Kane Brown's ascent within the realm of country music has been far from a smooth journey. Recently, the artist behind the hit "Miles On It" reminisced about the nascent stages of his career, painting a vivid picture of the racism he encountered from certain songwriters in the industry.
"I refrain from mentioning his name, as I don't wish to tarnish his reputation publicly," Kane disclosed during the July 8th episode of Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast. "However, there was a particular writer who bluntly refused to collaborate with me solely because of my race. I recall confronting him about it, and later, he attempted to apologize to me in a bar setting."
This incident was not an isolated occurrence for the 31-year-old, who recounted another instance where a prominent songwriter, credited with over 30 number-one hits, declined to work with him shortly thereafter. Similar to Kane's first encounter, the second songwriter also sought to mend fences when Kane's career skyrocketed. However, the High Road artist stood firm in his conviction.
"He offered his apologies when my popularity soared and he wanted to write for me again, but I flatly refused," Kane elaborated. "This was during my early days on Facebook, when I was just beginning to make waves on social media and many doubted its potential."
Indeed, Kane, who shares his life with his wife Katelyn Brown and their children, Kingsley (5), Kodi (3), and 12-month-old Krewe, carved a niche for himself on social media by covering country songs on Facebook. In 2015, he crowdfunded his self-titled EP before inking his maiden record deal with RCA Nashville the following year.
The "Backseat Driver" crooner has previously opened up about his experiences with racism, revealing to People magazine in November 2018 that he was bombarded with hateful comments, including slurs, when he first ventured into country music.
While Kane isn't hesitant to shed light on these detrimental experiences, he has moved beyond allowing such remarks to mar his career. "I shouldn't even have to address this," he told CBS News in October 2022. "As a Black artist, I stand before thousands in sold-out arenas. My songs dominate the radio waves. My accomplishments speak volumes. All of this should suffice to demonstrate that country music is evolving for the better, and minds should be opening up."
