Michael Kraun

Michael Kraun is a rapper, screenwriter, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York, whose music blends introspective lyricism, sharp social commentary, and soulful, jazz-influenced hip-hop. Drawing inspiration from Nas, Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest, J. Cole, Kid Cudi, and Childish Gambino, Kraun uses vulnerability, punchlines, and wordplay to explore ambition, anxiety, identity, mental health, and the contradictions of modern life (and the human condition). His catalog reflects an ongoing evolution. Any Minute introduced his reflective, conversational style, while the three-part Downtime series moved from jazzy lo-fi production toward more soulful, fully developed records. Together, those projects have generated over a million on-demand streams and helped establish Kraun as an independent and up and coming voice in New York hip-hop. Kraun has collaborated with artists including 96 Zeus, Kelly Moonstone, and Harlem’s own Smoke DZA. Outside of music, his work as an entrepreneur and marketing executive also shapes his perspective, giving his records a distinct tension between artist and professional, creativity and practicality, and ambition and uncertainty.