Kenton Dunson
Savage, Maryland, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Maryland-based musician, rapper and singer Kenton Dunson presents his debut music video "Firestarter" in conjunction with LA-based independent production house Pheonix Is Burning. The song also serves as the lead single from his Creative Destruction 2 free album and garnered over 100,000 downloads to date. The clip was helmed by William J. Bastian II and tells the story of two lovers who share a chemistry that very few experience, yet lack the maturity and honesty to properly handle the emotions that come with it. The song itself was based on one of Kenton's own experiences. He has always been intrigued by the term "Firestarter" but it wasn't until he dated a serial heart breaker, that it actually meant something to him. - Hypetrak
Kenton Dunson has continuously impressed me with the singles he has dropped off of Creative Destruction. After listening to the full project, I am certain this is worth your time. Take a listen and enjoy. - FreshNewTracks
Since it's release at the end of June, Creative Destruction 2 has already made a splash in the online community and today I am more than excited to bring you the nine amazing, rich in texture, deep unapologetic lyrical rap, and mind-blowing beats, tracks that, hopefully, will make your day.
It is truly an amazing feeling when you finally come across an artist like Kenton Dunson; artist who not only decided to share his work for free with all of our FrostClick/FrostWire followers, but whose dedication and passion have turned his latest, self-produced hip-hop album into something that certainly will take you a long, long time to forget! - FrostClick
Kenton Dunson teamed up with EarMilk to release Creative Destruction 2 this morning. Kenton has been posted a few times in the month of June and he’s certainly a guy to check out. His creativity is endless which in turn creates a unique sound. It’s only a 9 track album, so you’ll be sure to ask for more after listening to this one. - Sunset in the Rearview
So, the time has come for us to unleash the exclusive album release from Kenton Dunson. The album is entitled Creative Destruction 2 and really goes on to showcase what Kenton is capable of. This Maryland native hasn’t been in the music realm for a very long time but, in that time, he has quickly shown his versatility and his ability to create good music. We, at EARMILK, quickly took a liking to every release that Kenton has put out and took it upon ourselves to make sure he get as much exposure as possible. If you are completely new to Kenton then it wont take long to convince you of his talents after you give his music a fair listen. You’ll hear a range of styles and genres with an overall theme of talent. Oh, and did I mention he also did the production on the album? Just like the production he did on the John Legend remix. This mixed with the the lyricism really shows how complete of an artist he truly is. Enjoy and see what Kenton said about this new project. - Earmilk
It wasn’t all that long ago that Maryland singer/songwriter/producer/emcee Kenton Dunson hit us with his impressive album, Creative Deconstruction. Wasting no time, he’s already dropped the sequel on us this week. Kenton is offering the 9-track self-produced album for free download. “Creative Destruction 2 is about more than Kenton Dunson. It’s about life, ambition, heartbreak and most importantly, passion… This time around, the term Creative Destruction meant replacing my old creative approach as an artist to build more tangible songs that touched a wider base of listeners while remaining original. I believe I struck a solid balance with Creative Destruction 2.” You can stream/download it after the jump. - Okayplayer
Maryland’s Kenton Dunson is one of the few artists I’ve encountered who has boldly traded an uninspiring day job for a chance at success towards their true passion: music. For some, this move doesn’t necessarily pay off, and instead serves as a short-lived joyride. I firmly believe, however, that this self-produced artist made his permanent mark in music after the release of his first two singles off Creative Destruction 2. This short, but rich album is a huge step up from its predecessor (Creative Destruction), featuring more melodically adventurous tracks that still achieve wide listening appeal. Aside from guest appearances on singles, “Rolling Stone” and “Firestarter”, the album is all Kenton; he can sing a beautiful hook or rap equally powerful verses. I can also appreciate the lack of sampling used in Kenton’s music; a refreshing and original approach to help substantiate the beginning of a diverse, unique career. - The Kollection
To think that it was almost a year ago that I reviewed Kenton Dunson’s first solo album The Kenton Dunson Progressions is crazy to me. He has grown so much as an artist and truly has the potential to be one of the break out stars this year in the music industry. After listening through his latest release, Creative Destruction 2, I think that is almost guaranteed to be the case. He is light-years ahead of most artists when it comes to song writing, production and lyricism. He is the definition of a triple threat.
If you are unfamiliar with Kenton, this album will be a treat for you. There is nothing on this album that you can’t like. In fact, I am having a hard time deciding which songs is my favorite of the whole thing. I can tell you one thing, the Syl Johnson sampled song “Mine Again” is my new summer jam. Definitely grab yourself a copy of this album and remember, this is just the beginning. Expect to be hearing a lot more about Kenton in the near future. - RemixTheVideo
Who doesn’t love another quality hip hop free album. Well today say hello to Creative Destruction 2 by Kenton Dunson. It’s a great chill, passionate, soulful hip hop album. It’s got som great production ranging from almost every instrument, while every song keeping a real organic feel. Then on top of it Kenton delivers some great vocals, lyrics, and overall just some great vibes. This album is perfect for summer, relaxing, working, or just living life, it’s just good music. It’s one of the albums like Macklemore’s V.S. where it’s hard to believe that it’s free. Well download this whole thing, check out a few tracks. Enjoy! - This Song Is Sick
As an emcee, Kenton isn’t trying to be the next Big L, but he’s got a pop sensibility, an intelligent outlook, and a knack for making instantly likable beats. Kenton’s flow has the bounce of Chiddy and he’s also equipped with the ability to blend genres (think B.o.B, not Theophilus). Earmilk premiered his latest album Creative Destruction 2, which Kenton calls his best to date. Check it out/download it below. - Pigeons and Planes
Discography
Kenton Dunson - Creative Destruction 2 (2011)
Kenton Dunson - Creative Destruction (2010)
Kenton Dunson - The Kenton Dunson Progressions (2010)
Photos
Bio
In February 2010, Kenton Dunson made the pivotal life-changing decision to let his passion to be a full-time music artist take priority over his progressing career in finance. A passion that stemmed from an instance 14 years prior when, at the age of 12, he asked for a sequencer upon first hearing the production work of the now famous producer Timbaland. Since that pivotal moment, Kenton spent hours each day crafting original music and broadened his musical experiences and influences by performing as a keyboardist and drummer in numerous bands of various genres.
While producing and writing for others, Kenton felt that his own vocal work, songwriting ideas and lyricism fit best with his own original music creations. He thus began his eventual transition to become a full-time solo artist. He spent weekends in various Baltimore hotel rooms recording his solo debut project, The Kenton Dunson Progressions, a 13-song, self-produced album of soul-tinged hip-hop and r&b that was released in June 2010. The album received solid critical-response in very small circles locally and on the internet but Kenton was not satisfied with retaining a reputation as an underground hip-hop/soul artist.
After experiencing the truths of a generally unsuccessful full-time artist, Kenton embarked on his second project entitled Creative Destruction, an unfiltered hip-hop album that illustrated the sacrifice and the journey of the ambitious individual and also included more assertive yet tangible musical undertones and arrangements. The album was released as a free download in November 2010 and provided the foundation for the success he would see in the following year with his third project, which would later be titled Creative Destruction 2.
When Kenton came up with the "Creative Destruction" concept for the first album, he never thought it would become a series but as a developing artist in a saturated music environment, he knew it was important to display what he had as soon as it was ready. The term "Creative Destruction" also began to take new meaning as he began replacing his old creative approach as an artist to build more tangible songs that would touch a wider base of listeners while remaining original.
Upon the release of Creative Destruction 2 at the end of June 2011, it was clear that Kenton had struck a solid balance with the album as it reached heights previously thought unimaginable with the number of downloads reaching well over 100,000 within little over a month. As Kenton stated himself, "Creative Destruction 2 is about more than Kenton Dunson. It’s about life, ambition, heartbreak and most importantly, passion." These concepts struck a chord with each listener and the album continued to grow in support with the help of live shows, independent radio, DJs and most importantly the music blogs that weren't afraid to support a relatively unknown artist.
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