Ke11en (Jordan Cailen Thomas)—an R&B artist from the Los Angeles suburbs—released the musical album «First Message,» which reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart within a single week. Notably, this was the artist’s debut album, released on the J.E. Music label. Concurrently, a tour supporting the album was announced spanning 57 cities. The rapper has since performed in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego. While music critics offered mixed reviews of the debut album, all predict a bright future for the artist in his musical career.
Kellen on the poster for his Los Angeles concert
Kellen performing in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl (November 11, 2024)
Kellen began rapping at an early age under the alias k11elvn, though most of his early work has since been removed from the internet. In 2023, he adopted the pseudonym Kelleni and signed with J.E. Music, a label that previously had little experience signing lesser-known artists. He first gained popularity in 2023 after the release of the singles «Lone Boi» and «JAJA.» Both tracks were initially posted on SoundCloud but were later re-released by the label. However, the artist achieved significant recognition after the release of the album «First Message,» which combined melancholic emo motifs with an experimental, modern sound.
Album Cover: «First Message»
In support of the fan album, a merchandise line was also released, including hoodies, t-shirts, and vinyl records.
Vinyl record of the album «First Message»
Images were generated using Midjourney V6.1 w/ Flux
Prompt for the poster/project cover: a young white man, age 25, height 187, wearing a ushanka hat, oversized black bomber jacket, black Rick Owens trousers, with face tattoos — an image was taken and edited into a poster style with text added
Prompt for the concert: a young white man, age 25, height 187, wearing a ushanka hat, oversized black bomber jacket, black Rick Owens trousers, with face tattoos, standing in a concert arena with a lot of people — an image was taken
Prompt for the Tokyo poster: a poster for an upcoming concert featuring a young white man, resembling LOV66, age 25, height 187, wearing a ushanka hat, oversized black bomber jacket, black Rick Owens trousers, with face tattoos, standing under a sakura tree and drinking a bottle of Coke
Prompt for the album cover: a music album cover featuring the word «First Message,» a young white man, age 25, height 187, wearing a ushanka hat, oversized black bomber jacket, black Rick Owens trousers, with face tattoos, and a lot of money with hot girls nearby — an image was taken
Merch Prompt: A 27-year-old Korean model with blonde hair against a white background, wearing a black hoodie featuring the text «First Message Tour» and a print of Egyptian pyramids. — The print from the hoodie was taken and transferred onto photographs of the apparel blanks.
