Ando San: A Fresh Take on Hip-Hop
Many artists blend other genres with hip-hop — and do it well — but none quite like Los Angeles rapper and guitarist Ando San. Starting out as an instrumentalist, Ando San fused jazz and soul with hip-hop to craft laid-back, deeply evocative production. Not long after, he began layering his instrumentals with lyrics, adding another dimension to his already rich sound.
For a while, it felt like he was still searching for something — until his latest EP, OH KAY, hit streaming platforms and cemented him as an emerging artist to watch. With standout singles like “Big Dawg” and “DASH OUT,” he unveiled a bold, in-your-face sound dripping with star quality and creative precision.
Now, Ando San is staying busy — currently on tour with multi-instrumentalist Felix Martin and hard at work on his upcoming album, I Wish You Would. So, it’s no surprise we had a lot to talk about when we sat down with him for this interview.
What is the origin of the stage name, Ando San? So the name came from a Japanese animation called "Mr Ando Of The Woods," I watched [it] when I was younger, and I thought it was hilarious [laughs]. It’s by a Japanese animator named Takashi Taniguchi.
What first got you into making music -did a specific moment or influence that sparked your interest? So I grew up around music. My family would listen to music every day, and I was practically born into it. My dad is a bass player, and there are plenty of musicians on my dad's side as well, so it was in my blood. I think one moment that sparked my interest in becoming a musical artist is when my cousin Matthew was showing me and my nephew Khyron how he produces music. He showed me artists like J Dilla and MF DOOM. It made me want to start producing beats, and that was an integral part of me wanting to incorporate hip-hop elements in my music.
Who were some of your biggest artistic influences growing up? Do they still inspire you today, or have new artists taken their place? Some of my biggest influences are Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Animals As Leaders, J Dilla, MF DOOM, and a lot more amazing artists. I am influenced by a lot of R&B, Jazz, Metal, and Funk. All the artists I mentioned here still influence me. JPEGMAFIA is another artist who has really influenced me, especially with my newer music. Kendrick Lamar is also another big influence. The thing with me is I try to tap into all my interests and pull influence with everything I love and make the sound my own.
Can you walk us through your creative process when making a song? So right now I just get tons of riff ideas and I demo them out, produce a beat, and start writing lyrics.
Has that process changed since you first started, or has it stayed pretty consistent over the years? So before I used to write a chord progression, then come up with the beat. It changes over time, but like I said recently, I get riff Ideas and demo them out, then come up with a beat and write lyrics!
Your first two albums are instrumental albums, except for beatboxing, vocal melodies, and two features on your second album. Going into your third album, Bipolar, what made you decide to rap and sing more prominently throughout it? So I wanted to pay homage to my hip-hop roots on my album Bipolar. It was also a personal album for me since I have Bipolar Disorder. It was definitely a passion project. It's wild cause that album really didn't do well, but I still made some important connections with that album. I decided to add rapping because I always considered myself a poet. I wanted to use all facets of my talent in my art. I didn't want to hold myself back.
Over the past two years, your sound has evolved quite a bit. Since your 2024 single, “Bad For Yah Health,” your structures have become tighter, instrumentals are more genre-bending, and lyrics are just absolutely killer. It seems like you have found a sound you are comfortable with and flourishing in. But with all of that being said, do you feel like you are still searching for yourself creatively? That's a really good question. I feel like I'm always going to evolve as an artist. I am a human being who is self-aware enough to know that my opinions change, the way I think changes, and my taste in music changes as well. I am influenced by so many things that I don't want to pigeonhole myself [into] one genre.
This unique sound of yours is a genre you call ‘Prog-hop’. Can you explain the style and sound of the genre? [laughs] Yeah, I call my style Prog-Hop. It's a combination of Hip Hop and Prog Metal. Hip Hop is already an incredibly progressive genre, drawing influence from all genres of music. I would argue it's more progressive than "Progressive Metal". A lot of times, Progressive Metal can trap itself in this idealized "Modern" sound, and I wanted to break that mold and introduce a different genre into the fray. I love Prog Music and I love Hip Hop, and I feel like I am doing a good job paying homage to both genres in a respectful way.
Recently, you collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Felix Martin to make a stellar song called “Rap Clouddiver.” Do you see yourself doing more collaborations like this, or will you be focusing on your projects for the foreseeable future? I am just focusing on my own projects right now and not really doing any collaborations.
With your newest EP, OH KAY, now in the hands of fans, what is next for you creatively? So I am currently working on a new album, and I am so incredibly excited for this. This album is going to be a harder version of OH KAY. The album title is "I Wish You Would," and it's going to come out next year, but stay tuned for some singles this year!
Where can listeners find your work and support what you do? The best way to support me is to buy directly! Go hit up my Bandcamp. I will have some merch there soon. You can also buy my digital albums. Of course, if you do not have the means to support financially, you can interact with my post, stream my music, and share my stuff with your friends!