If you haven’t heard of rising hip hop artist Antix yet, you need to catch up already. Antix first dropped his ‘Flammable Grammar’ album back in 2010, gaining initial praise in the US via Pandora. Since then, things have really been escalating with a string of break-out singles last year. The British-Jordanian rapper, based in London, has been seeing support from everyone from Record of the Day to Clash Music to BBC Introducing – his latest single ‘Come Home’ was a BBC Introducing ‘Track of the Week’.
Antix has a unique brand of UK hip hop but, although based in London, Antix’s background is very diverse and there are numerous US and Middle Eastern influences in his music also. One thing for sure is that this is a brand of alternative hip-hop, there is no time for materialism or bravado with this man. This is honest hip hop that stands alongside newcomers such as Kate Tempest, Joyle Carner, Rejjie Snow; even Prince EA at times. Unlike some of these contemporaries though, Antix also isn’t afraid to wrap his truthful flows in warm, radio-friendly tones.
Having recently performed at the prestigious Field Day festival some weeks back (headliners included FKA Twigs and Run the Jewels), Antix was back to the drawing board to deliver his next project ‘Afshin’s Song’. This isn’t an official single but rather a project dedicated to Antix’s friend. The music video for the track is a short film in itself, which tells the inspiring story of renowned Iranian painter Afshin Naghouni. Considered a child prodigy, Naghouni won a number of regional and national painting competitions as a youth in Iran. The music video/short film shows how later, in his university years, he was attacked by Iranian police – for attending a party where both women and men were present. The young Afshin was chased from the rooftops and paralysed as a result. Over time, he overcame his disabilities and learned to paint again; and has since exhibited his work all over the world.
Click below to check out the video in full and make sure to keep up to date with all things Antix-related at his Vevo, Soundcloud, Facebook and Twitter. This hip hop artist is a true inspiration.
