Ken Carson
Ken Carson in 2021 mugshot
Ken Carson in 2021 mugshot
Background information
Birth nameKenyatta Lee Frazier Jr.
Also known as
  • Teen X
  • X Man
Born (2000-04-11) April 11, 2000
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2015–present
Labels
Formerly of

Kenyatta Lee Frazier Jr. (born April 11, 2000), known professionally as Ken Carson, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his second studio album X (2022), which became his first entry on the Billboard 200.[2] His third studio album, A Great Chaos (2023) reached number 11 on the chart.[3] Carson signed to Playboi Carti's record label Opium, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2019.

Prior, Carson released his extended play Teen X (2020) and debut studio album Project X (2021). Songs from the latter, namely "Rock N Roll" and "Run + Ran", gained wide popularity on the platform TikTok. He is closely affiliated with Opium labelmate, frequent collaborator, and fellow Georgia native Destroy Lonely.[3]

Career

2015–2019: Beginnings

Carson initially joined 808 Mafia in 2015 as a rapper after meeting fellow record producer TM88,[4] and would begin releasing music on SoundCloud as early as 2017. After gaining popularity in the underground rap scene, he would be 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.[5][6]

2020–2022: Teen X, Project X and X

After signing to Opium in 2019, Carson would release two extended plays in 2020, Boy Barbie and Teen X.

At the start of 2021, he would release a sequel EP called Teen X: Relapsed, before releasing his debut studio album Project X later that year.[7][8] In February 2022, he appeared as a guest on the track "Gëek high" off American rapper Yeat's album, 2 Alive.[9] He released his second studio album X on July 8, 2022.[10] It peaked at number 115 on the Billboard 200.[2]

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.[11][12][13] On October 31, 2022, Ken Carson released a deluxe version of his X album named Xtended, alongside a music video on YouTube for his song "MDMA" featuring Destroy Lonely.[14]

2023–present: A Great Chaos

Carson released the single "I Need U" on February 14, 2023.[15] On May 5, 2023, Carson featured on Destroy Lonely's debut studio album, If Looks Could Kill, on the song "Money & Sex".[16][17] In June 2023, Carson produced the song "x2" from Lil Uzi Vert's third studio album, Pink Tape.[18] 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;[19] three days later, nearly the entire album leaked online after several tracks were shared on a Discord server.[20] On October 12, an album launch party was held at the Silo dance club in Brooklyn to commemorate the project'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 "Fe!n" from Travis Scott's fourth studio album Utopia (2023).[21]

Musical style

Carson's musical style has been described as "[having] electronic production that is energetic in nature" and having "focused flows."[22] He has been compared to his mentor Playboi Carti, especially his 2020 album Whole Lotta Red as well as to Lil Uzi Vert for his flow and mentality.[8]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US

[23]

 US

R&B/HH [24]

 AUS

Hitseekers [25]

 CAN

[26]

 FIN

[27]

 GER

[28]

 LTU

[29]

 NLD

[30]

 NZ

[31]

 UK

[32]

Project X ——————————
X
  • Released: July 8, 2022[34]
  • Labels: Opium, Interscope
  • Formats: LP, digital download, streaming
 11550————————
A Great Chaos
  • Released: October 13, 2023[35]
  • Label: Opium, Interscope
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
 11441835459512143

Mixtapes

Title Mixtape details
Lost Files 2
  • Released: July 10, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Lost Files 3[36]
  • Released: January 29, 2022
  • Labels: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Lost Files 4
  • Released: January 3, 2023
  • Labels: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

Title Extended play details
Boy Barbie
  • Released: May 12, 2020
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Teen X
  • Released: August 14, 2020
  • Labels: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Lost Files
  • Released: January 20, 2021
  • Labels: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Teen X: Relapsed
  • Released: January 31, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as lead artist, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Fall Back" (with Young Slizzle) 2018 Non-album singles
"Fold"
"Free Dro" 2019
"Green Beam" 2020
"Spaced Out"
"Load"
"Glow"
"Came a Long Way"
"Trip Wit Me"
"Missing" 2021
"Casket" (with Destroy Lonely)
"How It Feel"
"Shoot It Up"
"Glock 19"
"Patrick Ewing"
"Please Don't Leave"
"Know the Price"
"Workin On Me"
"Ice"
"Blue Check"
"Exodus" (with Destroy Lonely)
"Raver" (with Destroy Lonely) 2022
"By My Lonely" (with JBans2turnt)
"Wockstar" (with Offset)
"Teen Bean" Lost Files 2
"Chrome Hearts Jeans" (with International Jefe) Non-album single
"The End" X
"Go"
"I Need U" 2023 A Great Chaos
List of singles as featured artist, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Natural Habitat"

(070 Shake featuring Ken Carson)

 2023 TBA

Other charted and certified songs

List of other charted and certified songs, with showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Bub.
[37]		 US
R&B/HH
[38]		 NZ
Hot
[39]
"Yale" 2020 ——— Teen X
"Fell in Love"
(with Lil Tecca)		 2023 18—25 Tec
"Green Room" 17—— A Great Chaos
"Jennifer's Body" 44319
"Fighting My Demons" 24014
"Singapore"
(featuring Destroy Lonely)		 9—31
"Lose It" 21——
"Me n My Kup" 19——
"Succubus" 18——
"Paranoid"
(featuring Destroy Lonely)		 15—29

Tours

Headlining

  • The X Man Tour (2022)

Co-headlining

References

  1. ↑ "Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely come to Fonda". Daily Trojan. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Billboard 200 Week of July 23, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  3. 1 2 @billboardcharts (October 23, 2023). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ "Ken Carson (Friday)". Creative Loafing. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Ken Carson Is a Leader of the New School". Complex. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Playboi Carti Gives Rare Interview on New Music, Fatherhood, More". XXL. August 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ken Car$on drops long-awaited debut album 'Project X'". Our Generation Music. July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Ken Car$on: Project X". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Gëek high (feat. Ken Carson)". Spotify. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Stream Ken Carson's New Album 'X' f/ Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang". Complex. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  11. ↑ "SoFaygo and Ken Carson Drop Video for "Hell Yeah"". Complex. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ "SoFaygo & Ken Carson Bring Undeniable Energy On "Hell Yeah"". HotNewHipHop. October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Taylor Swift, Lil Uzi Vert, Carly Rae Jepsen, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  14. ↑ "XTENDED by Ken Carson". October 31, 2022 – via music.apple.com.
  15. ↑ "Here's what went down at Ken Carson's sold-out London show". Crack Magazine. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Destroy Lonely's 'If Looks Could Kill': Everything We Know So Far". UPROXX. May 2, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Destroy Lonely's 'If Looks Could Kill' is a beacon of triumphant darkness". Our Generation Music. May 16, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ Bras Nevares, Gabriel (July 3, 2023). "Lil Uzi Vert Thanks Ken Carson For Producing "x2" Off Of "Pink Tape"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  19. ↑ Armstrong, Sam (October 8, 2023). "Ken Carson Announces New Album A Great Chaos". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  20. ↑ Zamora, José (October 9, 2023). "Opium's Ken Carson Has New Album Leaked Online". Raptology. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ Kurzweil, Lucas (October 14, 2023). "Ken Carson Introduces 'A Great Chaos' With Action Packed Concert at Silo in Brooklyn". NYS Music. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Ken Carson Makes A Statement With New Album "X"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  23. ↑ @billboardcharts (October 23, 2023). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Week of October 28, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  25. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 23 October 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1755. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 23, 2023. p. 25.
  26. ↑ "Canadian Albums: Week of October 28, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Ken Carson – A Great Chaos". ifpi.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  29. ↑ "2023 42-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Ken Carson – A Great Chaos". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  31. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Ken Carson songs and albums | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  33. ↑ A., Aron (July 24, 2021). "Ken Car$on Delivers On New Album "Project X"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  34. ↑ Cowen, Trace (July 8, 2022). "Stream Ken Carson's New Album 'X' f/ Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang". Complex. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  35. ↑ Cole, Alexander (October 13, 2022). "Ken Carson Drops Off Highly-Anticipated Album "A Great Chaos"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Ken Car$on drops 'Lost Files 3' collection of songs ahead of upcoming album". Our Generation Music. February 7, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  37. ↑ Peaks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart:
  38. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of October 28, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  39. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  40. ↑ "American certifications – Ken Carson". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Tour". Playboi Carti. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
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