Words by Tim Hakki @TimHakki
Of all the various US cities with all their affiliated hip hop sounds, Chi-town seems to be the place to go for new commercial sounds. From Kanye to Chance to Ajani, great Chicago rappers have a knack for channelling their influences into sounds which are potentially massive. ‘Mazerunner’ is ostensibly about running through the labyrinth of anxiety. It’s an honest and heartfelt performance from Ajani, which in terms of lyrical flow, heavily recalls Top Dawg Entertainment roster stars like Kendrick Lamar and in particular Isaiah Rashad. The track itself is watertight, its production is brought to perfection through the deft hands of BanksTheGenius. Altogether Ajani is one to watch out for. Hopefully he can transcend his influences over the coming year and be a powerhouse unto himself. For now, the signs are hopeful.
Ajani's new EP Astrals is available to stream on SoundCloud here