Kwn
British rapper and singer-songwriter (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Khyra Wilson[1] (born 5 April 2000), known professionally as kwn (pronounced kay-wuhn) and formerly k1, is a British singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer.[2] She is best known for her 2024 single "Worst Behaviour", which entered the UK singles chart, while its remix (featuring Kehlani) entered the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
5 April 2000
- Singer
- songwriter
- rapper
- Vocals
- piano
Kwn | |
|---|---|
| Born | Khyra Wilson 5 April 2000 Walthamstow, East London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Labels | |
She was nominated for Best New International Act at the 2025 BET Awards,[3] was named Billboard's R&B Rookie of the Month,[4] and was included on the NME 100 list of "essential emerging artists".[5]
Early life
Kwn was born and grew up in Walthamstow, East London.[6] She has two older sisters.[7] Her father is Nigerian and her mother is Irish.[8]
She started playing piano and drums in her childhood.[7] She realized by the time she was 11 years old that she wanted to become a musician,[6] after which she started making music and releasing it on SoundCloud.[2] She was inspired in part by her father, who was at one time a DJ,[8][2] and who exposed kwn to a wide variety of Western musical genres, including R&B, pop, garage, house, as well as various genres of African music.[7] When she was 16, she began attending the arts college East London Arts & Music,[4][6] which pushed her to work harder at her music.[9] After college, she worked as a chef,[6] and before deciding to pursue music, she was interested in playing football professionally.[10]
Career
Initially known as k1, she changed her stage name to kwn – incorporating the first and last letters of her last name – to avoid being mistaken for a drill rapper.[10][9]
She began releasing music with Black Butter Records in 2022, debuting with the single, “wn way or another".[2] Her debut EP episode wn was released later in 2022.[4] She was dropped by the label shortly before the release of her single "Worst Behaviour".[11]
Kwn opened for Kehlani for some of the latter's Crash European tour dates.[4]
She was nominated for Best New International Act at the 2025 BET Awards.[3] In March 2025, she was named Billboard's R&B Rookie of the Month.[4] Billboard called her music "a moody amalgam of trap, soulful vocal stacks and splashes of dark electronic music that both captures and reimagines the post-Bryson Tiller R&B landscape."[4] When asked about her own genre placement, kwn said, "I don’t really think I could pinpoint a sound; I just do whatever feels good," though she noted R&B as a consistent influence in her music.[4] She also received a place on NME's 2025 list[12] of one hundred "essential emerging artists".[5]
Her music videos often feature one-shot filming.[10][4]
Personal life
Kwn has described herself as "literally . . . gay since [she] came out of the womb". Of her sexuality, she has said, "I’m just a girl who likes girls. I don’t like putting labels on things."[6] She is an introvert.[3] Her favorite tattoo reads "lord i've tried" in Spanish ("dios he tratado"), after her song of the same title.[10]
In October 2025, she confirmed that she was in a relationship with Kehlani, after months of speculation.[13][14]
Discography
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Episode Wn |
|
| With All Due Respect |
|
| And All Pride Aside |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Wn Way or Another" | Episode Wn |
| "Nobody" | ||
| 2023 | "No Cinderella" | Non-album singles |
| "Five More" | ||
| "Wn Up" | ||
| 2024 | "Lord I've Tried" | |
| "Eyes Wide Open" | ||
| "Worst Behaviour" | ||
| 2025 | "Worst Behaviour" remix (featuring Kehlani) | With All Due Respect |
| "Do What I Say" | ||
| "Back of the Club" | ||
| "All the Girls" | ||
| 2026 | "Hopeless Romantic"[15][16] | And All Pride Aside |
| "Touch Myself" | ||
| "Idea of Love" | ||
| "Risk It All" |
Features
- "Clothes Off" (Kehlani, While We Wait 2, 2025)
- "Too Many Women" (Jordan Adetunji, A Jaguar's Dream, 2025)
Awards and nominations
| Organisation | Year | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BET Awards | 2025 | Herself | Best New International Act | Nominated |
| Ivor Novello Awards | 2026 | Herself | Her song | Pending |
| BRIT Awards | Herself | Best R&B Act | Pending | |
| BBC Radio 1 | Kwn[17] | Sound of 2026 | Nominated | |
| MOBO Awards | "Do What I Say"[18][19] |
|
Nominated | |