Julian Kushman

Who is Julian Kushman?

Julian Michael Kushman is an emerging independent hip-hop and rap artist based in Ruidoso, New Mexico. With a high-energy flow and distinctive rasp, the hip-hop artist explores grief, loss and grappling with depression, anxiety and ADHD in his music. Kushman is open about his mental health struggles. Born in 2001, raised by a single mother, the rapper had an unsettled childhood that saw him and his sister bounce from home to home. In 2016, he lost his biological father to medical complications, and in 2020, was blindsided by the loss of his best friend Justin Miller. He cites Logic, Phora and Mac Miller as creative inspirations, mainly because of the stories in their music: “They have similar messages as me, everything they say I can relate to. Most of the time I just feel worthless and I don’t want anyone else feeling that way. I think what motivates my music is not wanting other people to feel like I do.” Through his lyrics and his movement, ‘Stay Optimistic’, the talented young rapper is making meaningful music that sheds a light on mental health.