KTheChosen, standing on business

Hunter Pratt, Contributor

How will the world know your art unless you’re the one managing it? How can you evolve in your art if you don’t allow yourself to get vulnerable?

Both of these questions were on the table with my interview of Calgarian-Zimbabwean artist, KTheChosen (K). He refers to himself as “Your Friendly Neighborhood Rapper,” paying homage to Spider-Man, his favourite superhero. 

K sees himself both an artist and a welcoming guy, making music for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. K hits this mark by doing countless interviews and podcasts around the city as a way to not only get exposure for his music, but to provide himself with a platform that adds dimension in his art. 

“Interviews are important for sharing information with people, letting them know me as an artist on a deeper level,” says K.

He emphasises the importance of getting comfortable on the mic, not just performance wise, but being able to provide two sides to your artistry within an interview setting.

“Calgary’s full of so many talented artists, but not everyone is good at telling their story. Not everyone has the same confidence on stage as they do in an interview,” says K. 

Indeed, when researching Calgary musicians, KTheChosen is at your fingertips, which is thanks to the fact that he is no stranger to hopping on the mic for an interview. 

K often covers topics of his own artistry and his platform, however, in my conversation with the rapper, we cover more than just the music itself. A key theme within the conversation being the agency you have to have behind your art.

When it comes to being responsible for your own marketing, K says that “the more comfortable you get with branding yourself is not only because you understand how to tell your own story, but also because you understand how to have more agency over your story.” 

Autonomy over the music is exceedingly important for K, as the vulnerability he shares within his music can be validated by listeners. Interviews provide him not only the exposure a local artist wants, but also the chance to humanise his work.

Encapsulating emotions in your work can be risky. It can be hard to step outside of your comfort zone and tap into that vulnerability. In the instance of K’s music, he finds that vulnerability in his music wasn’t always a part of him that he shared. 

It was his most recent project HBK, released in April 2025, that brought out the pathos. 

“The root inspiration behind [HBK] was heartbreak, and it was weird because I think that it made me think about my break ups in the past and evaluate where I was the problem,” says K. “I think I grew a lot from it because there was personal healing, not just for myself, but also as I put out the music.”

K’s music is healing for more than just his listeners, it’s a way for him to heal from his own hiccups and heartbreaks. 

While K is an artist, he is also a host for Ship Hop, a quarterly event that showcases local talent in freestyle competitions and other friendly rap games. When it comes to crowd engagement, it’s extremely crucial to engage with people for a successful performance.

“It makes me feel good when I know you’re enjoying the show, and then we can do this call and response, which is such a big thing in hip hop,” says K. 

Reciprocation is a deciding factor for the artist, as he has had trouble in the past with finding his community. 

When K touched down in Calgary in 2018, it wasn’t easy for him to find spaces to share his music. He started with open mics at poetry events and was quickly displeased with the responses. 

“The owners didn’t know what to do with my style of art because they’re often into poetry. It’s not that they didn’t like it, they just didn’t know how to respond to it,” says K. 

Matching your energy is a major key for K. Consequently, he later found his match in places, such as Ship Hop.  

What does K reap from the interviews and the hosting? Through the opportunities he networks and receives exposure from, K is a household name in the Calgary scene, speaking up for himself and the best interests of other artists.

“Calgary’s full of so many talented artists. I’ve met them myself,” says K. 

For KTheChosen, autonomy in art is a prime reason why the YYC scene is under its development. How will this change? By developing duality over your art and its agency.