subject: Raheem Malik: Artist on the Move [print this page] Raheem Malik: Artist on the Move Raheem Malik: Artist on the Move
Raheem Malik grew up in Detroit and in the public schools; music wasn't a big part of his life then, but as with any artist, it ultimately found its outlet. In the lunchroom with his friend E-Black, they beat box; eventually, Raheem couldn't help but break into rap, right in front of everyone. Fellow classmates were astonished, making him more confident.
It wasn't until Raheem went to college and started singing a cappella with a group, though, that he began to realize he had natural talents. He worked on harmony and tone, and found that not only could he sing, but that he was a lyricist and rapper, too.
This new discovery of his talent ultimately inspired him to go back and listen to artists of his parents' generation, people like Aretha Franklin, Shaka Khan, The Isley Brothers, and Marvin Gaye, just to name a few. He developed his own sound by listening to current artists as well, people like John Legend, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and Ludacris. Blending the old with the new, Raheem came up with his own, completely unique and personal sound -- which is, of course, what every good artist does.
As for Raheem, his songs are personal. His lyrics come from his own life experiences, from love, relationships, stresses of everyday life, and so on. He says his music is "edgy mainstream music," venturing into R&B and hip-hop, appealing to a large audience. He has said that he wants to bring something "fresh to the table," something people can really enjoy. Even if you think you don't like rap, you're likely to find something in Raheem's music to enjoy, in other words.
Discovery and first release
Raheem's musical talent was discovered by friend Brian Hutcheson while both were in college at Albion, in Michigan. Hutcheson recently began his own label, Digital Dollar Productions, and soon, Raheem was one of its first artists, signing with the label. Named producers like J-Hott worked with Raheem to produce first results; a mix tape entitled How Bout That was released in early 2011, with the first single, "We Out," with Raheem Malik, Ray Lavender, and Viper also out in January; a video of the song was released in February.
Brian Hutcheson, too, has great hopes for Raheem, with 2011 set to be an exciting year for everyone. The label is set to expand and Raheem, too, has even more on the table.
Raheem doesn't disappoint; you can see the video of "We Out" online on Raheem's website, at http://raheemmalik.com/. Things look promising for this young artist, and we should definitely see (and be able to listen to) more of his music in the future!
