It doesn't seem to be insisting, but in fact it is.
PROFILE
Rapper and owner of his own label, DREAM BOY, he made his debut in 2006 with the album "Prologue" while still an office worker at the time. . He has released 11 albums so far, and is currently a regular judge on "Freestyle Dungeon. . He is currently active as a regular judge on "Freestyle Dungeon. Last year, he celebrated the 15th anniversary of his debut and released a two-disc best album "15th anniversary DREAM BOY BEST ～2012-2020～". In March of this year, he released a new album "en route". Instagram:@kenthe390
What kind of clothes do you usually like to wear?
KEN THE 390:. I often wear simple, good quality items. I prefer plain or plain items rather than clothes with patterns or brand logos in the front.
Calvin Klein's collection, designed by Heron Preston, seems to fit your taste.
KEN THE 390:Yes, that's exactly the feeling I like. It doesn't seem to be assertive, but actually it is . It's casual, isn't it? . I actually bought the underwear from this collection for my private life.
Not clothes, but underwear?
KEN THE 390:. When I saw the campaign visuals for this collection, I thought it was nice. I usually like to wear Calvin Klein underwear, so I thought I'd give this collection a try. Summer is coming, and I felt like I wanted to wear something that I could see. I grew up in the hip-hop pants culture, so I like to show them off (laughs). (Laughs.) When you see the Calvin Klein logo, people think, "You're a decent guy. Normally, I would have chosen black, but I bought three colors: orange, khaki, and gray. I thought it would be nice to play with colors.
How do you feel about the clothes you wore this time?
KEN THE 390:After all, a simple and basic design is good. While respecting the standard design, the subtle orange stitching is also interesting. I don't usually choose a blue jacket, but I thought it was nice to try it on this time.
This garment-dyed jacket is made of canvas denim blended with organic cotton , and has a double-edged placket. The bottom is a pair of jogger pants, also made of organic cotton, for a sporty styling. Jacket ¥30,580, T-shirt ¥11,880, pants ¥18,480, others: personal effects of the designer
I would like to ask you about your recent musical activities. You released a new album "en route" in March of this year. How did you feel about this album?
KEN THE 390:Last year, we celebrated our 15th anniversary, and I was planning to spend the next year as an anniversary year, but due to the Corona project, I was not able to do as much as I wanted. However, the time I had freed up allowed me to concentrate on songwriting, and the songs I wrote are on this album.
Usually, I decide on a concept and create songs based on that theme, but this time, since it was the 15th anniversary, I concentrated on each song more intensively. Once the songs were completed, I would then consider the concept for each song.
I think there are artists who suffer from a lack of stimulation and inspiration when they are not able to go out and perform live or do other onsite activities due to the corona. But was it different in your case?
KEN THE 390:I was very focused. When I had time and wanted to do something I liked, I created what I wanted. . There are many other things that I enjoy doing, like watching movies or cooking, but for me it was creating songs. . But for me, it was making music. I realized once again that it has a high priority in my life, including my hobbies.
A. The guest performers in this piece are also gorgeous. Did you come up with that while you were writing the music?
KEN THE 390:I had a vague idea of who would be the right person for this song, or who would be the right person to convey this message together. It is natural for me to have originality in my music, but I also thought that my other characteristic is a sense of crossover with the artists around me. I have access to senior and junior rappers, as well as artists from different genres, each of which is one of my strengths. So I was conscious of that.
TARO SOUL & KEN THE 390, which was included as a bonus track, was also a topic of discussion.
KEN THE 390:We have always worked as a unit, but it had been a long time since we released a single album under our own names. He made his debut at the same time as me, so we are both celebrating our 15th anniversary. When we both became parents and had more time to spare due to Corona, I thought it would be a good time for us to work on this project with good motivation, so I asked him to join us. . As a result, it turned out to be a very pleasant process.
I think all of the songs are important, but is there a song that you are particularly attached to?
KEN THE 390:While R is my junior and I have known him for a long time, Hannya-san is my senior, and I have liked and listened to him for a long time, but he is from a different world from my own. However, I thought I might be able to invite him now that I have been doing it for 15 years, so I asked him to join. I was happy that Hannya-san responded to my invitation, even though he is not an artist who easily accepts guest appearances, and at the same time, I felt that I had grown as a person in this song. In that sense, I am glad that I have kept my stance for 15 years.
KEN: This work is the culmination of your career, but at the same time, I felt that it is a work in progress. I felt a lingering sense that there is more to come.
KEN THE 390:When I was working on the song, I was conscious of putting out everything I had. However, when I listened to the finished songs, I noticed that there were quite a few phrases that indicated that I still had a long way to go. I realized that I really thought that I still had room to grow. I feel more motivated when I write songs. Of course, there are things I regret. That's why I can think about what to do next time, or rather, I get fired up.
Lastly, what are your goals and what do you want to do in the future?
KEN THE 390:. I knew I wanted to release my works consistently. Even if my daily life changes, I want to keep up a good pace with my work. Also, I am hosting an event in July. I haven't held such an event recently, so I would like to be more active in this area from now on. As I mentioned earlier, my strength is that I can approach various artists. I would like to convey the wonder of combining different genres not only through my music, but also through my events. After Corona settles down, I would like to create events from that perspective.
