Fast-rising rapper Leek Mali has returned with his brand-new EP, Summer Forever, a four-track collection of authentic and soulful hip-hop that embodies the genre’s golden era, with a fresh and modern twist. Hailing from Prince George’s County, Maryland, Leek only burst on the scene in 2020 but already has several notable releases under his belt, such as “Party Time” and “400+ Years”, and he looks set to continue his momentum with this latest release.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Leek Mali about the latest release, challenges, technology and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I was born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which resides on the perimeter of Washington D.C. – the same home of DMV legends like Kevin Durant, Wale, Len Bias, Marvin Gaye, and go-go music. I create music that’s inspired/derives from music of the past; I’m talking oldies, real musicality i.e. The Stylistics, Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, etc. I incorporate all that soul, funk, and musicianship into writing raps for the beautiful world of hip-hop. The fact that I really care about music in all forms is what sets me apart from rappers in my generation. Moving forward, I don’t even want to be called a “rapper” – I am an ARTIST.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

When I was about six years old, I found an old Sugar Hill CD in my dad’s music collection and decided to give it a listen, and once “Rapper’s Delight” was over I knew what my first love was; it became a hobby of mine to just listen to music. Once I got to middle school, I began playing the alto saxophone for the performing arts academy Benjamin D. Foulois in Morningside, Maryland and this is where I began studying classical music.

For most of my childhood, I thought of music as a hobby and not anything I could pursue as a career because I’ve never seen anyone that was in close proximity pursue it; it was too farfetched in my eyes. That explains my athletic career up until college where I found my love for creating music again. I began writing poetry to deal with depression as a freshman and eventually those poems converted into raps. I’ve been 10 toes ever since. What motivates me to keep pushing is the opportunity to say I had dreams and I accomplished them. Most in my family were too afraid to dream and sacrifice everything for it. I want to be that one who gets the chance of living a life that nobody in my family has seen before.

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

Summer Forever is different than my previous release Next to Godliness because my skill level has increased in terms of dynamics of my voice, writing ability, singing, and curation abilities. During the pandemic, I took a five-month hiatus from the public just to improve my skills as a MC and to finish my last semester of school. Some people didn’t understand but that’s just how serious I am about my artistry. This project is the first project that I’ve created with an actual team of producers (Nepado & Mastered.minds), all in-house; the pandemic was a blessing in disguise. The main accomplishment I wanted to make for the Summer Forever release was to get my audience to see how much better I’ve gotten as an overall artist (and that goal was surpassed) and also receive more exposure in the industry.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

There’s a challenge I’ve been facing for the past four years and that’s the “crabs in the barrel” mentality in the DMV, which is where I’m from. Most people here are more worried about trying to “one-up” the next man rather than working together. People here are narrow-minded and can’t see what’s on the other side of the fence. I must get out of here, asap. It’s been hard for me to find that industry connect even though some people say I don’t need it because of the internet, but it seems like I have to get it out the mud, as not everybody blows up on TikTok after their first song. Since the industry is so over saturated it’s hard for people to see the real artistry (like me) over the internet gimmicks or “get rich quick scheme”. It’s not just a game to me, it’s literally my life. Technology has found its way to help me by gaining fans outside of my hometown which is crazy because before social media and DSPs you had to blow up in your city in order to make it to the next level, but nowadays not so much the case.

What was the last song you listened to?

“Visions” by Stevie Wonder

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

Vinyls; I am an old soul. My grandfather’s vinyl collection was passed down to me after his passing in 2019. The collection is trunks full of classics – trunks worth millions if you ask me.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I’ve always used Apple Music simply because I own an iPhone. Once someone told me they use Tidal to support black business and that threw me for a loop because I never thought of it in that aspect. I just went with the more convenient one (P.S. I do support black businesses lol).

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

The best place to connect with me online is Instagram (@leekmali), as that’s where I’m most active.

Anything else before we sign off?

Look out for the “Summer Forever” music video soon. Lastly, expect to hear another four-track project during the Halloween season. It’s going to get SPOOKY!