Putting you on to slept-on projects, rising talent, and underground artists we think you need to be listening to, Krishawn Ward is definitely somebody you ought to know.

“I think being at [CSU] alone helped me be more prepared for the real world than any other school would have,” said Ward, who recently graduated from the public black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. “Being in and from Ohio people will automatically assume I went to Ohio State or Cleveland state or Ohio University, but I tell them that I went to one of the HBCUs here, Central State.”

“I’m surprised to hear that people haven’t heard of Central, so unfortunately some assume we produce a “lesser” quality product because our size, which forces our whole campus to hold our school up with so much pride, in addition to forcing me to make sure any opportunity I get, I over succeed.”

Ward said that he started producing his own music. Because he didn’t know where to get beats from. “I was like 16 when I started. Also, I was a big fan of Kanye and J Cole, who rapped over their own beats and figured I could do it, too, so my 1st mixtape “The Genesis,” I made about 70% of the beats, but my newest project “Pleasantville,” I didn’t make any of the beats.”

“I networked with producers online this time,” he said. “I wanted to focus 100% on song structure and writing instead of splitting my focus on production.”

“I would like for people to view my work as the honest things no one wants to admit, or say. It’s kind of a relief when you find out you’re not the only person who couldn’t find THE JOB right out of college like “Okay … this is a thing. I guess I’m not a total failure.”

Check out his newest project “Pleasantville” below.