MEFeater was first introduced to Akin in November during our first Showcase, MEFeater presents Black Saturday. The energetic rapper was so excited and grateful to perform on stage that he even played the role as hype-man for many of the other acts that night. I, however was introduced to Akin years ago by Ryan Riley, our resident photographer and my best friend. Then, Akin was in a rap group named the Urbanized Hooligans with fellow Black Saturday performer Anthony Mag$. He went solo around November of 2013. He was kicked out of Urbanized Hooligans because he spent more time with his then girlfriend than with the group and the leader felt he wasn’t putting in enough work.
After being kicked out of Urbanized Hooligans, he went on to connect with two of his close friends to create SubliminalxArt.Unfortunately, the group decided to disband and collectively decided that Akin would continue to use the brand’s name. Fast Forward to now, Akin has dropped his 8 track project, The Continuum Shiftthat only took an impressive 4 days to record.
Akin: After a long time of being stagnant as a group, we had to come to terms that since I was the only one putting in work that they had to leave SubliminalxArt, and I will continue to carry the brand. Normally I would have left the group, but I already labeled so much of my work with the name SubliminalxArt and the #Artisans hashtag, while the others didn’t. Due to that, we agreed that I could continue with SubliminalxArt, and they would leave the group. There is no bad blood between any of us. We still respect each other and keep in contact every so often. I’m hoping that one of these days we can link and really work hard like we should have done when SubliminalxArt first started.
Gabrielle Amani: How has being in music groups affect your outlook on teamwork.
Akin: After two bad experiences with music groups, I began to grow apart from society and the whole idea of having friends. I began feeling alone while grinding in music. From there I officially changed SubliminalxArt into an indie label and officially became a solo artist. I plan on capitalizing on that in the next few years, but not now. Currently, SubliminalxArt has 4 other people under the label, and their names are Tia(Singer), ExZx*Easy*(Producer/Dj/Graphic Designer), Jay Hendrix(Producer), & Dremmy(Video Editor & Producer).
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Gabrielle Amani: Even though your dream is to be a rapper, you are still in school. How important is education to you?
Akin: “Education is the greatest equalizer.” My father tells me that 24/7. Education is definitely held in the highest light to me and means even more than music.
Akin: My major is Computer Information Science, but I literally have zero interest in it at all. Every time my peers begin to discuss hacking, programming, or coding, I convert everything their saying into “sound engineering lingo.”
Akin: VERSATILE AS HELL! Honestly, I really don’t know how to describe my style of music, because I feel I’m strong in anything you throw my way. I’ve definitely been able to adapt to any style of music through the past two to three years. One minute, I’ll rap on boombap, next I’ll be on trap, next I’ll be on cloud rap, then I can be on vapor wave, then I can go to 8-bit or EDM. It truly does vary.
Gabrielle Amani: If you’re so versatile, what sets you apart from the competition?
Akin: What truly sets me apart from the competition, is my vocabulary that I have on different beats. I have a very selective word choice, so I can invoke certain emotions within the listener. That’s something that many rappers don’t do, as well as changing the tone in their voice to really help pull off a certain vibe. If it’s something that a lot of other rappers do, then I can easily say, it’s something that they don’t do successfully without sounding like someone else.
Akin: I constantly ask people to tell me who, I sound like to them. In the beginning I got Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Asap Ferg, but at this point in my career no one can say I sound like anybody. The ironic part about before when people said I sounded like a certain artist, is the fact that I literally never listened to none of those artists. I heard their music maybe one time that I wasn’t aware of, but 99.99% of the time I listened to instrumentals and my own music, so I can truly create my own sound & flow.
Gabrielle Amani: Your beats are really cool. Who makes your beats?
Akin: I worked with all of these producers before or plan on releasing music to their beats soon. This list can go on and on, because I’ve become close to many producers as well as created bonds, whether it be strictly business or business/friendship. I apologize for such an intensive answer, but I want people to look for these guys immediately and support asap, because producers are the unsung heroes of the music industry, especially in the indie rap scene, and they deserve to eat as well.
Akin: I was lucky enough to become cool with so many dope producers, and they all produced something that I’ve worked on at one point in time. If there is anyone I forgot, then I deeply apologize.
Gabrielle Amani: You have a lot of music for such a young artist. Where do you record?
Akin:Laughs. I’m loving these questions. I currently record in the back of my room, which is cool and all, but I really want my dad to allow me to put up these audio panels, but he refuses to let me do it. In my living room I record when the radiator in my room hisses too much, or I just want some fresh vibes while everyone is out of the house and I desire a larger space to work in. In my sister’s living room, I record when I sleep over at her place or when I need to work with another artist since my father doesn’t want anyone at my house as of now. My niece’s bedroom is the final place that I record, and that’s only when my sister wants to use her living room, and I REALLY need to get work done, I record in my niece’s room. Very rarely, I record in the bathroom, but back when I recorded Lost Notes Vol.1 I recorded in a box because my radiator makes a loud hissing sound, when the heat is on. I also, use to record at my mom’s house in queens, or the garage out there, but due to family issues and personal demons, that is no longer available to me.
Gabrielle Amani: You work so hard. Do you feel people take you seriously as a rapper?
Akin: To be honest, when I first started very few people took me seriously. Many people were skeptical, but I tried to play the supportive role, and I could tell they weren’t really feeling me as a rapper, when I first started because of the words they chose to describe how well I rapped, and how they danced around the cons instead of the pros. I would finish rapping, and I would tell my associates outside of class that “I know it was bad, but let me know what you think good as well as the bad, so I can improve as an artist.” Sometimes people would laugh behind my back at my rapping, and others would just try to tell me I shouldn’t rap in a polite way, but all of that was fuel. After I performed in a school show while, I attended Freedom Academy back in 2012, is when the perspective changed. A lot of people began approaching me telling me how, I had a style different from the rest or I had a future in rap and how I was going to become successful, and a plethora of other compliments. I truly have Ms.Brown, my art and dance teacher and Mr.Rose, my earth science teacher at the time to thank for that.
Akin: Ms.Brown, I have to thank for the opportunity to really showcase my skills as a rapper with excellent production and a large crowd, and Mr.Rose always gave me pointers, and honestly he’s responsible for why I don’t curse when I rap. If it wasn’t for those two, who knows where I would be in rapping now lol. I believe I would still be where I am now, but my lyrics and my stage presence would probably be very different.
At this point in time people do take me very serious as a rapper, because no matter what people tell me, I stick to my guns and I follow my principles no matter what. I don’t work for free unless we have a serious personal connection, or you’re going through tough times and no matter what people say I always continue working. I performed at Black Saturday with an Injured back. I now have a mindset where if you don’t offer me an opportunity, I will pursue it my self and take it from you. I no longer wait around for people to discover me, I make them discover me, by making it impossible for certain social circles to have a discussion about hip-hop/rap or local talent without discussing me. People have no choice, but to take me serious as a rapper, because I see this all as a mind game, and I stay 10 steps ahead of the masses with everything that I do. I plan for every occasion, and two years ago, I planned for this to happen. #Artisans.
Akin: Life…. More so my father. As I transition from a boy to a man in this psychotic and malicious world, my father helped me realize that I have no time to really sit back and try to find myself. I have to discover who I am as a person while working and achieving a higher position in life. Continuum Shift also touches base on my desire to become spiritual, but the difficulties I face in becoming one with myself due to the high level of ignorance and love that I have for materialistic items. I can’t help that I am a product of my environment.
Akin: Within Continuum Shift, you can hear the pain and aggravation from being back stabbed by plenty of people I use to call my bros and close friends as well as my anger from artists that don’t work hard and just slack on their craft. With Continuum Shift, there is a big difference between where I was mentally when Lost Notes Vol.1 dropped and now.
Akin: Back when Lost Notes Vol.1 dropped, I was a young boy trying to find who I was as a person, and artist as well as trying to be versatile to please everyone’s needs as a listener. Now, however I am telling the world “Listen, this is me, and whether you like it or not, you’re going to support me because I said so, and I provide you all with a level of confidence that is missing from mainstream media and with the rise of social networks”. As much as I use the word “I” a lot, my music is just as much about YOU. Continuum Shift, just like Lost Notes is meant to lead those also struggling in this ever-changing world to find themselves and instill a level of Confidence in them that can be unmatched. So to tie it all back together, Life inspired Continuum Shift, and in turn Continuum Shift will inspire life, because Art imitates life and life imitates art. #Artisans
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Gabielle Amani: Before I leave you, I want to know what does your title mean?
Akin: Continuum means a continuous non-spatial whole, extent, or succession in which no part or portion is distinct of distinguishable from adjacent parts and Shift means to move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance. This explains the quick change I had to make from the age of 17 to now. Continuum Shift simply put, is my transition between two different realms. The realm of boy into the realm of man. #Artisans
