Chester Watson (rapper)
Chester Watson | |
---|---|
Birth name | Chester Watson |
Also known as | The Monotone Samurai |
Born | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | March 16, 1997
Origin | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop, lo-fi, psychedelic |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | Nü Age Syndicate, Psymun, Kent Loon |
Website | chstrwtsn |
Chester Watson (born March 16, 1997) is an American rapper and record producer based in Miami, Florida.[3] He is a member of the crew Nü Age Syndicate.[4]
Early life[]
Watson was born to separated parents[5] in St. Louis, Missouri.[3] He rarely saw his father, who has been a producer for Three 6 Mafia and a keyboard player for Con Funk Shun and Bar-Kays.[5] He grew up in Clearwater, Florida and spent several years in Georgia.[6] He transferred from a performing arts school, where he studied ballet, to a regular public school in St. Petersburg, Florida.[4]
Career[]
At the age of 15, Watson started releasing his music online.[5] In 2012, he released a mixtape, Phantom.[5] The music video for its title track caught the attention of Zane Lowe, who played the song on his BBC Radio 1 show.[5] For weeks, the video received tens of thousands of views each day.[5] Watson released Tin Wooki in 2014,[7] Past Cloaks in 2016,[8] and Project 0 in 2018.[9]
On October 31, 2020, Watson released his debut studio album, A Japanese Horror Film.[10]
Artistry[]
![]() | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (March 2021) |
Watson's inspirations are made clear through his music, with references in his lyrics to many artists. In a recent livestream on his Twitch channel, Watson was asked who his biggest inspirations were. He replied with the following artists: Psymun, MF DOOM, Odd Future, Mos Def, Madlib, Nujabes, J Dilla, André 3000, Metro Boomin and Travis Scott.[11]
Producing most of his own material, Watson blends genres together, including hip-hop, lo-fi, and psychedelia. In 2017, Watson released a video on his YouTube channel titled "A Moment With Chester Watson",[12] in which he stated "I kinda just want my career to just take its course, and lean towards psychedelia, for sure... because... I don't know, like, that's what I'm influenced by the most." His signature monotone style of delivery is one of the components that sets Watson apart from his contemporaries, and ultimately has given him the nickname of the Monotone Samurai.[13]
In his EP 1997, released on February 27, 2021, Watson made multiple references to the late MF DOOM's passing. He released a video for the first track on the EP, "Sunbeam", and in its description wrote "RIP MF DOOM".[14]
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- A Japanese Horror Film (2020)
Mixtapes[]
- Phantom (2012)
- Tin Wooki (2014)
- Past Cloaks (2016)
- Project 0 (2018)
- Instrumental Tape (2019)
EPs[]
- Space Nobility (2013)
- My Girlfriend Made Me Drop This (2014)
- Summer Mirage (2015)
- Autumn Mirage (2015)
- Spring Mirage (2016) (with Kent Loon)
- 3 of 3 (2016)
- Nebulous (2019)
- 1997 (2021)
Singles[]
- "Koi Island" (2015)
- "Marble" (2017)
- "Smog" (2017)
- "Halloween" (2017)
- "Chessmaster" (2018)
- "Afro!" (2019)
- "Time Moves Slower Here" (2019)
- "Cloud Mask" (2019)[15]
References[]
- ^ a b Marsh, Calum (April 10, 2014). "Chester Watson "Yetti"". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Galil, Leor (May 25, 2016). "Ballet student turned rapper Chester Watson lights up 'I Get It'". Chicago Reader. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c Cortez, Kevin (October 22, 2018). "Music and Cannabis With Hip-Hop Artist Chester Watson". Leafly. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ a b Leight, Elias (November 28, 2018). "Chester Watson Wants to Open Your Mind". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Bell, Max (May 18, 2016). "Chester Watson's Fantastic Visions". Vice. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Bell, Max (December 16, 2014). "Interview: Young Florida Rapper Chester Watson". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Spencer, Jack (January 16, 2015). "Rap Prodigy Chester Watson Turned Down to Stir Up His Audience". City Pages. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Confusion (February 5, 2016). "Listen to Florida Rapper Chester Watson's 'Past Cloaks' Album". Complex. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Cubbison, Jeff. "Chester Watson - "Cloud Mask"". Impose. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Raw, Son (October 30, 2020). "A Japanese Horror Film, Directed by Chester Watson". Passion of the Weiss.
- ^ Vibe Stream II | Chester Watson Twitch Stream, retrieved April 1, 2021
- ^ A Moment With Chester Watson, retrieved March 27, 2021
- ^ Monotone Samurai, retrieved April 1, 2021
- ^ Chester Watson - Sunbeam [Official Music Video], retrieved April 1, 2021
- ^ "Music | Chester Watson". Bandcamp. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
External links[]
- Chester Watson discography at Discogs
- Living people
- American hip hop record producers
- American male rappers
- 21st-century American rappers
- 1997 births
- 21st-century American male musicians