition of underground hip hop?

To be honest underground hip hop is definitely an opinion based thing. There’s artists that some will say are underground but others will say differently. But underground hip hop to me are the artists who are all on the verge of breaking through to the next level.

Lastly, any shout outs you have?

Shoutout my fans, best fans in the world. Shoutout my family and the homies. And shoutout God.