Find out how Earworm Entertainment came to be and more about Canna CDK’s upcoming album Sinister Intent.
Bio: Canna CDK is the owner & founder of Earworm Entertainment & Earworm Radio. He is a performing artist for the Earworm Entertainment Artist Collective [EwEaC]. Canna CDK is from Brockton, Massachusetts, now living in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, (USA), he was first established on October 31st, 2013 with the Klown Around EP. The EP was followed by his first full-length album Misunderstood Mind, released in late 2015. After a period of self-reflection and medication returning in late 2016 shortly after launching Earworm Entertainment, Radio, & the Collective. Since its launch, three new albums, Interminable, Off the Chainz, & The Other Album have been released between 2017 and 2018, along with a mountain of collaborations.
First off, what’s the story behind the name?
Before I got into music, I was known as the “Cannabis Kid.” Not by choice really but more by description. Once I hit my later teenage years, it evolved into “Canna Biz” for some reason. After getting into recording music naturally, I went with what I knew but wanted to stay unique, so I dropped the “biz” part and started going by Canna. As for the “CDK” part, it has stood for a few things over the years but that latest and greatest is “Can’t Deny Knowing.” Had a fan come up and say that to me after I performed a set for a show and I loved it.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
I first started making music in 2011. It took me over a year to put something together I felt worthy of sharing with others but at that point, it was less than a hobby for me. By the end of 2012, I had only two songs recorded and neither were what you would consider a complete song. In 2013, I started having more and more ideas and just kept writing and trying to capture and learn the different components of “what makes a song,” and soon after that I began performing with my first partner which eventually turned into my first rap duo/group called “MuTiLaTeD.” It only lasted about a year and due to creative differences, we parted ways. When 2014 came around, I was starting my solo journey with music but still, it was only a hobby for me. Now 2015 had come and that was the time of Misunderstood Mind. This was my first full-length solo album release. Between the end of 2015 and the entirety of 2016, my music career was put on hold, but by the end of 2016, the drive to make music became stronger and stronger inside me, which lead to the birth of my business Earworm Entertainment.
How would you describe your sound?
The best way to describe my music would be fluid. I enjoy many different genres of music and I try to apply that to my own music as well. Many artists want to stick to one style and genre. I have never liked that personally. In my opinion, artists should reach out of their comfort zone more and more with each project so that they can grow.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
There are so many I could mention. As I said, I enjoy many different genres, but I will list my top three (3) artists who have been influential to me. Corey Taylor, SCUM, & Tech N9ne.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“What It Is” by Jonathan Davis (of KoRn)
What’s your source for hearing new music?
I am honestly so busy most of the time that I hear about new music from friends and family. Occasionally, I stumble across a new artist or album when browsing social media but those times seem to be fewer and farther between.
Who is your dream producer?
I don’t really have a “dream producer.” I produce all my own music and a large portion of the music released by Earworm Entertainment. But I am always down to collaborate and enjoy hearing what other producers come up with for sure.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
That’s a tough question. It would probably be Corey Taylor. He was a huge part of my love for music as a kid and my drive to make music.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
Music for me started out as a method of therapy. When I started, I honestly made music just for myself. I never expected that it would become what it has or that so many people would enjoy and feel the music that I put out. And ever since the first time a fan came up to me at a show telling me how a specific song (or songs) has helped them get through their own hardship and struggles. That is what keeps me going.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
It all depends on the song. Sometimes it comes together slowly. Other times it can come together so fast you wonder if it’s you writing or if you are possessed or something. It might start off as just a hook/chorus or might come as nothing but verses. But the one thing that is true no matter how the song comes together, you can’t force it. Not many artists that I know can say, “I have some free time right now I am going to just sit down and write a song.” Sadly that doesn’t happen very often. Inspiration comes at any time. In my own experience, it likes to come when I least expect it. I carry a notepad with me almost everywhere I go and it seems some of my best ideas come to me when I forget to bring it.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
To tell the truth, I am very anti-social in most cases and I suffer from severe social anxiety. Maybe funny coming from a guy who gets up on stage in front of venues full of people but it’s true. So keeping in touch with people, reaching out to people is a conscious effort for me. With that said, I love hearing feedback from people about my music, answering questions, and hearing ideas. The three social media platforms I actively use are Facebook, Instagram, & Youtube. So if anyone wants to get in touch with me, those are your best options.
Also connect with Canna CDK via the Earworm Entertainment website and Twitter.
Get his music here: Amazon, Napster, and Spotify.
You have a new album coming out in 2020, called Sinister Intent. Do you want to tell us what it’ll be about? What subject matter could your fans expect to hear?
Sinister Intent is a project I have been planning since back in 2013. I knew then I didn’t have the knowledge or have enough experience to do it properly, so it went on the “back burner” until the end of 2018, at which point I started working on it more and more. This project is the largest I have done since starting music both lyrically and volume of content. Fans can expect to hear some of the darkest and personal material I have released.
We hear you just found out about your ancestry. What was the majority from? Will this influence Sinister Intent at all?
The majority of my ancestry comes from what I have started to call the Viking landmarks, which are Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Scandinavia. And yes, this information has influenced my Sinister Intent project in a big way. Some could argue that this information is one of the large portions of what I was missing back in 2013 when first brainstorming this project.
Earworm Entertainment has an impressive roster of artists. Could your fans expect some Earworm Collective artists to appear on Sinister Intent? If so, who is most likely to collaborate on some tracks?
Yes, it does, and fans should definitely expect some features from Earworm Entertainment artists. And fans can expect collaborations with a handful of artists on this album. Some are Earworm Entertainment artists and some who are not. Everyone will just have to wait and see when the album is released.
Speaking of Earworm Entertainment, tell us about how that came to be. Where’d you get the idea to create a group for like-minded artists to come together?
The idea for Earworm Entertainment came towards the end of 2016 when I decided to get back in the music scene. I spent years working with artists and promoters all over New England and noticed that artists rarely worked together for the greater good. I witnessed people using and abusing relationships for a chance to get ahead, and it just seemed counter-productive and shady to say the least. So I figured if I was getting back into music, I wanted to do something that would improve the music scene in some way, not only for myself but for those genuine artists who are dedicated to their craft.
Did you have any challenges creating Earworm Entertainment, or did you have artists begging to be part of something bigger than themselves?
Of course, nothing worth doing comes easy. And Earworm Entertainment is no exception. When Earworm Entertainment was launched, the first artists joined were guys I had worked with many times over the years. Not saying there weren’t artists looking to join but there is an unwritten formula that comes into play when talking about someone new joining Earworm Entertainment Artists Collective. It has been a learning process to say the least but we have been fortunate enough to have the support of not only the other artists but our family and fans as well. People only see the artists in the spotlight but there are many members of the Earworm Family who work their asses off to make what we do possible. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do everything we do.
What services does Earworm Entertainment offer? Do they offer services to the collective’s artists, or is it open to the public?
Earworm Entertainment offers a variety of Audio Production services available to anyone who is interested. Available services can be found on our website Shop under “Professional Services.”
Earworm Entertainment offers DIY merchandise. Tell about the process of creating merchandise. Does something like a T-shirt start with a design? How do these designs come to be? Does an artist create them? Once the design is created, what happens next? What could your clients expect from your merchandise operation?
Screen-printing is something I actually started doing as a side job back in 2015. Primarily T-Shirts but you can also print on other products as well. When it comes to the process of creation, yes, the design comes first. Everything is done on a computer using something like Photoshop or Illustrator and is then printed on transparent sheets to be later put onto the screen which is how the designs are applied to products. The artist/client typically provides designs but as of now, all designs available in the Earworm Shop were designed by me. Although, we have a number of new designs coming soon which have been designed by a few different artists. Screen-printing is only one of our methods of producing merchandise but clients can expect ALL merchandise from Earworm Entertainment are high-quality products we have personally tested ourselves before making available to others.
Of your merchandise, which are you most proud of? Which are your best sellers?
Of course, the music is what I am most proud of hands down. And I have a certain level of pride for all of the merchandise we offer. Especially when I think back to the early days, merchandise was extremely limited. But other than the music, if I had to choose, I would have to say our latest line of 3D Printed merchandise brings me great pride. We have recently been selling a large number of 3D Printed key-chains, hat pins, herb grinders, and necklace charms.
You recently released Earworm Entertainment’s Mixtape Volume III. What’s that about? Does it feature any Earworm Entertainment artists?
Each year since the birth of Earworm Entertainment, we have released a Mixtape album. It started as a way for Earworm Entertainment Artist Collective (EwEaC) members to collaborate but now it has become more of a tradition. Volume III features at least one song by each EwEaC member along with songs submitted by artists from across the country.
Your top song on Spotify is “Multi-Verse (Rick Bitch).” It appears to be inspired heavily by Rick and Morty. What’s the song about?
Well, I have to be honest. When I first heard of Rick and Morty, I wasn’t really interested. But, after I started watching, I was hooked. I honestly disappeared on everyone so I could binge-watch Season 1 & 2 and by the time I finished the last episode I had Rick and Morty on the brain non-stop. In years past the only way to stop the constant repeat happening in my brain was to write about it so I went with what I knew and I started writing. And I was hearing bits and pieces from episodes in my head the whole time. By the time I got to the recording and production of the song, Season 3 had been released so naturally, I had to watch, but this time with a little more self-control. By the time the song was finished, I no longer had Rick and Morty playing on repeat in my head and I was caught up with everyone else who impatiently waited for Rick and Morty Season 4 to be released.
Which song in your current catalog is your favorite? Which lyrics mean the most to you and why?
As a whole, I have to say my “Bottom Dollar” from my latest album released entitled The Other Album. As for specific lyrics from one of my songs, I have to pull from my single release “FACT” with the first two lines of my verse. “Long hours, dedication, hard work, and perseverance. Without these things, without these skills, don’t even worry about your appearance.” Too many artists today focus more on how they look and not enough about who they are and what they are about.
Are you willing to tell us which song you’re most looking forward to on your upcoming album, Sinister Intent? Are you willing to share your favorite line from that one?
I am excited for this whole project to finally be released upon the world. But specifically, I am excited for the release of my song “Changing,” which will be on my Sinister Intent album. No specific line to share but I will say it is the first song where I do an entire verse in Norwegian.
What’s next for you?
Looking past the release of my Sinister Intent album, I see space and opportunity. Earworm Entertainment has a busy year ahead of it between new music, videos, events, and surprises around every corner. I am looking forward to it all and I hope everyone else is too!
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Well, first, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to do this interview. I want to give a shout out to my brothers in music Jay Prophet, Maniak Max, Grim Singmuf, DMK, TStone, Tha Six, and Mr. NoBoDy. They are a great group of guys to work with. If you want to stay informed on the happenings with Earworm Entertainment, you can find it all on our website (https://earwormentertainment.com/). Sign up on the site to get unrestricted access and for the best experience. We have news, merchandise, music, services, tutorials, and videos. It’s a one-stop-shop for underground hip-hop. Much Love!
