When you think of the ‘African American experience’ within music, there is one artist that is fitting enough to come to mind. Igwe Aka was born in Nigeria and later moved to California where he still resides. Taking the influence of the two very different environments he was raised in, Igwe Aka comes to the rap scene with a completely different vibe than ever heard before. Using sounds rooted in the soulful music he was raised listening to, combined with the hard life lessons he learned moving to the states at a young age, Aka’s music is an honest expression for himself and his listeners. 

Igwe Aka is as entrancing of an artist as he is as a person. From interviews and Instagram lives, he has consistently been unapologetically himself, always keeping it real with his fan base and providing constant entertainment with the projects he produces and the commentary he adds. His 2020 single, “Red,” was the first song I heard by Aka and it immediately piqued my interest in his artistry. Since 2016, with his debut project The Classics, Vol. 1, Igwe Aka has been on a steady path of tracks that never miss. He explores lots of genres, never confining himself to one vibe, with hard songs like “Omarion,” to gentle, uplifting tunes such as “DON’T NEED A SOUL,” his most recent single.

A commonly used sound in many of his songs is the acoustic guitar that truly emanates the soulful, African layers that he was exposed to in his upbringing. Aka perfectly blends his two cultural influences to make for, not only, an audibly immersive experience, but a cultural serenade. It’s this kind of music that needs more attention. Being that Igwe Aka is yet to even be verified on Instagram, his unique take on his seemingly genre-less discography is something that is more than deserving of more streams. His passion that he puts into his projects is an experience we can all learn something from - both as creators and as listeners.