PHOTO: MALAKITHEGREAT
Q. Good day, MalakaiTheGreat! We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. The first thing we want to know is, how did you come up with your artist name, and what does it represent to you?
A. I grew up in church where I sang for the choir. We would have rehearsals every Thursday night. I was heavily involved in the church, so I knew everyone; we were all like family. One night we were all joking around and giving each other “Biblical” names. For example, my friend Andrew, I called him Andronicus. When it came to me, my big homie Darrien gave me the nickname Malachi. It kind of stuck, and my friends would all call me it. I used to make funny skits on YouTube and Instagram and just started going by MalakaiTheGreat. Once I left the church and got serious about my music, I kept the name, and it’s been that ever since.
Q. What has your journey as an artist been like up to this point?
A. My journey as an artist has been bittersweet. I’ve seen the highs and the lows with making music. Whether it was being reposted by household-name artists or simply just doing shows, it’s all been nothing but hard work. I’ve had months of writer's block, and it’s pushed back a lot of ideas or projects I had in mind. But looking back on everything I’ve done musically, I know my younger self would be proud.
Q. What makes your music different from what listeners might hear from other artists in your genre?
A. What makes my music different from others is that my music is very relatable. I don’t sugarcoat anything. I speak from the soul. I do have some songs that are just wild and talking about things that don’t matter. But for the most part, I make music for myself at the end of the day, or what I would like to hear on an album. If people don’t like it, then it wasn’t meant for them.
Q. What was the moment that made you realize you wanted to pursue music seriously?
A. That moment came back in high school. During high school I had a project for my audio & video class. Back then I was making skits for the most part, and I’d attempt to make a beat or a song but nothing too serious. In this particular project, I was too depressed about the struggles I was going through, and I had just recently lost two friends to death. I had to leave school and seek therapy for a couple days. When I came back to school, I had no video ready for a project. I remember having a song written to a beat I made, so I went into one of the sound-proof booths and just started recording. When my instructor played it for the class, I remember receiving so much praise on my lyricism and how good a song it was overall. I was already being pushed by my two best friends Zae (Ike Angelo) and Chris (KIWI!) because they knew I had been rapping for years prior. So then I just started and never stopped from that day on.
Q. What message or energy are you trying to bring to listeners through your music?
── MalakaiTheGreat is an artist who approaches his craft with honesty, confidence, and a strong sense of individuality. His story reflects the value of turning personal experiences into something creative while continuing to develop through both difficult and rewarding moments. He places importance on creating without being controlled by outside expectations, allowing his personality to remain at the center of his work.
