Kentrell Austin wants people to know the man behind the name. The 26-year-old Las Vegas rapper, singer and model, who goes by Kentrello, released an EP during the pandemic, and now he’s preparing a full-length effort that speaks from the heart.
“I just want to have my first album explain more about me and what’s shaped me to become who I am,” Austin says. “I have a few songs on there talking about mental health and relationships I’ve had that shaped me into what I am today, songs that are talking about how I feel like I’m kind of alone in the music industry.”
That’s because, Austin says, his music doesn’t sound like anyone else’s. Ever since he wrote his first song at age 9, Kentrello has sought to set himself apart.
“It could be me just being a little bit hard on myself,” he says, “but my sound and my beats are so different, so some people might think my music sounds weird.”
Austin’s Screenshot EP pairs dreamy, lo-fi synths against smooth-flowing vocals, peppered with introspective bars about his day-to-day life and relationships. “Riding down the road/Got these thoughts, trying not to let them get to my soul/But who would even know?/’Cause my smile hides everything,” he raps on “A Little More Taller.”
For his upcoming LP, Rello, the MC says he’s doubling down on his beats and lyrics, while still trying to keep some of his life to himself. “It wasn’t difficult to be vulnerable,” says Austin, who uses programs like BeatMaker 3 to make all his beats from scratch.
“I’ve always been open, but I do try to keep some things a secret. I don’t want people to know all of my business,” continues Austin, who says he uses his platform not to talk about how he’s feeling presently, but as a way to process how he used to feel.
“Since I’ve gotten over a lot of things and I’ve survived 2020, what I like to discuss now is how I used to be depressed,” he explains. “I almost feel like that was never me, I was just in my head. It feels good to really shake it off.”
As Kentrello looks forward to recording his new album—which he hopes to have out this summer—he says he’s also excited to perform and talk to people again.
“I’m an extrovert. I’m not an introvert, not even the slightest,” he says. “During the pandemic, I didn’t know who felt safe with anyone approaching them. I really just miss being an extrovert. And I’m really looking forward to performing. I have nothing standing in my way.”
