Oakland native KJ Wilson blends elements of hip-hop, R&B, emo and punk to bring a unique character to his songs. The 22-year-old rapper and producer draws on influences like Kevin Abstract, Lil Peep, and Kid Cudi, but creates a sound all his own. A talented and passionate DIY enthusiast, KJ often records and engineers his own tracks, as well as booking and producing shows. As part of the vibrant alternative hip-hop scene in the Bay Area, he regularly collaborates and performs with artists like Emilio Diaz, Moya Gotham, and Renegade Vagabond. KJ released his debut EP, “U+1F494,” in 2020. The title is unicode for the “heartbreak emoji.” In songs like “I Got Cheated On,” “I Moved On,” and “But I Think About It,” he tells the story of struggling to preserve a relationship that is not meant to last. The cinematic video for “Can’t Do Long Distance,” shot on location at the San Francisco International Airport and in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood, does even more to showcase this theme. KJ launched his most recent single, “EIGHTEEN,” with a bracing, violent 30-second teaser video that seemed to signal a more aggressive direction for his music. The clip has been shared widely on social media and has generated a lot of buzz about this song. In addition to writing songs, KJ coordinates creative projects at the DJ Project, a nonprofit that teaches digital production and graphic design to marginalized youth in the Mission District of San Francisco.