Totally Independent Artist Ren Achieves A #1 Record In The UK!!!

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

I get it. Ren is not a thing here. But I think he's an incredible artist. His life story is heartbreaking with a promising career totally derailed in 2010 by Lyme disease that was not properly diagnosed until late in 2016. In 2017 a stem cell treatment offered for free (Ren was poor) by a doctor in California saved his life. It allowed him to return to making music, but he was still suffering from autoimmunity, pain, fatigue and a condition called Mast Cell Activation that basically makes the immune system fight against itself. Through all of that, he carried on making some incredibly deep, often dark music taking from his life experiences.

In Dec. 2022 he released HI Ren, and then left for Canada (where he still is) getting 5 day a week treatments to help rebuild his immune system. He had no idea when he left that Hi Ren would go viral, and make him a sensation. He's been releasing videos from his album for the last 2 years to YouTube, and released the full album on Oct. 13th. It was number 1 in the UK beating out (of all people) Rick Astley for the number on spot. Barely avoiding the ultimate Rick Roll.

Ren writes, produces, engineers and mixes all his music, and plays the instruments as well. He blurs genres with ease, and quite frankly is the most unique artist I've ever seen. You never know what you're going to get. I'm posting 2 videos.

The first one is a live one shot showing his storytelling. The second is a produced track showing what he does in the studio. He does everything on this track from empty hard drive to final master.

I would love for the members here to give this guy at least a fair listen. but I understand I'm probably preaching to the wrong audience.



The intro to this is a eulogy written in Welsh

 

[Sleezy E]

I'm a big fan of this track, personally
The beats, the rhymes, all of it

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

Here is a recent TV interview with Ren that helps give a bit of perspective to him.

 

[madmarcus1960]

Ren is an extremely talented kid that's rising above a remarkably tough situation. Very dark, intense storytelling.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

To add a bit of additional context. Ren was signed to Sony when he was 20, and while making his debut album with his group Trick The Fox, he was unable to finish the album due to his worsening illness. Here is a track from that era. The talent just drips off of him.



In 2016 he self released his 1st album Freckled Angels. It's about half songs worked on from the Sony album, and several self produced tracks he made when he felt well enough to do anything. This song from 2016 shows the growth as an artist facing what may very likely be an early death.

Crutch features his then girlfriend Bibi. You can see clearly how underweight he is by this point. This is a very different artist then the one above.