Durham Rapper Kraken Talks Military Life & Music

Durham-based artist Kraken recently joined DJ Remedy on the “DJ Remedy Freestyle Podcast,” discussing his journey from the military to music and his approach to the rap game.

A Navy veteran, Kraken shared how his time as a surface warfare officer unexpectedly shaped his artistic path. While deployed, writing became his primary outlet.

“Just writing, you know, writing raps and stuff like that is definitely what kept me going on those long deployments,” Kraken said. “Every opportunity I had, I would sit down and write raps.”

This dedication to the craft is evident in his music. Kraken describes his style as focused on lyricism and narrative.

“It’s storytelling. It’s a lot of metaphors and bars, a lot of literary devices. You gotta listen for sure,” he explained.

Kraken draws inspiration from some of hip-hop’s most respected lyricists. He cited Nas as a foundational influence, saying, “As I get older, I realize how much of an impact those albums had on me.” He also studies contemporary greats. “Present, Kendrick, Cole, both of them. I studied them to the point of no return,” he noted.

A North Carolina native, Kraken expressed a desire to collaborate with J. Cole, calling it a “cliche answer being from Carolina” but a significant goal. With his new album “919,” Kraken is celebrating his return to the Raleigh-Durham area and solidifying his place in the local scene with a pen game he believes is essential for success.

“My hot take is that I don’t really think you can get out of North Carolina without a crazy pen,” he said.