Hip-Hop Heroes

Denver hip-hop spans the spectrum from popular and accessible to underground, and local hip-hop duo Future Heroes meet somewhere in the middle. Producer/rapper combo Future Heroes aren’t afraid to throw in a little pop appeal, despite their connection to underground rap and hip-hop.

“I would describe our sound as a middle ground between underground beat culture and mega-popular rap music,” explained Ken Deezy, one half of the duo, in an exclusive interview with CULTURE. “Like, imagine if Drake finally did a song with Kaytranada or if Kid Ink got together and made a record with Djemba Djemba. Bridging the gap and finding the niche between the two is what we represent in our music, our brand and our lifestyle. A lot of my influences originate from popular music – Kanye West and J Cole are some of my biggest inspirations as far as being rappers who produce their own music and have experienced success on a huge level. I also draw inspiration from the West Coast beat culture of collectives like Soulection, Team Supreme, and Mad Decent.”

Deezy and Mario “Mars,” the two members of Future Heroes, both come from hip-hop backgrounds, and joined forces to create a collective that draws on a myriad of sounds and experiences.

“I don’t think I’ve ever wrote a song that didn’t mention or hint at cannabis in some way. It’s always been a part of the way I’ve created my music and has always been an influence on the final product that is released.”

“I have been surrounded by music since a young age,” Deezy explained. “My mom played piano for several bands and church groups, and taught lessons throughout my childhood. I always wanted to start a band and perform on some level, but could never get friends together often enough to practice enough to sound well together. So I decided to start producing instrumentals when I was seventeen and reaching out to singers and rappers to write lyrics on them. Later on when I started my freshman year of college I began to rap and sing on my own beats. I released music in two different duos with other artists before joining Mars and carrying on a concept he had been developing, Future Heroes.”

When it comes to the influence of cannabis and cannabis culture on Future Heroes’ music, Deezy cannot say enough good things.

“Cannabis is always a theme of our music,” he explained. “It is part of our creative process; it is a part of our lives. I don’t think I’ve ever wrote a song that didn’t mention or hint at cannabis in some way. It’s always been a part of the way I’ve created my music and has always been an influence on the final product that is released.”

“It’s a huge part of how I have developed my sound as a producer and rapper,” he added. “It opens my mind to new sounds, textures, rhythms that I’d have thought of or been able to pull out before. However, I also believe that it’s important for me to take a step back from my music without the influence of cannabis to be able to receive the messages from my songs the way people who don’t use cannabis would. Some people smoke, some people don’t, the same way some people drink coffee, some people drink tea, some people drink kombucha. It’s important to see and understand the world and your creative work from different perspectives.”

Future Heroes released a six-track EP, titled Word Art, last month. The record is available on Spotify, Soundcloud, and iTunes, featuring all-original production by Deezy. Check out their new record online now, and be on the lookout for their name on hip-hop bills in the Mile High City.

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