NewGen XIX: A Decade of Evolution, Pain, and Purpose
It’s rare to witness the full arc of an artist’s journey unfold in real time. From raw beginnings to refined execution. But with NewGen XIX, a.k.a. Sen Sana, that evolution has been anything but quiet.
First introduced to Exposed Vocals in 2015 as a 16-year-old navigating early sounds on SoundCloud, his music carried the grit and ambition of someone fighting to be heard. Ten years later, that same fire burns brighter — but it’s now sharpened by pain, purpose, and personal growth.
His upcoming release, Doctor’s Prescribed Pt. 2, marks more than just a milestone in discography; it’s a testament to survival. Written while navigating emotional turmoil, financial collapse, and personal loss, the album represents a turning point not just in sound but in identity. NewGen XIX has become a vessel for storytelling rooted in truth, from nights spent in hotel rooms scraping by to verses born from the aftermath of a toxic relationship. This is music forged through adversity — blood, sweat and self-respect pressed into every track.
What sets NewGen XIX apart isn’t just the technical growth in his production or the maturity in his lyrics — though both are evident. It’s his commitment to independence, his unshakable belief in the power of art to heal and evolve, and his refusal to fold under pressure. From investing in his own gear and crypto portfolios to experimenting with storytelling on Wattpad, he’s made it clear: this isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifelong vision. He’s building a legacy, one release, one line, one lived experience at a time.
We caught up with NewGen XIX for a special “Then & Now” feature — a full-circle moment for both him and Exposed Vocals. In the candid, unfiltered interview below, he opens up about the making of DP2, the demons he’s faced, the support that’s kept him going, and the message he’d send to his younger self who first dared to upload his voice to the world.
Exposed Vocals: It’s been a decade since we first connected back in 2015. What’s been the biggest change in how you see yourself as an artist since then?
NewGen XIX:
The biggest change I’ve seen in myself as an artist is definitely a greater passion and appreciation for my self discovery. The raw emotion and pain I put into my art stem from the traumatic experiences I’ve endured throughout my life. I’ve been through many challenging situations; because of these experiences, I choose to let them make me rather than break me. They have shaped who I am today and have significantly contributed to my maturity. From this point on, I intend to age like fine wine. I want people to know who NewGenXIX is; the voice will be heard one day.
Exposed Vocals: Your upcoming album Doctor’s Prescribed Pt. 2 feels like a major milestone. What inspired this project, and what makes it different from everything you’ve released before?
NewGen XIX:
The main contributing factor to this album’s existence is my last ex; she really did a lot of damage to me, which inspired me to make the song “Damaged” with Versace Chachi. I was constantly sleep deprived, working 12-hour shifts and coming home to chaos and depression. She was very mentally unstable. It made me take a step back and look at the things in my life that I took for granted. I started to connect with nature more; I didn’t know what was going to happen from day to day. I was on the verge of dying at any time from different contributing factors while living around this person.
My life was very chaotic and on a downward spiral financially and emotionally. I was able to break away from the toxicity, and out came DP2, which I worked on for months while living out of a hotel, paying almost $5,000 a month for everything I got stuck in financially. I got into a car wreck, was electrocuted by a dryer, had a nail in my tire, and my registration was suspended all within a six-month period. I started to turn to drinking and pills. I almost broke, but eventually, because I had good people still in my life outside of the situation who were begging and pleading with me to change the direction my life was taking, I decided to leave the person I was with and start fresh, digging my way out of near failure.
What makes this album stand out from everything else you ask? Trauma and pain. I put blood, sweat and tears into this album. This album is a story beginning to end about how NewGenXIX evolved into his next self — Sen Sana (TheBoyWho’sNet).
Exposed Vocals: You’ve gone from dropping raw tracks on SoundCloud to now releasing fully mastered songs on Apple Music and Spotify. How has your process — writing, recording, producing — evolved over the years?
NewGen XIX:
I’ve stayed consistent for years now. I haven’t had a massive following, but it didn’t matter to me; no matter what, I always wanted to make some kind of art, regardless of how many people supported or didn’t support my content. What’s real is real, and what’s not is not. I will forever focus and keep grinding until I accomplish what I’m here on this planet to achieve.
The equipment has improved significantly over time; thankfully, I invested in different areas financially. I focused on my career outside of music, as well as in crypto and stocks. I plan to continue investing more money into all these contributing factors because they make the music real now. I have the financial standing to support my own music. Nobody owns me; I don’t belong to anyone. My music is created and funded entirely by me.
I’ve always viewed this as gambling; there’s always been that thought in the back of my mind: what if I don’t make it? I’m making music that even makes me scratch my head when I listen to it; it’s so far beyond a lot of backed artists in the industry that it drives me to stay focused.
Exposed Vocals: In your early work, you were reppin’ POTW and SSS and had a distinct crew-based identity. Do those roots still influence your music today?
NewGen XIX:
I’m sure that somewhere in the process, that period of time definitely reflects who I am now as an artist, but I really don’t remember much from those years because I wasn’t sure who I actually was. The music simply was not good; I almost gave up a few times, and people were cold and ruthless to me. Some told me to just stop while I was ahead. Others said I’d never be anything.
No matter what, though, I never quit; I continued for years, even going through dry spells until I finally started peaking musically around the time I dropped a mixtape that’s still on my YouTube channel to this day called “Distorted Frequencies.” It was the first time I put out a complete piece of work that actually sounded good. It told its own story for the period of time I was in, and the production was a massive step in the right direction. People were forced to take me seriously.
Exposed Vocals: You mentioned “Damaged” as a standout track. Can you walk us through how that collaboration came together and what that song means to you?
NewGen XIX:
“Damaged,” crazy enough, was actually a song I had in the works for about four years before it was released in the version I have out now. It was originally just the beat with my chorus on it, but it had been recorded very lazily and not to much satisfaction. I vaulted it for a long time, but I eventually came back to it with much better equipment and ended up recording a super clean version that blew me and my friends away on the two 12s my buddy had set up in his place.
The quality was appealing; the song was a dance/trap song, more techno trap. I tried for months to nail a verse and just couldn’t get the right words or flow down. I gave up again for a long time before returning to feature Versace Chachi on it.
This was all inspired by the very first song I ever released on Apple and Spotify, called “XIX,” featuring TrippyLaPhantom and my close friend NOTYUNGJAI, who at the time went by YungJai. I always wanted to feature specific artists I listened to during the SoundCloud days, and both TrippyLaPhantom and Versace Chachi were my first picks, along with Brooksy, whom I featured on my song “Flooded” before any of the other collaborations.
Versace knew Trippy personally, and nedarb nagrom had reposted “XIX” when I first released it on SoundCloud for $100 to gain traction before the Apple Music release. I just wanted to keep the momentum going.
Exposed Vocals: Looking back, what’s something you wish you had known as a 16-year-old artist just starting out?
NewGen XIX:
I wish I had been given more guidance and that people were more accepting of who I was and who I wanted to become as an artist. I understand, though; we live in an era where everyone is a “legend” in their own minds. People don’t want to see you succeed because it makes them feel as if it takes away from who they are to others.
It’s a hard and tricky business trying to become a musician. You have to really want it for it to become a reality in your life. As suicide boys quoted “If you’re not a Psychopath about music, it’s not going to work out”. I live by this statement everyday, I am obsessed with this music. I would do anything for it to become my full time career one day.
Exposed Vocals: You’ve described this album as one of your biggest accomplishments. What’s a specific moment from the making of DP2 that really stuck with you?
NewGen XIX:
My most specific moment would have to be when I finished the last song on the album UseMeForAll. I said, “You waste my time, you waste my energy, you waste my bread; you can’t sync with me.” This verse really stood out to me because, in that moment in the song, I’m telling people that the old version of me who extended a helping hand to anyone and would give the clothing off my back to anyone is dead now. You all killed him.
From here on out, if it doesn’t benefit the legacy, it’s not going to be considered or taken seriously.
Exposed Vocals: What does your current creative environment look like — who’s in your corner now, whether behind the boards or just emotionally?
NewGen XIX:
My current environment consists of my parents, a couple of old roommates I still keep in contact with, and my buddy Victor, also known as NOTYUNGJAI. I truly appreciate them for everything they’ve done for me, and I do all this in honor of my deceased friends and the people who continue to support me in any way they can.
Exposed Vocals: Beyond this release, what’s next? Any videos, performances, or future projects on the horizon?
NewGen XIX:
I’m currently working on three short stories. I plan to release a music video on Apple and YouTube for my new album eventually down the road. I would absolutely love to perform, but I need to get in touch with the right people to make it all happen.
I also have a rough draft planned for an underground movie that I would love to write, direct, and produce eventually one day as well. I have tons of ideas and great content that I plan to create in the future. It all just depends on whether the music actually goes somewhere after all these years. As I stated, it’s like gambling; nobody is guaranteed to win when they come from nothing. That doesn’t change my hopes and dreams, though. The universe has never lied to me.
Exposed Vocals: Lastly, what message would you want to send to the version of you that first hit “upload” back in 2015?
NewGen XIX:
Stay focused; never let anyone make you give up. Outlive the enemy, outlive the opponent. Always strive and look for opportunities wherever you can find them.
Lastly, I’d like to conclude with a quote that I appreciate to this day. It’s from the movie The Devil’s Advocate with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino. Al Pacino says, “Pressure changes everything; some people, when squeezed, focus, while others fold.”
NewGen XIX, Doctor’s Prescribed Pt. 2, has officially been submitted to major streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and TIDAL. The album will be live and available to stream on December 9th, marking one of the most significant and personal releases of his career to date.
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/newgenxix/1561305343
