Interview with Kuhsigh: “Now is my time”

by Romy Beckman

            SOB’s is a New York institution, an intimate concert venue where legends like Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan, and countless others have performed. They pride themselves on identifying and hosting these artists before their meteoric rise to superstardom. On June 29th, Inglewood’s own Kuhsigh added his name to the list of artists to perform at SOB’s and delivered a performance that suggested his rise to superstardom is not far away. Independently releasing music since 2022, he has been steadily growing a devoted and passionate fanbase. A couple of months after the release of his debut EP, LIKE KRACK IN THE 80’S, Kuhsigh traveled to the East Coast to perform his first-ever show in New York as part of SOB’s 2026 Hip Hop Showcase. Just a few minutes after his set, I sat down with Kuhsigh to ask a few questions about his career, creative process, inspirations, and plans for the future.

Romy: You started out your career primarily as a producer. What made you decide you wanted to start rapping on your own beats?

Kuhsigh: Honestly, I always wanted to. I think I was just kind of scared to do it at first. I wasn’t a big producer—I wasn’t producing for anybody really besides some friends here and there. So I was just like, Man, I’m getting pretty good at making beats so fuck it I’m just gonna hop on them. And then, yeah, I got on my Kanye thing.

Romy: How has becoming a rapper changed the way you produce? Do you make beats differently knowing that you’re going to rap on them yourself?

Kuhsigh: Definitely. Absolutely. You gotta leave a lot more space. I think that’s the biggest thing because when you’re producing, you can get so focused on making the craziest keys and filling up all the space. But you need space for the voice, because that brings a whole bunch of energy.

Romy: There’s something about your music, and the drums especially, that really feels like it was made to be played live. How does it feel performing your music live for a crowd?

Kuhsigh: Bro, it feels great. Today was dope because I could tell that even the people who weren’t too hip to the music were vibing to it, they were jumping around and having fun. That’s all you want as an artist. You just want people to feel the energy. Just bring the good vibes so people can turn up, that’s what we did tonight.

Romy: When you’re creating music, are you intentionally thinking about how it’s going to translate to a live show the way artists like Chief Keef or Playboi Carti have talked about doing? Or is that just a natural outcome of your musical style?

Kuhsigh: I think it’s definitely natural because I grew up listening to those types of guys, you feel me? So I think it kind of trickled down in a sense. But it’s definitely something I’m thinking about a lot more now. Now, when I make a song, it’s like, Okay, this is gonna go dumb in a show I already know.

Romy: Who are some artists that inspire your work, both in terms of rapping and producing?

Kuhsigh: Yeah, you said it, Carti was probably the biggest one, especially on the production side. You can even hear it in my ad-libs. I be using that “What!” ad-lib like crazy. That whole SoundCloud era I was listening to a lot of people that layered vocals in a cool way, and that was something I picked up on. People like Xavier Wulf. Obviously I took the sound in a different direction, more of a bouncy direction, but all those bones are still there.

Romy: After years of releasing singles, you just recently released your first EP. What made you decide it was time to put out a larger project?

Kuhsigh: I think the fans resonating so much with just the singles for two years was more than enough for me. I was like, Okay, it’s time to put something out. It’s time to put a little project out for them. And it was dope because from day one they resonated with it like crazy. I’m definitely gonna drop more. It’s not even the last EP of the year.

Romy: Was there one song from the EP you were most excited to perform?

Kuhsigh: I’d say off the new tape, the one I was most excited about right off rip was “KISS AND TELL.” And I liked “FOR IT ALL” because after I recorded it I just felt good. I felt like I got something off my chest.

Romy: If you could choose any three artists in history to feature on your next album or EP, who would you choose and why?

Kuhsigh: That’s a good question. I gotta say Carti, I feel like I have to say Carti.

Romy: Current Carti or SoundCloud-era Carti?

Kuhsigh: Honestly, either. I’m not gonna lie, I can’t pick. He could go back and forth, honestly. Carti would be a big one. Let me think… I feel like I have to say something crazy like Michael Jackson. (laughs) Tyler, the Creator, I want to do something with him. That would be a different vibe obviously, but I think that would sound dope as hell. I’ve been fucking with his shit heavy since Flower Boy.

Romy: I feel like I can hear some of the Flower Boy influence in your music.

Kuhsigh: Right. Especially on some of the prettier beats. Yeah, definitely. And then for the last one…

Romy: You’re not counting Michael Jackson?

Kuhsigh: No, no, we can’t do that. He can be the honorable mention. Last one… Young Thug. I’m gonna make that happen. It’s gotta get done.

Romy: What do you have in the works right now? You already mentioned another EP coming up. What should your fans be looking forward to over the next couple months?

Kuhsigh: We’re dropping the deluxe of the tape, that will have five new tracks on there.  I know the fans are gonna be happy because they’re not used to getting this much music from me. It’s dope that we finally got to that point. After that I’m trying to put another tape out. I’ve been recording so much fucking music, so I’m just ready to push it out. I’m not holding onto shit no more.

Romy: You had been holding onto music previously?

Kuhsigh: Yeah, because now I just feel so much more confident in the music I make. Everything just feels right. It feels like it’s time for all of it.

Romy: What do you think influenced that shift?

Kuhsigh: I think it was just time. I only started not that long ago in the grand scheme of things. It’s about to be my fourth year making music, so now it feels like it’s my time.

Kuhsigh has all the makings of a star, and as he said himself, now is his time. He belongs to a storied tradition of rappers who produce their own music, and his songs are already getting millions of streams without the backing of a major label. If he continues putting out the consistent stream of hits he has been putting out over the past few years, it’s only a matter of time before he trades SOBs for MSG.