Growing up on Chicago’s South Side, Chris Kramer—who now goes by Son Tensei—was surrounded by noise and nuance. His parents’ dusty 70s jazz records collided with Golden Era hip-hop blaring from neighborhood speakers. As a kid in a mixed Eurasian immigrant household, he didn’t just hear the music—he learned to translate it. Teaching himself bass and piano while jamming with friends who had formal training, Tensei built a style rooted in collaboration and contrast. It wasn’t about fitting in; it was about blending what didn’t usually go together.
While most artists would ride a Grammy win into the mainstream, Tensei took a different turn. His early success in orchestral composition opened doors but didn’t erase the feeling of being overlooked—or misunderstood. A classically trained baritenor who raps over jazz chords, he admits the algorithmic world doesn’t quite know what to do with him. “People hear the music but don’t stick around to see me,” he says, pointing to viral moments that led to views but not connection. He can hit a million streams and still feel invisible.
That began to change in Japan. Tensei’s decision to record in Japanese wasn’t about chasing clicks—it was about being heard for the right reasons. “There, the music speaks first,” he explains. Unburdened by the cultural filters he’s used to in the U.S., his genre-crossing sound found an audience open to complexity. Now, with Japanese national TV in his sights, Tensei’s moving toward a space where he no longer has to choose between parts of himself.
Back home, his most loyal listeners tend to find him off the beaten path—through live sets, whispered recommendations, or underground forums. He calls them the “margin people,” those who want something that doesn’t sound like everything else. He doesn’t sugarcoat the grind (“Have $30K ready to spend” is his straight-shooting advice to up-and-comers), but his creative ethos is deeply hopeful. “Close your eyes and just listen. Let the music speak before you try to define it.”
Tensei isn’t out to be a mainstream darling or a playlist algorithm’s best friend. What’s next isn’t a pivot—it’s a continuation of an uncompromising path. More releases in Japanese are coming, but so is a growing refusal to be boxed in. He’s building bridges—across genres, cultures, and expectations—not by asking permission, but by making space.
In an industry built on categories, Son Tensei is making music for the in-between—and that’s exactly where it comes alive.
Connect:
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