Recommended if you like:

MF Doom, Isaiah Rashad, or Nujabes

Brooklyn Born, craft-dedicated, 22-year-old AKAI $OLO lives in his own world. AKAI writes his verses with an incredible intricacy that leave each listen feeling fresh and new. Each song is imbued in concepts and images woven together in an auditory spider web that takes a careful listen to interpret and see the true beauty of. Before releasing his album, long awaited among NYC’S underground scenes. After being seemingly everywhere at once performing at shows across the city, Akai has finally put out his debut album, 2GALES,  under this name (previously working as K.I.T.E.).

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As fantastical and other-worldly as his lyrics may seem, he uses these images to describe his hardships of depression, feeling alienated, and dealing with racism in America.  This project, as much of Akai’s work, is greatly cryptic and concept-heavy. Akai provides 4 different “paths” for the album, consisting of different combinations of 2Gales’ 18 tracks. The listening paths are 2GALES in whole, forward and backward, 2GALES Sun, and 2 GALES Moon. These paths provide different meanings and further sustain the overarching concept of  “duality” that remains key in understanding the whole album. But don’t take it from me, Akai explains his theory of duality better in the spoken monolog track “Observing the Purpose” on the album.

Akai’s reign started as a young MC, doing open mics until rapidly winning over audiences on bills across the city. At this point, Akai averages about 2 shows every week, due to his commanding stage presence. His dedication lies in one place and one place alone: the internal struggle towards being the best MC he can possibly be. If there’s one thing that people have come to expect from Akai, it’s that he will continue to exceed everyone's expectations, and never succumb to them.

Connect with AKAI $OLO

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