Every decade, music fans are gifted a prodigy with a talent and vision transcendent of their age - from Pharrell Williams to Tyler the Creator - the next generation arrives courtesy of San Francisco native 24kGoldn. A 19-year-old rapper, singer and arranger who possesses the kind of melodic ability and infectious style to burst out of the Tik Tok-shaped vehicle that has so rapidly accelerated his rise to public consciousness. With the world in chaos due to COVID-19, music editor, Dylan Weller found time to interview 24kGoldn to discuss what he feels the world will be like when self-isolation is over.
Favourite place you’ve toured and what did the audience show you there that you didn’t find in other places?
I love doing shows in Chicago. The people there always show mad love and I actually like just hanging out there outside of the shows, going shopping or to the clubs after.
Other rising artists including yourself found that Tik Tok helped in gaining recognition with music. Do you think this will last or just be another fad?
If I didn’t think TikTok was gonna be here to stay I wouldn’t even bother with it. When I was growing up parents wouldn’t let their kids have a Facebook, but Instagram was cool. With this new generation, parents won’t let their kids have Instagram but TikTok is cool. TikTok is the future.
You spoke about being the face of a hygiene brand in a past interview, what would your dream collab be?
When I was in middle school they would air these Axe body spray commercials where a guy would spray himself and then it would cut to him running for his life as a horde of females chased him. I wanna be that guy getting chased in the Axe commercial and bring that back so kids nowadays never forget what a locker room full of sweat and Axe body spray smells like.
Who has recently inspired you creatively?
As I’m starting to work on my new album, I’m trying to only listen to music in album format now to figure out what truly makes a great album great. So lately I’ve been listening to the new The Weeknd project, Travis Scott’s Rodeo, Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and a lot of Drake.
When did you start making videos such as Dad Rules and is this something you’ve always been into, even before music?
My only experience with making funny videos before Dad Rules was just f***ing around with my homies in middle school on Vine. Dad Rules wasn’t even planned though it was just something we came up with on set and people really liked it.
Where did 24kGoldn come from?
I used to go by just Golden (my real name), but it was hard to compete with everything else “Golden”. For attention, I added 24k, the purest form of gold, as a representation of me being the purest form of myself.
How are you keeping yourself sane during this period of social distancing?
I’m the opposite of a homebody so it’s hard, but I’ve been going on walks and hikes just to get fresh air and be reminded that there is a world outside my crib.
Once things are back to normal and concerts can be held, where’s the first place you’d like to go?
I already know there’s gonna be some crazy “We Survived Coronavirus” parties because everyone’s been cooped up in the house so we gotta celebrate once it’s over.
I heard you started making music in sophomore year, did you know then that you wanted to be an artist?
It started just as something I liked to do. I was always into music and always pretty good at it, but it wasn’t until senior year when I really noticed how much other people enjoyed my music and I realized, “Yo my music is better than a lot of stuff out there,” so I might as well just give it my all because I could actually do this for real.
One album for the rest of your life, what would it be?
808s & Heartbreak, there are no bad songs on there.
Photography by Phil Knott
Interview by Dylan Weller