Good Smoke, Tats and 3 Foot Dreads: Meet $kinny

$kinny hails from a world where music’s taboo so he created his own world.

Surrounded by smoke, covered in tattoos, and rocking three-foot dreads, the Saudi Arabia-born and Los Angeles-based rapper, producer, and visual artist invites listeners into this space with his 2017 EP, “Late Night Blvd.”

His artful amalgam of airy instrumentation, lush production, and hazy rhymes has already earned praise from The Fader, Noisey, LA Weekly, Vibe, and a host of other well-known blogs and media as well as millions of plays on YouTube and Soundcloud.
Among $kinny’s influences are Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G. and Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Sade, all of which he listened to while on summer visits to Los Angeles.
He moved to Southern California in 2005, and became a self-taught producer, playing keyboards and recording with Logic.
$kinny’s aforementioned efforts and talent led to success, landing a session with Timbaland and a publishing deal with Warner Chappell.

“My music sounds like watching old school criminal movies on the moon,” $kinny explained. “I’m creating the soundtrack to my life by putting all of these different influences on the spaceship. It’s more than songs… it’s an experience.”

$kinny paved the way for this “experience” with his acclaimed 2014 mixtape “Ghetto Disneyland” and “Flights to the MOON” with the single, “Makaveli;” he personally directed the stunning cinematic video, unfolding a narrative of its own in the process.
In 2015, visionary music video director X saw the $kinny-helmed clip for “PMK(Ghetto Disneyland).”
Entranced by the style, he quickly signed $kinny as a director to his production company, Creative Soul.
“Night Shift” is super mellow and melodic, yet still illustrates his narrative.

“I’m blessed to do what I do. I really want to show people that even though it’s a cold world, you can break through barriers, keep fighting, and take it to another level.” – $kinny