In his bedroom, Kanii learned how to turn his voice into magic. The 18-year-old artist and singer from Washington, D.C. spent his childhood dabbling in various recording software. Get to know him deeper with this VIPER interview…

What five words define your sound? 

Retro, future, fresh, exciting, fun.

Tell me something unique about your creative process

I usually mumble over a full instrumental five to 10 times until I find the right melody to go off of. 

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first? 

It would definitely be ‘Marry Me’, the vibe of that song is super fun.

What inspired you to make that song? 

It was life to be honest, just the experiences i’ve had with certain people and how it’s shaped my views. 

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music? 

Sometimes when I’m alone creating that’s when I get the most vulnerable and the most in tune with the frequency of the music which makes me spill more than I would like. 

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage? 

The best experience I’ve had was in London! Performing in the UK for the first time was amazing and London showed so much love; super great crowd.

What is your favourite song to perform? 

‘Pretty Photos’ is probably my favourite because it showcases my range and writing ability.

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music? 

It was definitely Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ – that album changed my life. 

What’s the meaning behind your name? 

I was born with the name Kani but the extra i signifies the difference between me as a individual and an artist. 

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead? 

I wouldn’t be here [laughs]. 

What’s success to you? 

It’s definitely living forever through the music, that’s ultimate success in my eyes. 

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

It was when I was in high school and everyone was talking about how they were going to go to college for four years for things their parents wanted them to do. I decided in that moment I wanted to go my own route. 

Where can people keep in touch with you? 

My instagram, I’m always looking at DMs to chat @kanii_o

Photo by Garrett Bruce