Despite his breakout hit being titled ‘Nobody Has To Know’, everybody seems to know Kranium. The song, recently remixed with rap star Ty Dolla $ign, has been on a steady upward pace since its release – despite lyrics about secret relationships and dirty deeds in between the sheets. Born Kemar Donaldson in Montego Bay, the future star grew up with an uncle in the music business, the dancehall star Screwdriver. Kemar relocated with his family to Florida and then New York as a youth, making his name through his gift for dancehall music – and self-promotion.

“I got signed through Twitter,” the Atlantic Records artist reveals. “They hit me up on Twitter. That says a lot.”

Kranium’s rightfully proud of his digital hustle. His success is due to his methodical work ethic, allowing him to push self-produced hits consistently to an ever-growing DJ email list. ”To be honest with you back in the days before i got signed, whenever I go on Instagram I used to tag people that are active. Whenever an artist tags someone like, "big up this DJ" then you know that the person plays a major part in music, so you tag them. Cause one of them must see it and go, ‘Yo, this kid Kranium, he tagged me on something on IG and it’s dope.’ I’m the type of person who looks at who Beyonce follows, who Oprah follows. You have to look at stuff like that and just try to tag them. It might seem annoying but when you reach that point you’ll realise you were doing the right thing all along. We have so much ways to market ourselves, to be seen, to be recognised. So much ways on social media— take advantage of it. It doesn't last forever.”

But of course there are two sides to social media: the good and the bad. “We live in a day and age where I realise that people are more like sheep rather than shepherd,” Kranium says. “They’re easily misled. They don’t think for themselves anymore. They reach a point where they just believe anything. They don't think about the other side of the story. Sometimes it gets to me but then I realise, ‘Listen, this is a job and if your heart is clean and you know what you are it’s OK.”

Despite being the subject of rumours himself this summer – the young artist has denied any ties to a dancehall love triangle with certain female artists allegedly competing for his affections – Kranium is getting ready to drop a new project entitled ‘Rumours.’ The project – more than an EP, not quite a full album, definitely not a mixtape – is helmed by two NYC master producers: LMR (the man responsible for “Nobody Haffi Know”) and Ricky Blaze (who has worked with Rihanna, Major Lazer, and produced Gyptian’s certified-gold smash ‘Hold Yuh’). When Kranium describes ‘Rumours’ as a “soap opera,” the comparison makes sense. Here is a group of songs tracing a narrative arc from secrets to sex to lies, betrayal, and all that follows: flossing, praying, and getting even.

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Hey, Kranium.
Wha g'wan?

Since the last time we spoke, you performed on the Redbull stage at Notting Hill Carnival. How was that?
It was fun. You know in the UK it’s a different angle.

Was that your first time going to carnival here in the UK?
Yes, it’s my first time.

That must have been an experience on its own!
Yeah it was good. We have Labor Day Weekend in New York, so I had an idea of what it’s like. But you know, it is slightly different. In New York it’s a truck, and people walk through. In UK you have trucks but you also have sound system set up in different areas which you can go to and just hold a vibes.

Did you manage to get through the crowd and do any of that? I know that it gets pretty packed out.
Most definitely. I walked like 10 miles. I couldn't feel my foot when I got home. Did the whole thing. It was good.

You come from a music background with your uncle, Screwdriver. Do you think times have changed in music and do you feel the change growing up in the the industry?
Music can never be the same as it was 100 years ago. People do stuff differently. I wouldn't say the music is changing – more like a different path. Back then there was no Twitter, no Instagram. There was no social media. We have more exposure and we are more brave to say different things. People can choose what they want and what they don’t.

Progressing in different ways. Do you think having SoundCloud, having Instagram, having Facebook and all those social media platforms really helps you as an artist?
Yeah it does help. Back then artists out there didn't have that outlet to share music. Nobody gonna hear it until luckily somebody who works at a label or somebody who has the power to help you see it. But now Instagram and Twitter help you share things. When there is something cool I share it then your friends see it and share it and their friends share it and it spreads. It’s an easier way for people to see it in real time and get to you more faster. I got signed through Twitter. They hit me up on Twitter. That says a lot.

Really? Just like that?
Yes, for real.

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This is a game where people are going to say things…

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People often say it’s hard to get through to a record label and you have to go through all these different phases. But your story shows that record labels can just come to you. If you’re good at what you do people will listen and tweet about it or like it on Instagram. What’s your advice to someone trying to get signed?
Just do everything that you can do creatively. Don’t be like everybody else. Do something different. Progress is the key to success. If you can get a record and it doesn't go where you want it, just go back in the lab, create something good and come back on the Internet and start tagging people. To be honest with you back in the days before I got signed, whenever I go on Instagram I used to tag people that are active. Whenever an artist tags someone like, “Big up this DJ” then you know that the person plays a major part in music, so you tag them.

Cause one of them must see it and go, ‘Yo, this kid Kranium, he tagged me on something on IG and it’s dope.’ I’m the type of person who looks at who Beyonce follows, who Oprah follows. You have to look at stuff like that and just try to tag them. It might seem annoying but when you reach that point you’ll realise you were doing the right thing all along. We have so much ways to market ourselves, to be seen, to be recognised. So much ways on social media – take advantage of it. It doesn't last forever.

Exactly, like you said it might seem annoying. A lot of people shy away. They feel that it’s too corny or they are too cool, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Of course nothing is wrong with that.

It’s amazing and it happened to you. Now that you’re signed How is it going with Atlantic?
Everything is good. It’s all about me just being like in understanding with everybody. Everyone understanding their role and me understanding my role and what is expected to be done. Work closely together and eventually everything will fall right into place, because i’m one of the most patient person on earth. I just listen and take from what I should take from and what I think is right and what is not to be done and go in and work with them as much as they work with me. We just make it happen.

I hear your song 'Nobody Has To Know', everywhere I go. From LDN to yard to NYC it’s like the song that everyone knows. You hear the beat drop and you see girls wining to it. Girls love it despite the message. They really hone into it and anywhere the girls are the guys are too.
That’s true.

So as long as you’re the girls' singer you are going to be alright.
[laughs] Yeah.

I’ve also been listening to your song ‘Can’t Give a F@ck.’ Tell me about that song.
The record is just saying that “If I can’t get a fuck then me nah give a fuck.” It’s like if you get something from me and expect me not to get something, it doesn't make no sense. So I’m not nobody’s sugar daddy. I’m not gonna take you to a 50-star restaurant and you going to eat and go home after I just spent all that cheddar. [Laughs] It’s awful, what I’m saying is very awful I know. It’s awful but it’s true. I’m just saying it. Some guys don't say it so I’m going to be the ass-hole to say it.

Is that an experience that you’ve had? Or you know your friends have had? Where is that song coming from?
It’s coming from the deepest part of my heart. Most definitely girls be like “Can I have this and that?” And when I’m like, “What’s up”? then they say, “What you take me for? I’m not that type of girl.” And that’s when I get tight.

Right. So how do you figure it out? If you take a girl to a 5-star restaurant at what point are you expecting something to happen?
I mean [laughs] not that specific moment, but you not gonna get away two times. I tell you that much

So it’s a fine line. when the guy knows after a few times the girl is stringing him along.
Exactly. That’s it exactly. If my mind tell me she’s up to some next stuff then I be like, ‘You know what? God go with you, cause I can’t go.’

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What other things do you have in the pipeline?
We have a project called 'Rumours'. It consists of twelve records. It’s like a soap opera: ups and downs, cheating, who did wrong, who get caught. Soap opera is the best way to describe it.

So we're going to get songs of different scenarios?
Exactly.

Wow, that’s a big project! How long have you been working on this?
Since December.

I think I came across something once where you said “don’t listen to rumours, not everything is true.” Is that the bad side of social media?
Yeah, that’s the thing about social media. We live in a day and age where I realise that people are more like sheep rather than shepherd. They’re easily mislead. They don’t think for themselves any more. They reach a point where they just believe it, they don't think about the other side of the story. Sometimes it gets to me but then I realise that, ‘Listen, this is a job and if your heart is clean and you know what you are it’s OK.”

How do you keep yourself focused? Because there’s “Rumors" out there for real, and a lot of things as an artist you have to overcome. What keeps you grounded, calm and together?
I just be myself. I’m a humble person, easygoing. Nothing bothers me. This is a game where people are going to say things. People are going to think ‘Nobody Has To Know’ is whack, some will think it’s great and some will think it’s amazing. And I just live my life now like whatever I do once I’m comfortable with it I care zero about what anybody has to say.

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