Kerser was up in the studio until the early hours ensuring his final album was his best, surrounded by trusted friends who would tell him otherwise.
“I had to make sure I wasn’t tricking myself,” he told AAP.
The 35-year-old grew up at the "end of the green line" at Campbelltown in Sydney’s south west.
In the rapper’s own words, he eventually "got his cash and split to a place where the beach lies" in regional NSW.
The release on Friday of his 10th album is bittersweet.
Like so much in his career - and its swan song - it’s "A Gift & A Kers".
Kerser committed to releasing 10 albums in as many years - a plan derailed by the pandemic.
He decided not to rush the final record.
“I had to be happy and content with this album and I am,” Kerser said.
“One thing I’ve mastered over the years is knowing the sound my fans are after.”
Known as “The Sickest” from an early release and called “King" by others, Kerser remains unknown to many Australians.
His music is too raw for most broadcasters but still the crowds turn up.
Kerser wants to shake perceptions his fanbase are “eshays” or young men from western Sydney wearing Nike TNs and popped-collar polo shirts, whose street aesthetic became adopted by the mainstream.
His concerts showcase “gutter rap” tracks but, like the subcultures the songs reflect, audience members don’t always match perceptions.
“There’s heaps of chicks there, there’s surfie (folks) there, there’s computer nerds there, everyone,” Kerser said.
The rapper reflects on his early days, when artists signed with labels for airplay on certain radio frequencies.
“My sound was so different and the subject matter I was rapping about, they didn’t want to go near it."
The rapper was widely panned for his 2011 debut album The Nebulizer, but backlash against his techno-tinged sound failed the test of time.
“Now it’s the go-to success sound - that’s what people do to make hits."
Over the years, he's amassed fans through online antics and viral videos while touring albums annually.
Attracting attention in his own way, Kerser has provided a blueprint for up-and-coming rappers.
“It’s one of the biggest accomplishments in my career."
He’s adamant artists don't need to change.
“Some of these rappers come from a completely different life than some of these industry people - they don’t even want to understand it,” Kerser said.
“Apparently they’re in the process of changing all that and I really hope that’s true.
“They’ve realised that because of the audience some of these artists are getting.”
Kerser’s 2012 sophomore No Rest For The Sickest hit No.1 on the ARIA genre charts, when hip hop and R&B were classified as “urban” music.
Another two of his albums peaked at No.2 and No.3 on overall charts.
The Australian Recording Industry Association last year overhauled its judging criteria and has started factoring in YouTube views, where Kerser clips have been viewed almost 240 million times.
“We will continue to work closely with the community and do our best to deliver an ARIA Awards that local musicians can rally behind and are proud of,” the association's chief executive Annabelle Herd said.
