Born Conor Coleman in London, England, Chronic Shnxman began his musical journey at the age of 10 after moving from Kaikoura, New Zealand. Beginning on the drums in his current hometown of Wellington, New Zealand he learned how to keep rhythm and developed a passion for music while spending hours behind the drum set everyday with his dad teaching him how to do it. After learning a few more instruments along the way, his first inspiration didn’t come from hip-hop at all, but from the pop punk bands and nu metal such as Blink 182 and Slipknot.
After forming several bands throughout high school he started getting into hip-hop music on accident after his computer broke and he could no longer produce with his band. He began producing crazy instrumentals with hard trap drums, stating his biggest sources of inspiration as Scrim of $uicideboy$ and Craig Xen for his abrasive delivery in his music. He produces, raps, screams, and sings – he is a hip-hop renaissance man. He truly can make any sort of vibe he wants on a track. Still playing in bands currently, he carries his metal influences over to his hip-hop flawlessly. Often yelling over hard-hitting trap beats and huge 808 kicks, he raps with an aggression that draws any listener into his world immediately. On the track Fred Durst (prod. DENZ1 x HEIST), the energy that he brings to the table is undeniable. The savage bars and one of the hardest choruses I have heard in a while form a combination for a certified banger. He displays his versatility on the self-produced track trash gang, which employs a softer, more melodic approach creating another great song and discrediting any one-trick pony assumptions.
Now living in Wellington, New Zealand, Chronic Shnxman is creating his own lane by staying true to his roots and more importantly, by staying true to himself. “I can not and do not rely on other people to aid me in my success. This is my music so I have to push it if I want it to go anywhere.” With a fairly large following already, he is constantly working to make a name for himself in the industry. His live shows are packed with hype fans head banging and obviously feeling the vibes that Shnxman brings with him. “I want to create a ripple in the music industry as myself rather than some brand soaked icon made up by labels to [move] units.” Drawing from his metal background, it is clear when listening to his music that hard rock is something that inspires his music.
Outside of rapping Shnxman has been doing work producing for other artists from New Zealand like YOUNG GHO$T on the song CHEWING. His official music videos for trash gang and GRIT, both shot by a clearly talented Chelsea Hideki, who also gets partial editing credit for trash gang along with Shnxman himself, while Mitch Cramer edited GRIT. Both videos are currently on YouTube and the links to those videos will be below this article. Surfing the underground can be a daunting task but he welcomes the challenge with aggression and heavy trap beats. Releasing his frustrations and baring his soul on the track, he creates a metal-infused trap style that is very unique not only in the New Zealand scene, but even here in the United States.
When asked about his off-the-wall style of music and the importance of genre blending he told me that he sees it “a crucial part in [the] progression… towards broadening boundaries within hip hop and music as a whole.” He commended hip-hop saying that it is “an amazing platform to experiment with sounds and different vibes,” as it pairs well with so many different forms of music such as jazz, gospel, reggae, and now even metal. Because hip-hop can fuse with so many other types of music, we are now seeing so many different sub-genres emerging. Shnxman, with his aggressive antics and often dark imagery, is pushing the boundaries on how hip-hop should sound and how it is produced. Leaving a burning trail everywhere his music goes, you can hear the 808s from 3 miles away. “Originality is key so of course we’re going to be hearing and seeing a bunch of weird stuff, which is great. No one wants wants to hear the same song over and over.”
In the coming months of 2018, Chronic Shnxman plans to work on new music constantly, telling me that he plans to make an EP that has a softer vocal style that will make for some great club bangers. Citing Travis Scott as a current source of inspiration, I look forward to covering that EP when it comes out later in the year. He wanted to take some time in the interview to show some love to his close circle saying:
“Shoutouts Slam crew. The brothers. We linked through flatting, music and partying. Now stronger more than ever.
Shoutouts Chelsea and my cat Mungo as well, they keep me happy and out of trouble. Love you guys x”
Keep making music, Shnxman, I look forward to your career progressing and seeing how you grow as an artist – I wish you the best of luck!