[DreUpdate]
Hi EkanshK! How are you?

[EkanshK]
Hey! Doing well, hbu?

[DreUpdate]
I’m well, thank you.
Let’s start off with a nice icebreaker! What’s your favorite annotation you’ve ever written?

[EkanshK]
Oof, that’s actually a tough one, but it’d probably have to be the annotation I wrote on Polo G’s “Martin & Gina.” I entered it into a Weekly Annotation Competition and it actually did surprisingly well.

[DreUpdate]
That’s so cool! Based on your user stats, you’re definitely more of an annotator than anything else.

[EkanshK]
Yeah absolutely, I love to write about music. In a way, it’s kind of like venting for me. I don’t know, it’s kind of a weird way of putting it, but it helps me rеlax.

[DreUpdate]
Is being able to share your thoughts, opinion, and knowlеdge what drove you to Genius?

[EkanshK]
Yes.Juice WRLD’s death really pushed me back onto the site.I was writing a lot of random stuff about his tracks, when my mentor (@sitzpinkler) reached out to me and made me an Ed pretty quick, which was dope.

[DreUpdate]
I was planning on touching on Juice WRLD later on in this interview. Before we talk about that though, I have a few more questions about your general experience on Genius.
[EkanshK]
Yeah, for sure!

[DreUpdate]
Do you feel your writing abilities have improved from when you started tating until now?

[EkanshK]
Absolutely, there’s no doubt, especially with Sitz’s help. I feel like my writing reached a different level -- which actually helped me out a lot in school, too! Sitz was probably the best of the best. He really pushed me to improve my writing in a respectful way and really encouraged me to write more and more.

Being a mentor now myself, I try to take after sitz. I focus on my mentees' positives and suggest small tweaks. It’s super fun to see them improve their writing as they learn from your advice.

[DreUpdate]
That’s awesome that your hobby has helped you in other areas of your life! And I’m so happy you’ve formed these relationships on the site. I have to go check out your family tree on the family tree page!

Do you feel like you are part of a real community here on Genius?

[EkanshK]Honestly, they feel like a different kind of family to me.Almost like no one is ever negative towards each other, everyone keeps a positive attitude, and the community is always by your side.

[DreUpdate]
Why do you think the Genius community is so uplifting and supportive? What contributes to that atmosphere on Genius specifically?

[EkanshK]
I think the biggest reason is that at the end of the day, users know Genius is all about dropping knowledge and enjoying and learning about our music, no matter what.Music is absolutely beautiful, and that resonates throughout the community.[DreUpdate]
I agree, I think everyone respects the opinions of others (even if you need to revise a tate or send a PM to fix things up) because that’s what you have come to the site to do as well---share your opinion.

[EkanshK]
Yeah, absolutely… the community supports your writing and finds ways to help you improve a lot, which is important, but it always comes down to us Eds even just scrolling through tates and learning more. Music teaches us all a lot, even when we don’t think it does.
[DreUpdate]
Can you describe a typical session on Genius for you?

[EkanshK]
lmaoo that’s a good question, actually… I was super active in July and did nothing but tates for the whole month (when Legends Never Die (LND) dropped), but since then, I’ve really only been checking in with my own tates to see how they're doing… Usually though, I gravitate towards Juice’s unreleased tracks (quick s/o to @proxim for his ridiculous work on those unreleased tracks) and usually drop a couple of tates on those a day.

[DreUpdate]
Has being an Editor improved your experience on Genius?
Have the responsibilities of being an Editor strengthened your skills in other areas that are important for a Genius user?

[EkanshK]
Yeah, actually, being an Ed is definitely one of the greatest achievements I’ve had on the site. It’s also helped me feel more confident about a lot of other things, like being in a position of leadership with my few mentees.

[DreUpdate]
Speaking of great achievements, I saw the annotation you made on the Genius User Goals page about 4 months ago. It seems like you’ve been making great improvements on those goals!

[EkanshK]
Yea, absolutely. When I wrote that I think I was Juice’s 15th~ish scholar, so it’s been super fun moving up the leaderboard. When LND dropped and I moved up his leaderboard really quick.

[DreUpdate]
Yes, you’re #2! Must feel pretty good to be so high up on your favorite artist’s Top Scholars.

Can you tell me why Juice WRLD is your favorite artist?

[EkanshK]Honestly, I just love his vibe to a different degree.A lot of my friends didn’t start listening to his big hits until after he passed away, and I remember the specific day he died. I played all of his songs and just knew all of the words to them. I’m not really sure why, but his vibe and some of the stuff he says really helped me through some tough times (and still do right now).
[DreUpdate]
That’s amazing. I think everyone finds that one band or artist in their life that just … is so special and resonates in a different indescribable way. I definitely have an artist like that for me.

[EkanshK]
Absolutely -- music has always been one of my favorite things to pass time, and Juice is an artist whose music I can listen to for hours and just drift away.

[DreUpdate]
You mentioned that you really realized and appreciated the connection you had with his music once he died. How did his death affect you and how did you mourn him?

[EkanshK]Honestly and kinda weirdly, his music helped me get through his own death…But it actually was hard. I’d never cried over an artist’s passing before him. And I actually loved X before his death, as well. But i still get chills to this day thinking about the way he died and the fact that he’ll never share his talents with the rest of the world

[DreUpdate]
For sure, I think it’s super hard to process the fact that when someone’s gone, what they’ve made in the world is everything that have left. There’s nothing else. It gets me sad too sometimes to think about that.

[EkanshK]
Yeah, the world is shit sometimes

[DreUpdate]
Did you ever get the chance to see him live?

[EkanshK]
Nope, I actually was supposed to go to his concert in early 2020, but I couldn’t get the chance… Also, I recently won some money at a tennis tournament and spent it on his merch. Wish it was on his concert, though :/

[DreUpdate]
I’m sorry, that sucks.

I’m curious about your pfp. Any reason you chose that image of Juice in particular?

[EkanshK]
Nope, I just saw his face and he looked like he was having a good time performing, so I decided it’ll remind me of the good times when he made his fans happy every concert.

[DreUpdate]
Most underrated Juice WRLD song or bar?

[EkanshK]
Ooh, actually -- I'd have to go with either “Chimp” or “DARK PLACE (demo).” Those two songs are polar opposites and totally different vibes, but “DARK PLACE” helped me through so much shit in my life, and “Chimp” is one of my favorite tracks

[DreUpdate]
Is there anything you’d like to share about your other top artists?

[EkanshK]
Yeah, for me, the biggest thing is honestly the vibe with those artists -- I feel like if you go through my last.fm or my top tracks, you’ll notice tons and tons of emo rappers (Juice, Trippie, X, Uzi, etc.) because they fit my vibe and the way I feel a lot. But the truth is I listen to a variety of music within the genre, and that comes from my brother who introduced me to Eminem, J. Cole, and even EDM and slower artists like ODESZA. Vibe = huge

[DreUpdate]
To close off the interview, is there anything you’d like to say to the Genius community or any changes you’d like to see?

[EkanshK]
Nothing really, the community is working out the small kinks, but honestly, I just love the site and love all of you guys.Being on Genius has made my life a lot better and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.[DreUpdate]
It was great talking to you today, thanks for the interview!

[EkanshK]
Absolutely! Thanks for the taking the time… and i hope to see you around the site a lot
999 forever <3This interview was conducted via Google Docs August 28, 2020.