Janssen
After years living among the influential lyricists of Chicago’s hip-hop scene, independent rapper Janssen Carzon finds purpose and personal remedy in his own musical artistry.
Five distinct singles. One summer EP. With only several songs under his belt, Janssen’s approach as a songwriter favors tracks that are crafted with care, not promoted for popularity. In January, before the release of another long-awaited single, I meet with the humble rapper in his DC home. His bedroom walls are tacked with Polaroid photographs of friends. Soft lo-fi beats loop from a playlist. An aroma of coffee and cannabis carries across the air. It’s an everyday atmosphere.
Janssen discusses his time living in Chicago, the story behind his newest track “Danksgiving,” and the antidotal nature of his musical messages.
The last time we properly saw each other was nine years ago. It was 2010, and you were still really into urban dance. Where did this passion for rap come from?
It was actually a surprise for me. My friends thought that dance was what I was going to pursue. I even auditioned for Culture Shock. But I got in, and I was like, “This isn’t for me.” I was in high school at the time. I was with friends who listened to heavy hip-hop. We started ciphering in the hallways and skipping classes and smoking a jay. I had this mentor for three years who showed me how to work a camera, and I got into that real fast. I wanted to explore it more. After I graduated high school, I went to Chicago.
You went to school in Chicago for photography?
I went there for my general education. I wanted to pick up film class and photography. Two years went by, and at all the events I would try to get into [as a freelancer] I met a bunch of artists—musicians that came from California, Texas, DC, New York—and they were all pursuing music. I just got exposed to a lot of musicians that started off the way I did. It inspired me. And a lot of them are up there now. It’s cool because they went for it. I wasn’t sure at the time what I was doing until I had this passion. I was like, “Well, I really want to put this into a song and just make music therapy for people.” I think that’s how it started. I found these people that made it more interesting. It made me push my boundaries.
What was it about Chicago culture that stimulated your creativity more than things did back home in DC?
I think Chicago is so big. It’s a ten-by-ten-mile city—I learned that from history class—and DC’s so small and concentrated. And the politics. It’s kind of hard to be a creative. You have to really know a lot of people just to get to a big gig and get up the ladder. In Chicago, it’s bigger and the musicians are from all around the country and all share the same passion, so it’s easier to connect with people. I was going to stay in Chicago, but then it just got really cold. Like, two years passed by and it was too cold. [laughs]
“I wasn’t sure at the time what I was doing until I had this passion. I was like, ‘Well, I really want to put this into a song and just make music therapy for people.’ I think that’s how it started.”
With so many distinct scenes and styles in hip-hop—Atlanta, New York City, West Coast—what were you able to take from Chicago’s scene in particular?
I think Chicago has a lot of poets. I mean, Chance the Rapper did open mics a lot when he first started. He influenced me when I was living in Chicago. He was doing gospel and infusing it with rap and poetry. Now he’s acting. It’s really cool. I listened to his [collective] Savemoney that’s curated by Vic Mensa and Joey Purp, and there’s this duo now coming up called DRAMA. It’s [Na’el Shehade], an engineer, and [Via Rosa] who sings. A lot of these artists from Chicago have different styles, whether it’s techno, pop, R&B.
Any genres outside of hip-hop that you take inspiration from?
I’m mostly just kind of indie and hip-hop. Yeah. I used to listen to a lot of rock, like All Time Low, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Blink 182.
In “East Side.” and “P S A” you touched on political issues. You were telling people about the world rather than telling them about yourself. What do you tend to focus on when you’re writing?
I just really want to connect to people and level with them when I make music. We’re living in a really tough time right now, so I think it’s good to address that. Especially now. We have younger kids looking up to us now, and I think it’s my passion to give them my two cents and be an example. I work on a lot of music. Some songs I work on for a year or two. One time I’ll make a song about personal things, and some songs I’ll work on something politically charged or something that’s happening around the world. I think it varies with whatever I’m feeling.
“I just really want to connect to people and level with them when I make music. We’re living in a really tough time right now, so I think it’s good to address that. Especially now.”
By the time this interview gets published, “Danksgiving” will finally be released to the public. Tell me the story behind this song. What did you want it to illustrate?
It’s a funny story. My friend 3astman is a dope producer from Maryland. That was his beat. He put out this beat tape on Spotify and I was like, “This is it. I want it.” And it was titled “Danksgiving” so I didn’t want to change it. I wanted to make it true to itself. I don’t know what he was feeling but I kind of felt it too, so I wrote what I felt. He was basically playing on words. “Dank” means the good shit, right? The grade A. You’re giving grade A back. It [made sense] to write this song because we’re thankful for all these struggling years so far. I’m not heavy into politics, but I can see with my eyes. A lot of shit is happening in the world and I think it just bothered me, so I needed to write it and let everybody else hear it.
“Danksgiving” was basically my summary of 2018. I played the beat to my friend Danny who now lives in Chicago. He whistles on this song. I played it for him a couple times, went to the bathroom, and when I came back I heard whistling, and I was like, “Yo—play that one more time!” Danny’s a high school friend of mine. My sister [Tina Carzon] is on the hook. I just needed a softer voice, so I asked her to do it. I couldn’t sing for shit. [In the song] I talk about a little bit of my personal experiences and what’s happening in the world. It’s fucked up. People are dying left and right and I think it’s just a reminder that even if we’re living through tough times, we can still have each other.
With rap music, Asians are among the least prominent in our mainstream, and rappers are well known for where they grew up or came from. How do you consider people perceiving you as an Asian-American rapper? Is it important that you identify or represent that about yourself?
I mean, look at me. I look Asian as fuck. [laughs] I don’t know. I feel like especially in “Eastside.” I’m emphasizing where I come from: all the way eastside. But I don’t really care. I pride myself to be Filipino, but it doesn’t matter. You crack a brown egg, you crack a white egg—it still comes out the same shit, right? I think I portray that enough in my music, but I definitely want to dig deeper into my roots.
How would you describe your growth as an artist so far?
Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to get to this point. This interview is really cool. For you to see me as a growing artist, it’s an honor. I’m not here for clout. We’re all doing this for ourselves at the end of the day. I think each of us, our goal is to present it the best way you can to other people.
“I’m not here for clout. We’re all doing this for ourselves at the end of the day. I think each of us, our goal is to present it the best way you can to other people.”
And what kind of mark do you want your music to leave on other people?
I want to address. I have anxiety. I think we all have that minute bit of it. And a lot of that causes mental issues, so I want to address that a lot more to just care for people. That’s the whole reason for me making music. A lot of the songs that I make, it’s kind of melancholy at most and it’s because I’m going through a lot of super down stuff. When I’m down, I want to uplift myself, so these songs I want to make are to uplift people who are dealing with mental issues or just having a bad day. [pauses] But I still make music that’s bumpin’. It’s not all sad songs.
Are there any artists you’re looking to collaborate with?
I have a lot. Kasey Jones is dope. He’s from the DMV. Looking forward to working with him this year hopefully. And Paydroo. He just dropped “POE” (Product of My Environment). It’s a really dope project. And [my sister] Tina. I’m trying to drop singles this year.
When can we expect a full album?
I had a mix tape. My first mix tape was called “Anecdotes” on SoundCloud. It was about my time in Chicago and DC, and it was super early-stage. Hearing it now is like, damn. The lyrics were dope, but the production was okay. I just dropped an EP last summer. I’m really careful with what I want to say in tracks. I want it to be meaningful. I don’t want to put out [new songs] like, “Here you go!” I want to build a house. I want to build the pillars first. I want to work on it. So I’m working on it.