Wakai
At 23-years-old, Wakai is a DIY aficionado with a preternatural ability for creating worlds around him visually and also sonically – this unique skill allows him to traverse the hip hop and art communities with a level of grace & force. Emerging at the forefront of a bubbling new-wave hip-hop community in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Wakai earns respect from those who inspire him while nurturing a compelling sound of his own. His 2022 debut To a Dark Boy was a polished and personal introduction that featured the likes of Mick Jenkins, Emmavie and so much more, allowing his star to push past just ‘local buzz’ and catapulting him into the ranks of hip-hop’s most exciting newcomers; garnering a buzz from publications like The FADER, Pitchfork, and Lyrical Lemonade as well as earning a spot on Pigeons & Planes’ Best New Artists has left anticipations high for the southern multihyphenate’s 2023 sophomore album, Some People Scream, Some People Talk.