Turning Rejection Into Fuel For Art

Send us Fan MailChicago doesn’t let you get comfortable—and that’s the point. We sit down with K.E.N (Killing Every Note) to trace a path from grade-school poetry recitals to genre-bending records, hard-earned stage chops, and a mindset tuned to resilience over approval. He’s reading The Courage to Be Disliked and living it out loud: letting go of instant validation, choosing intention over attention, and treating discomfort as a cue to level up.K.E.N breaks down the craft like a technician. He talks flow pockets, syllable choices, and how fast rap only works when it’s melodic and clear. We get inside his performance philosophy—how the best sets start with reading the room, rehearsing with purpose, and building a moment people feel long after the last hook. Then we dig into the making of Limitations, a rock-leaning track that clicked only after he brought in Voxy the Artist to scream on the record and arranged those textures like instruments. It’s a lesson in serving the song instead of ego.We also explore why local artists often stand in their own way, how to keep releasing when early responses are quiet, and why numbers mean more when pulled back into real-life scale. And yes, we go deep on the enduring power of Fuck That Nine To Five—why it resonates in every room, how he softened the delivery without losing bite, and what a two-plus-year push taught him about patience and payoff. Along the way, K.E.N shares what’s next: a collab with Rhymster, teaching hip-hop at a Wicker Park school, a CAN TV performance, and a mysterious “draft number six.”Tap play, get energized, and bring your focus back to the work that matters. If you felt this one, share it with a friend, leave a review, and hit follow so you never miss an episode.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: The SHITTS Podcast. Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio. Subscribe and comment.