I am a 23 year-old independent artist from a small town in South Africa. An atypical, non-traditional mixed kid, taking up space in Web3 to revolutionize the music industry. I am… KAIEN CRUZ. MY STORY I released my very first song, after my older sister heard me singing in my bedroom and eagerly dragged me to the studio. No one really knew I could sing or play guitar, until the song ended up on the radio. It quickly began topping the charts & getting nominated for awards. A couple of months later, I sang at my second live performance ever in front of 90,000 people opening up for Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour. Fast forward, I moved to LA just before the pandemic & have since released two EP’s, ‘Demos For Ransom’ & ‘BUFFERING…’, got signed to CAA, went on my first US Tour and have been booked to perform at major stages including Governor’s Ball in NYC & SXSW in Austin. WHY WEB3 Growing up queer in a small town meant it was always easier to talk to people online that I could relate to. Platforms like tumblr played a big role in cultivating a space & community, where I could connect with like-minded people. I have found this same sense of connectivity & community in Web3. After the success of my independently funded & pushed EP, I went on multiple different label runs, meeting execs from every major label. I quickly realized that a lot of people in the music industry didn’t understand the vision of what I was trying to create, not allowing me to have full creative control and reins on my future. Technology, music & entertainment go hand- in-hand, so naturally, I have a big interest in creating a community on Web3 that can be a part of my journey & career as an artist, while simultaneously creating a blueprint for aspiring artists that want to retain creative control as well. I want to encourage others to stop fighting for a seat at a table that was never built for them and instead create their own table, specially curated to their needs, interests and passions! 'Kiss Me Like I'm Drowning' is a cinematic sound journey of self-discovery and exploration. I hope you enjoy!