'This is my form of therapy': Rapper Ardn shares what fuels his music
CBC Music | Posted: November 22, 2024 2:15 PM | Last Updated: November 22
The emerging hip-hop artist discusses how he made his new EP on The Block
Burundi-born, Edmonton-raised hip-hop artist Ardn has been dropping energetic, clever songs since 2019, and recently released a new EP, She., that tackles the ups and downs of love.
"I don't come from a history of music," he tells The Block host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, explaining that music is his therapeutic way of working through problems, including romantic woes, in his life.
WATCH | The official music video for 'Wishing Well':
In a new interview, he opens up about being a self-taught musician, the influence of church on his artistry and more.
You can hear the full interview above and read an excerpt below.
You said you lost your father at a young age. I'm sorry to hear about that. I lost my father quite recently, and it sucks.
Yeah.
Did your family or your father play any role in music for you?
Yeah. I mean, I was interested in music before my dad passed away, but I just remember having a really vivid and strong feeling when he passed away that I [wanted] to do something to honour his legacy. And I feel like I've kind of found that through music. And I even remember when my dad passed away, my mom was like, "We need to get you boys in therapy," [with] my sister and stuff. And I was like 15 years old at this time. And I was like, "I don't know. Therapy is just not my thing." And about a year later, I started making music and writing music, and I was like, "This is my form of therapy."
You found your own way.
I kind of found my own way, yeah.
To heal.
Yeah, exactly.
WATCH | The official music video for 'Can't Be Friends':
It's a great way to challenge it.
Exactly.
And [there were] no parents playing instruments, parents singing [or] familial musical connections in your DNA?
I think so ... I have a lot of cousins who are artists as well, [who] have amazing voices. My older sister can sing, my little sister, though, she's the real star of the family. She can really sing and my mom can sing as well. But not nothing crazy. Yeah, we're not like a family of musicians. I don't come from a history of music. Yeah, I don't know where it came from, but—
Well, you just told me everybody's singing.
Everybody's singing, but, I mean, nobody has really pursued being an artist [and] nobody really plays instruments or anything like that.
But you have become quite musical to the point that apparently you learned to play guitar on YouTube.
Yeah, I did. I did.
I need to put my son onto that.
Yeah, I mean, you should. You can't go wrong with YouTube University.
True.
[It] teaches everything. I was just 15 years old, and I was just kind of still trying to figure out my passion for music, actually. But two years before that, I was playing drums, to play drums in a church.
OK, OK, OK. We know that church is a big, big, big, big catalyst for a lot of people when it comes to introducing them to music and introducing them to instruments.
Yeah, yeah.
So drums?
And then [I] picked up the guitar and I was just giving myself lessons and tutorials on YouTube, playing some Ed Sheeran. Anything I could get my hands across. But then that stopped within maybe a year. I think I just reached a point where I was like, "OK, I have to get a teacher or I just can't develop my skills." So I kind of just stopped. I got lazy. But then when I turned 16, I started writing music and I was like, "This is my thing."
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. To hear the full interview, listen to The Block on CBC Music.