Candy Ken
Jakob Kasimir Hellrigl, known as Candy Ken, (born on 27 July 1992) is an Austrian based rapper, model and artist.[1] He started his career as a rapper in 2014.
He released his first EP "Welcome to Candy Land" [2] in November 2014 as video mini series on YouTube. In May 2015 they were released on Itunes.
Combining his masculine, muscular appearance with feminine girly iconic details and his love for Hello Kitty[3]brand made him an internet sensation very quickly.[4]
Backround and career
Born in Bregenz ,Austria,Jakob Kasimir aka. Candy Ken started studying as a photography and film designer at Berlin's Lette -Verein college but dropped off his studies in 2014.
Disappointed that he cant find his photo muse, he decided to become himself the muse he was looking for so long.[clarification needed][5] His unusual obssesion with Hello Kitty,[6]Kawaii culture,Barbie dolls and everything colored pink and incorporating them in his dress style and visuals ,sets him apart from the image of the typical rapper appearance,giving him special and a distinctive expression as a persona.[7]
Friends called him Ken, but for Jakob, Ken was dull and boring. Adding feminine Kawaii style, gender-bending antics to his visual appearance, he came out with the name and the persona of Candy Ken.[8]
Being a high school exchange student in the USA for a year, had also big impact on his creativity, especially the tolerant and accepting culture of Los Angeles.[9]
Candy Ken uses internet social media as canvas to constantly update his audience and social media followers with colorful images of himself, encouraging them to fully express and not be afraid to be themselves.[10]
The visual appearance and styling play a major role in his artistic expression .[11]
His artistic visuals and appearance are deeply connected to the japanese Kawaii cultural phenomenon[12]
Rap career
He started his own rapping career emerging from the Berlin's warehouse scene, releasing sing his EP " Welcome to Candy Land" in 2014 as a videos series on YouTube. The lyrics for the whole EP are written by Candy Ken himself, and he directed the videos himself. The music is produced by producent Lets go Radio, distributed by Spinnup label.[13]
The same video series made as a short film " Welcome to Candy Land" was awarded at the Austrian Short Film Festival -Alpinale in 2015.[14]
In September 2015 he released the second EP " Candy Ken Paradise" produced by producent and Dj Smokera and distributed by Spinnup label.[15] All five songs from the EP are accompanied again with videos released on YouTube, directed and styled by Candy Ken himself.
In November 2015 he released the third Ep " Daddy 69" containing 5 songs and also 5 videos.The video for '69' song is directed by London based underground director Kassandra Powell.[16] For the first time the video its directed by other than himself.
In june 2016 he released his first album "Real Talk" containing 12 songs of which all except two are made with collaboration with the rapper Gigi Tays.[citation needed] To celebrate the release of the album and promote himself, he threw a grand club party in Visions Video Bar in London.[17] The album is again produced by Smokera and The video for the song " What i like" is again directed by director Kasandra Powell.[18]
His mentions the american rapper Riff Raff as his major musical and artistic influence for the album.[19] Other musical and artistic influences include Die Antwoord,CL Brook, Lil Wayne, Marylin Manson, Brooke Candy amongst others.
Modeling career
His modeling career started when he was noticed on Instagram in 2015 by stylist and Diesel brand creative designer Nicola Formichetti, and was invited to do a photo shoot with him.[20] Formichetti reserved a whole photo session in his japanese magazine FREE.[21] Formichetti Introduced him to the photographer Terry Richardson who also made a photo shoot with him in full frontal nudity for the famous magazine " Man about Town".At the same time he was booked as a fashion model by the Italian Diesel clothing brand at the Pride week in NYC.[22] This launched him as the new fashion "it " boy.[23] He also made an runway appearance at the opening for the designer Roberto Piqueras fashion show at Berlin's alternative fashion week[24] He has made photo shoot sessions for VMAN Magazine,[25] Papermag Magazine,Vogue Taiwan[26] and many more.
Discography
| May 2015 | Welcome to Candy Land EP | songs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbie Doll | |||
| Candy Crush | |||
| Versace Medusa Gold | |||
| Mad or Nah | |||
| Versace Medusa Gold (remix) |
| September 2015 | Candy Ken Paradise | songs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say Ma Name | |||
| Snapchat | |||
| Crocodile Ken | |||
| Basic Bitch be Quiet | |||
| Birthday Kid |
| November 2015 | Daddy69 EP | Songs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daddy | |||
| 69 | |||
| Basic Bitch be Quiet | |||
| Fame Money Glamour Succes | |||
| Hello Kitty |
.
| 2016 | Real Talk ALBUM | songs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candy Crew | |||
| Beauthiful Beauthifull Beauthifull | |||
| Next Level | |||
| What i like (Na Na Na) | |||
| Fuck Gender | |||
| Netflix and Chill | |||
| Terry Richardson | |||
| IDGF | |||
| Run Forrest | |||
| I love blue | |||
| Dab Daddy | |||
| Kotzbrocken Aka Billing Burger | |||
| Papaya |
References
- ^ "Hair Ball of the Day | Who/What is Candy Ken? | Axxidental". accidentalbear.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ ""Welcome To Candyland" ist das Seltsamste und Beste, das wir diese Woche gesehen haben - Noisey". Noisey (in alps). Retrieved 2016-11-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Candy Crush: Berlin-based artist slash rapper bends genders . . . and steel bars". tayham.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ "GIF artist Kate Bones gets up close with Candy Ken". HUNGER TV. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Sugar Pop - Interview with Candy Ken! - Fucking Young!". Fucking Young!. 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Who the Hell Is Candy Ken?". 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Interview: FGUK Meets Pink obsessed rapper Candy Ken. – FGUK Magazine". www.fgukmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ^ "Breaking Down Stereotypes With Hello Kitty Lover Candy Ken". Galore. 2015-08-03. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
- ^ Stone, Zak (2016-08-19). "Candy Ken Does L.A." MEL Magazine. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ^ papermagazine (2016-02-18). "Premiere: Candy Ken Preaches Self-Love In "Sorry Not Sorry"". PAPERMAG. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "CHASSEUR INTERVIEWS MUSIC ARTIST CANDY KEN". Chasseur Magazine. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Fashion's Favorite: Candy Ken". MTV.de (in German). Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ^ "Candy Ken - Welcome To Candyland Part I + II | KALTBLUT Magazine". www.kaltblut-magazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Welcome to Candyland". ALPINALE. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- ^ "Fizzy Mag | LOST IN CANDY KEN'S PARADISE". fizzymag.com. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ^ "Candy Ken visits a VHS sex dungeon for the video for "69"". HUNGER TV. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "One Night In Candy Land: An Interview With The Larger Than Life Candy Ken". Autre Magazine. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Video World Premiere: Candy Ken feat. Gigi Tays - WHAT I LIKE (Na Na Na) | KALTBLUT Magazine". www.kaltblut-magazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ^ "Culture - Global Heroes - Candy Ken". MAC Cosmetics - Official Site. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
- ^ PAPERMAG (2015-07-30). "Chilling With Berlin Model/Partyboy, Candy Ken". PAPERMAG. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "CANDY KEN | ウィメンズ＆メンズファッション誌『FREE MAGAZINE』". freemagazine.jp. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ^ "Candy Ken gets naked for Terry Richardson | KALTBLUT Magazine". www.kaltblut-magazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
- ^ PAPERMAG (2015-02-25). "Is a Jacked Berlin-Based Rapper Named Candy Ken Fashion's New It Boy?". PAPERMAG. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ^ "Be Yourself! Interview with Candy Ken - kowei 插畫試衣間 - kowei ∣ 風格達人 ∣ VOGUE時尚網". www.vogue.com.tw. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "VMAN MAGAZINE featurin' CANDY KEN, Aura Photo Agency". www.auraphotoagency.com. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "做自己！粉紅系潮男 Candy Ken 台灣首訪 - kowei 插畫試衣間 - kowei ∣ 風格達人 ∣ VOGUE時尚網". www.vogue.com.tw. Retrieved 2016-11-22.