Posted by For those not familiar with you yet, introduce yourself and let us know what you do.
Peace, peace, peace! I’m Ant Kelly, a hip-hop recording artist out of New Castle, Pennsylvania. Aside from being an emcee, I’m also a producer, graphic designer, and painter. I’ve been writing music since I was around 8 or 9 years old, and I’ve been experimenting with recording since I was probably around 10. I never actually started putting anything out until I was probably 17.
There was always music playing in the house, and I had family members and friends always giving me CDs and bootlegs of all types of shit—mostly hip-hop and rock. Around the age of 4 or 5, I have memories of hearing Another Bad Creation and Kriss Kross doing their thing as young emcees, and ever since, I knew I wanted to do the same thing. It’s been a longer journey, but it only gets better and better.
How would you describe your sound, and what’s your process when it comes to creating music?
Me and my main producer, DJ Krooked, have been calling our sound “DIY Hip Hop” for the longest. It’s very experimental with an old-school feel. Tons of grit and psychedelia. A lot of my style is influenced by emcees such as Big L, Nas, and RZA, as well as other legends we all know and love from the golden era. However, I also get some of my style from the Houston trunk music days and the Memphis cassette days from time to time—it just depends on the vibe.
As far as mixing/mastering, the message, and the aesthetic of my sound, I tend to incorporate a lot of influence from the punk side of music as well, which played a very big role in giving me an identity, just like hip-hop. Bands like The Misfits, Sex Pistols, Sublime, The Ramones, Suicidal Tendencies, and Social Distortion inspired me to think the way I do, which can be heard throughout a plethora of my records in terms of the message, attitude, and beliefs. All together, I’d just brand it as an experimental sound out of the 90s or maybe the early 2000s.
Late in 2024, you dropped a project called “20 Hour Trip,” which felt like a wild, drug-induced journey from start to finish. What inspired that creative direction, and do you often explore similar themes in your other work?
Psychedelia has always been a factor in my music, so this time I wanted to take a more cinematic approach towards it. I was working on a project with DJ Mello Rasheed at the time called “Crime Pays,” which was more of a mafioso rap-themed project. He sent me a few beats that didn’t match the vibe, but did pair with a few other unreleased tracks that we had on the shelf, sparking me to create a whole other album. The album “20 Hour Trip” was the first track I recorded for that album, and it was a play on a hustler going through a 20-hour-long acid trip, while also taking a 20-hour road trip to take over a town to do no other than get money, raise hell, and leave.
This album was produced by DJ Mello Rasheed, but was the stepping stone for all the projects me and DJ Krooked have created. We eventually dropped several other psychedelic projects like “Distorted Poetry,” which is a glitch-hop project and a hell of an experience made to simulate an acid trip. Secondly, we have “The Black Book,” a project dedicated to the graffiti and street side of the world, with some psychedelic undertones as well. I often incorporate psychedelic imagery in my creations, whether in music, digital art, or on a canvas.
In a time when most artists focus on streaming, you went the extra mile and dropped a physical bundle pack. What inspired that choice, and what can supporters expect?
When it comes to physical media, that’s always been a core focus for my collective, Consigliere Records, ever since we first came together. It gives an understanding of who genuinely supports our music and actually wants it in their hands. It also gives us the freedom to use our imagination more, and make a fly piece of art, such as what you actually get when you buy the CD—the cover, the liner, all the way to the disc. Lastly, it makes our art timeless, which is why we all create in the first place.
As far as the bundle pack, these were albums that were only available digitally. DJ Mello Rasheed suggested we drop “Crime Pays” on CD, so I figured it’s only right to make “20 Hour Trip” available in physical form as well. With that being said, the vibes on it remind me of something that an old head in the 90s would’ve popped in on a road trip or something, so that’s why I wanted it on a cassette. It will be on CD when I feel that the time is right.
Aside from that, to make a purchase, DM me at @724ant or send an email to consigliererecords@gmail.com if social media isn’t your thing. I want every transaction to feel personal, giving me the chance to connect directly with the people supporting my art and deliver the best customer experience possible.
As we close out 2025, what should listeners be on the lookout for? Any upcoming releases, collaborations, or goals you’re excited about?
It’s so much in the works right now that it’s insane. I have two EPs in the works that are almost finished. One with a dope artist named King Adroit from Pittsburgh, as well as one with an artist from the DMV named FlyG. I’ve also got an album on the way called “Cross Strainz,” a collaboration with my fellow collective member AU. The project features production from DJ Krooked, SketchTurner, and DJ Mello Rasheed — all part of the team as well. We’re just waiting for the artwork to be done, which will be a surprise on its own, as it’s done by a very prominent art figure in the hip-hop scene.
We also have a bigger album dropping around 2026, which I can’t speak on just yet; however, it’s gonna be huge. I’ve also been working with producers like Jazzy Lion Man, Skip the Kid, and everybody else in my group. As I stated prior, my music journey gets better and better, and I’m doing no other than showing and proving with a dope team around me that has also been leaving a footprint wherever they go as well.
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