Conversations with Keenan Owens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keenan Owens

Hi Keenan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in California. I spent the first 4 years of my life in the foster care system as my mother had some life struggles she had to get through and I never knew or met my father. This made her unable to care for my brother which landed us with our Great Aunt Jessie from the ages of 4 to 8. At that point her son, who is my father in my mind, all things considered, took over custody and we moved to Texas where we would stay for the next 4 years. It would’ve been. much longer, but my dad was already on dialysis before he would assume custody of my brother and I, and his health issues got the better of him. His passing would put his wife in financial turmoil essentially rendering her unable to pay for the living expenses as a single parent household. this would mark our departure from Texas back to California where my brother and I would move back in with our Great Aunt. I would remain with her until her passing when I turned 19. After which my Uncle and Aunt would give me a place to stay while I graduated from JUCO (El Camino Compton College) and SF State. During my final years at SF State, i started making music as an outlet for my emotions due to the fact that I didn’t really have many people I felt comfortable speaking to about my life, so music became my outlet in that regard. I graduated 2021 and have been primarily focused onn music ever since. Recently I have been unhoused, and due to the fact that I lost both of my jobs shortly before that, i’ve been trying to get back on my feet while remaining committed to creating and releasing music as well.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road. I tend to take things as they are and not get too hung up on the things I can’t change, but there have been some struggles along the way. The main ones are the passings of my father and Great Aunt. They were the most consistent people I had to discuss life and what I should or shouldn’t be doing. When they passed I really only had myself to talk to and figure out life with. I was living with family but the lines of communication weren’t as open as they were with my dad and aunt so I would end up having to figure things out myself and be own life coach of sorts. It did make me more independent and less reliant on others to solve my problems, but it also led to me having a lack of trust for majority of those around me. Lately, however, i did have to move out from their home and that has left me without a place to live, so my latest struggle is living in my car. I don’t make enough to cover rent in practically all places, but I make too much to be covered by government assistance which has me in this sort of limbo at the moment. Despite being a college graduate finding jobs hasn’t been the easiest task to accomplish so I end up Ubering and doing Background work to sustain myself. The background jobs are fun and keep me engaged and paired with Ubering, it pays the bills, ut I’d prefer to be on stage performing inn cities rather than delivering food as my experience “On The Road”.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make music, and have been making music for about three to four years. I started when in the pandemic which was close to the end of my collegiate career. I write/freestyle all of my lyrics, and have made a few beats with plans on expanding my range in the music creation space. Some songs that people have told me they like are On The Road ft. Rick Ross on my album “Late Work”, Your Reply on my album “Summer Days”, and So Fresh Ft. Snoop Dogg on my album “Square 1”. If I had to pick something that sets me apart from others, I’d say it’s my ability to create music of multiple genres and sounds, without having to rely on one type of beat, or flow for my creations. I also believe I have an uncanny ability to freestyle as well as create lyrics quickly. When I do write, I believe I have exceptional wordplay and lyricism that is more relatable than not. Don’t get me wrong, I’m most likely not THE BEST freestyler in the world, but when i get in a groove and find my flow I know I can create something catchy and original rather quickly. Most of my written songs start off as rough freestyles that I create on my first or second listen that are fine tuned with writing after I play it back.

What are your plans for the future?
I’m planning on hitting more stages in the near future. I haven’t had too many performance, but when i do perform I tend to get more positive thann negative reviews from all ages so i hope to continue in that regard. I am also planning on releasing more than a few albums and singles before the end of the year to keep my profile saturated with fresh releases as I aim to gain a larger foothold in the music industry. The only big change I’m hoping I can make is to go from sleeping in the backseat of my car to a bed in an apartment or home soon. That’e been my main focus lately.

Contact Info:

• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keenmusic_
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1yQ6th3SmuSj1VjTwIqgvu?si=OnYT46RRTG6mOdvnf5-lyg