With Atlanta being the home of many famous and creative individuals, talent is not hard to come by. However, the Atlanta native Curtis Kenner, also known as Curt Tha Kreator, finds inspiration from his life and its people.
Kenner is a junior Film and Media major and an Art minor at Georgia State. He continues to live up to his artist name every day as he enjoys pursuing many creative pathways.
“Some of my interests are music, film, dance, fashion, drawing and creative directing,” Kenner said. “My grandma was also a big influence growing up because she was a music teacher, so that influenced me to start creating music.” In addition to his grandmother, other aspects of his childhood are huge inspirations for Kenner.
“Disney and Nickelodeon had a lot of musical and fun entertainment like Camp Rock, High School Musical and Victorious that I didn’t even realize influenced me,” Kenner said.” I used to play piano and the violin in middle school, [nowadays] I can do rap, hip-hop, pop and r&b.”
Although Kenner finds himself involved in many creative projects inside and outside of school, he is pretty independent in his artistic projects. Understanding the importance of having a team, he often helps market and does creative directing for his other friends who are artists.
“I’m very self-sufficient and independent with all my creative endeavors, which isn’t to brag, but I would rather have a stronger team to help me create my work,” Kenner said. “ I do everything down from editing my videos, creating concepts, drawing out storyboards and braiding my hair.”
Despite his independence, he refuses to let that get in the way of his pursuit of making music. Kenner has an upcoming EP called “God’s Favorite” that features other artists and friends throughout each tape.
“The way I went about creating this EP was to simply showcase my lyrical abilities to the point where it will open doors and allow me to work with more artists, producers and creators,” Kenner said. “Most people see me for my visual work first, and I just want to be able to show people my lyricism as well as my branding skills.”
Speaking more about his new music, he prides himself in having a unique sound and style. From his music to drawing, Kenner strives to better his craft every day.
“I would describe my art style as energetic, witty banter and it sounds like me ranting and talking but in my creative way,” Kenner said. “I also want to get into singing because I [had] a huge r&b, pop and gospel influence going up, so I understand melodies. I just have to learn to control my voice and shrink it.”
Kenner constantly reminds himself and others that creativity, art, and music are a journey and a learning experience, and the most crucial part is always being yourself.
“You’re not going to get everything right the first time, but the more you do something, the better you’re going to get at it,” Kenner said. “Stay persistent and don’t judge yourself or apply yourself to other people’s standards. Just keep going.”
