Freedom of Speech

Poet / Recording Artist / Songwriter / Father / Activist.

Never abuse something you can’t live without...
 

A lot of MC’s “spit,” but how many can actually write a song? A product of Chicago’s sound, style and street influence, the talented Kush is among an elite class. Blazing a 20-year-long trail across hip hop’s underground terrain, he once performed as “ShoTime.” Today, however, Kush embodies a natural understanding of music, exceptional vocal delivery and thought-provoking lyrical content that catapult him to the top of his game.

“I’ve been on my own journey and the way I’ve come into knowledge of Egypt and other inspirations is what helped fuel the tank of my name-change, even when other people took it as something negative,” he says, referencing ancient land of Cush.

“The name ‘Kush’ ain’t about what I do in my free time. It’s about the market I reach, and my ability to take my audience deeper into a musical state of consciousness, no matter what their mindset,” he says.

With his brand of “ghetto gospel” – a carefully cultivated blend of hard-edged storytelling, reminiscent of early Ice Cube, and political and social insights that call KRS-One to mind – Kush still manages to carve out a distinct identity as an artist.

As his former Myspace plays numbering 5 million and his 400,000 collective SoundCloud streams attest, Kush has developed an impressive following. Tracks like  "Freedom of Speech" and "Pray" have become underground favorites throughout his native Midwest and beyond.

A product of trauma from the time he was in the womb, Kush ultimately wants his music to help listeners translate and process their own pain through his lyrics: “It’s like taking a magic carpet through Chicago. Chicago is already known as aggressive, violent, but people misinterpret and overlook the love, the unity. I’m not stepping to a microphone if there isn’t love behind my intentions.”

 





Freedom of Speech

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