With the expansive library of music readily available at any given moment, it may be an overwhelming feat to discover new and upcoming artists before they have already broken into the mainstream.
When scrolling through the endless virtual stacks of albums and songs on any streaming platform, the artists that seem to get the most recognition are the ones that are already cemented in the world of pop culture and are guaranteed to do big numbers. So, it is understandable when one may find it exhausting or even terrifying trying to find new artists to listen to and would rather fallback on what is familiar.
As someone who tries their best to constantly reach past all the popular music in order to find some hidden gems on the back shelves, I recognize how excruciating of a task it is to look for new artists. However, as of late, there is one artist in particular that has been on my radar that I heavily believe is being under appreciated despite her immense talent and creativity. That artist is Tkay Maidza.
The Zimbabwean-born Australian artist broke onto the scene with her debut EP Switch Tape back in 2014. With tracks like “Switch Lanes” and “Ghost,” the EP solidified Tkay’s unique choice of instrumentals and production style ranging from electronic-dance to trip-hop. Rubbing shoulders with established artists such as, M.I.A. and Banks, it was evident that Tkay was going places with music, even back in 2014.
After the buzz of Switch Tape, Tkay released her first full-length album, Tkay, in 2016. This project highlighted her talents as a rapper and lyricist to the point of landing a feature from one of hip hop’s most beloved MC’s, Killer Mike.
Every release up until this point have been incredibly solid, but I believe that Tkay’s most recent projects, Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are perfect introductions to the artist’s colorful and exuberant sound. With Vol. 1 released in 2018 and Vol. 2 in 2020, each project shows consistency in artistry and creativity from production, to flow, all packaged in Tkay’s quirky personality.
With features from the likes of DUCKWRTH, JPEGMAFIA, and Kari Faux, the Last Year Was Weird series clearly demonstrates resonance amongst underground hip hop aficionados. Even “The Internet’s Busiest Music Nerd,” Anthony Fantano, rated Tkay’s Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 as his favorite EP of 2020.
Despite having heaps of recognition from all corners of the Internet, Tkay Maidza is an artist that can also do without a feature and be perfectly fine. From the dancehall jam “24K,” the booty shaking anthem “Shook,” or the summery sounding “You Sad,” Tkay displays how versatile her repertoire can be from track to track. Her production is always heavy hitting, glamorous, and infectiously sticky to the point where it’s impossible to not dance around while listening.
There are many artists that attempt to experiment with new genres and try to see what new sounds they can pull off — more often than not, it falls a bit short. If anyone can even come close to what Tkay Maidza is doing in music right now, it might be Anderson .Paak spreading his talents in the genres of rap, soul, and R&B.
As a woman in music, Tkay is making her voice heard and showing that she can easily play with the big dogs. It’s only a matter of time until Tkay Maidza’s career begins to skyrocket and her music is featured everywhere. Until then, it’s best to jump on the bandwagon early while there’s still room available.
You can listen to Tkay Maidza’s latest EP, Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 on Apple Music, Spotify, and anywhere you stream music.
