There’s a million singers that can do runs
And crazy things with their voice but it’s boring
It doesn’t stand out to me
It’s more about the unique voice
It’s more about I know exactly who that is
This isn’t anybody but him this is Allan’s voice
I grew up mainly with my mother
My father moved back to South Africa
When I was like super young
My mother came on a scholarship to Canada
And studied there from Tanzania
Before I entered into the Hip-Hop world
My mom’s perception of Hip-Hop was
It’s dangerous short lived risky
We already had the conversation of
Me following music as my passion
And making it my main thing that I’m doing in life
And it was clear that she wasn’t with it
Music is very competitive and I mean
He’s from Minnesota and people that succeed
Most of the time they are from other places
I didn’t think he would make it
Having the person closest to you
And like your biggest role model
Not think that you can do it
And you still do it
It’s like nobody can tell you anything after that
Nobody can ever say anything to me at any time
That will discourage me to do anything that I wanna do
I was saying a lot of things that would have discouraged him
But it just made him stronger
I’m like okay so I’m not going to give you a ride
To go to this studio and he’ll just walk
In the cold and go do it
I’m like okay this kid is determined
Minneapolis already has it’s scene
Whereas if you’re from Saint Paul and not connected to that scene
You’re looking outside for other resources and influences
It’s just more about let’s get together
Just to get together
Let’s make music just to make music
Because there’s no real industry here
It’s just artists
Like I made so many songs here that I liked
You got Scarface you know what I mean?
Mob bosses Muhammad Ali Michael Jackson
You can look at the city while you rap about the city
If you’re gonna be an artist from here
That means that you have to be so good
That you don’t know any writers off the jump
You don’t know anyone connected to the industry
But you’re so good that the world just realizes it
When I first heard his shit I’m like okay that’s cool
Second time I heard it I’m like okay
And then the shit it grew on me
Like okay cuz is really dope
Like he’s really dope
I was making stuff in my room
And just putting it on the internet
I was an immigrant son from Winnipeg
That lives in Saint Paul
It’s like how do you bring that to the world?
And it was like the internet did that perfectly
People don’t really see deer a lot
And people don’t really see trees a lot in Hip-Hop
But that’s what I grew up around
Do I wanna keep shooting videos in the city
And around buildings that I don’t like live my life in
Or should I just show people what I’m actually around
And I was like yeah my name’s Allan Kingdom
At first I was expressing myself
And when you do that you have no idea of the level of quality
Until you reach out to somebody who you respect
And see their reaction
The first time that I realized
It was beginning of people noticing me
Was when Plain Pat emailed me
His reaction to me is what had me thinking
About things a little bit differently
The goal list when I first came
It was and this was years ago
And it was all like by the end of the year
Be on Jimmy Fallon work with Kanye
It was all like these things and I was like
I can’t remember what was on there
But it’s like things all come true I guess
How many of those goals have you met now?
A couple the Kanye one
Not the Jimmy Fallon one yet
But all things that are very possible right now
So that’s dope
I was walking out on stage we crossed through the curtain
And we’re about to walk out
Kim introduces us
And Kanye turns around and was like
Welcome to the big leagues
My mom’s back here on her desktop computer
On YouTube watching this and like losing her shit
Like that’s my son
Coming back home and being in the same place
I’ve always been is now a new experience
And it’s literally like being in a new place
I think differently
Like my friends are still cool
My friends are still the same
People that have been there for me are still there for me
Just the way I think about things
And the way I see the world is just different now
There’s a lot of talent out there
So what makes you successful is not just talent
It’s determination it’s connection
It’s outlook to life
I mean you can be talented and successful on the stage
But then be a failure in life
I still feel like I’m at the beginning
I don’t ever want to feel like I’ve done it all
I think that’s when you stop being creative
Allan Kingdom for me is like
I’m taking everything I’m learning in the world
And creating my own world that you can join me in
It’s amazing to see people wave and shout
And scream I’m like woah that’s Allan
People are screaming at
Every time I do something
It’s exciting because it’s new
And I don’t know what’s going to happen
That’s what I represent
It’s something new