DJ HELLOKENNY Says Goodbye

Kent Washington III is officially going international.

After thirteen years in the Colorado hip-hop and R&B scenes, the Denver-based DJ and artist known as HELLOKENNY and KENNYTHEINDIGO, respectively, recently decided that Albania is going to be his new home. He’s heading there next month, when he’ll settle in Tirana, the country’s largest city and its capital.

“It’s all been really good. It’s been very stressful, like any other move. But I’m very appreciated because I’m really seeing what this next chapter is going to be,” he says. “Moving operations to Europe, Africa, I think is going to be the start of something very monumental. I feel like no one’s expecting it to be me. That’s what makes it 100 times sweeter.”

Even though Washington’s never visited the small European country nestled in the Balkans, he has connections to the region — including tracing his Kongo kingdom ancestry to the area — and knows other expats who made the move to Albania. Plus, as the founder and creative force behind multicultural company INTLHAUS, he thinks having a more global outpost makes the most sense for what he’s planning next.

“Albania checked all the boxes, and it’s the most pro-U.S. country outside of the U.S. Maneuvering and blending in is going to be fairly easy. I have a ton of Black expat friends who are in Albania, and they absolutely love it. You get everything: beach, nature, city life, and all these other countries are nearby,” he says.

“Some of these expats from the U.K. and Africa are coming over to Albania. There’s a whole new breed of opportunity, and Albanians just love music,” Washington adds. “As an entrepreneur and artist, I’m just rubbing my hands because I can meet so many new people, expand community and get that INTLHAUS presence internationally.”

Having performed overseas in the past few years, he’s been able to make connections with other like-minded international artists, including some from the U.K. and France.

He’d considered relocating to South Africa, where he performed at Johannesburg Pride, Comic Con Africa in Cape Town and Back to the City Festival 2025. “I’ve gone to South Africa every year for the past three years,” he explains, “but there’s just a lot more red tape and things to go through when you’re trying to be an immigrant over there.”

So he opted to explore a fresh start in Albania, a place with a history he respects.  “In a lot of ways, Albania has had to fight for their way of life against oppressive structures and colonialism pretty much throughout the entire existence,” Washington says. “They’re very prideful because of the history and what they had to overcome as people. They’re some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. As a U.S. expat, it’s an easier pathway for making that leap.”

Originally from Colorado Springs, Washington got into the music business with a bang, selling out his first-ever show at the age of seventeen at Sunshine Studios Live, while also being the first hip-hop act to play the venue. At Colorado State University, he coordinated RamFest 2017, booking Jhené Aiko as CSU’s first woman headliner. He also brought J.I.D., Casey Veggies, Audio Push, King Los and Bbymutha to the university and participated in a TED Talk in partnership with CSU in 2022.

As an artist, Washington went on to share the stage with such national acts as Flatbush Zombies, Waka Flocka Flame and Denzel Curry, and co-founded former Colorado collectives No Coast Company and DEATHTRAP. He launched INTLHAUS in 2022 after a yearlong internship with Brooklyn music distribution company UnitedMasters. Given all of his experience on both sides of the industry, he came to the conclusion that the next step was a leap of faith: Colorado served as a nice proving ground that taught him some much-needed lessons, but now it’s time to take what he’s learned in thirteen years here and use that knowledge elsewhere.

What’s the most valuable insight he’s taking with him? “The biggest lesson is I can do bad by myself,” he quips.

“I see a lot more artists following in these footsteps,” he explains. “Being a musician is pretty much a remote job. There’s high overhead and things are extremely expensive. Moving to Albania, I save over 60 or 70 percent on my total expenses.

“It allows me a lot more freedom to run my businesses and focus on music more. I enter a brand-new market,” he adds. “Trips to Japan and South Africa taught me not to be afraid to travel, meet new people and dive into the market. There’s a bigger opportunity internationally. No fear.”

The fear is what could happen in the place he’s leaving behind. “The current state of the country right now, I don’t foresee it being artist-friendly in the future,” Washington says. “It’s going to be a get-down or lay-down system, in my opinion. You want to have that autonomy, flexibility and freedom. My goal is not to be the biggest artist in the world, but possibly one of the most business savvy and clever in that realm.”

He’s not planning any big farewell or final hometown show, since he plans to work remotely with artists in both Colorado and NYC. “I think Denver has some of the craziest DJs in all genres,” he says, adding that he’s focusing on “any way to get them more opportunities and exposure, internationally.”

Part of the INTLHAUS plan is teaming up with venues, including queer-friendly spot the Pearl in Denver. He’s in talks with similar locations, places he’s played in Tokyo and Johannesburg, about becoming INTLHAUS-sponsored spaces, too.

“I’m going to be around great people. Everything I’ve learned in America, it’s just implementing that and adjusting,” Washington says. “Getting a strong foothold in Europe is the number one thing to focus on.”

In January, Washington released over 180 mashups on SoundCloud as HELLOKENNY, all based off previously curated events such as BLACKFIÉSTA and FMLYREUNION. Once he settles into his new digs, he’ll pick up the releases again, especially since he’ll have more in the hopper by then.

“I work on music every day. I make that a morning routine and ritual for myself,” he says. “The more, the better. Content is king. Right now, I use SoundCloud as a testing ground to see what could happen, but 180, that’s a lot of material. I can chill out with myself for a bit.”

Putting together an official INTLHAUS roster is also in the works. The overarching DIY ethos is to be “anti-industry and against the grain,” he says.

“We’re going to do a lot of things, like, ‘What the hell is Kenny doing?’” he adds. “We utilize that as a base of content. Music is going to drive the product.” That could include festivals or global tours under the INTLHAUS umbrella, as well as providing artist services, potentially everything from navigating publishing rights to marketing.

While he’s enthusiastic about what’s ahead, he’s also reflective about what he’s leaving behind.

“I feel like some of it I’ve been ungrateful, to a certain extent, but the other half, my intuition has always told me that I don’t think Colorado was the market for me,” Washington shares. “I find Colorado to be in a really tough spot being a tertiary market, but a tertiary market that has the potential of being primary. I think we have some of the best talent in the world, but what is lacking is business infrastructure.”

Recognizing that, he’s leaving America reenergized as an artist and businessman.

“I had to learn a lot within the industry that hardened me. I have to go to a different country to make this work. It’s the Indigo way,” he says. “Albania is going to be a place where we get that foundation set, peep out the scene a little bit more. I don’t see myself being conservative. I really might be aggressive on my approach, and we might have INTLHAUS events there by the end of this year.” The possibilities are limitless.

“It’s the beginning of a new chapter, rebirth of HELLOKENNY. I’m not the same person as I was ten years ago,” Washington concludes. “Heaven would be an amazing dance floor at a crazy concert that I never want to leave. That’s the type of feeling we’re trying to build.”