Jesse Markin

This was KEXP's Song of the Day (chosen by Gabriel, 5/18): www.kexp.org Watch the official music video: youtu.be

This was KEXP's Song of the Day (chosen by Gabriel, 5/18): www.kexp.org Watch the official music video: youtu.be

This was KEXP's Song of the Day (chosen by Gabriel, 5/18): www.kexp.org Watch the official music video: youtu.be

NEW MUSIC! From Finland! The artist, born in Liberia, moved to Finland at age 6. “I feel like I’m just making something that I want to hear,” Markin told American Songwriter. “Simply put. I feel like if I go on my friends’ phones or computers and check out what type of music they’re listening to, they’re not listening to one genre. You can get all types of things and emotions from different types of genres. I feel like that’s much more interesting and personal at the same time.” bit.ly Find more music: vild.bandcamp.com

The Liberian-born rapper-turned-singer-songwriter grew up in the Finnish town of Viljakkala, a provincial settlement of just 2,000 people that was 100% white. But he wasn’t simply, as he puts it, “the only black person in the village” – he was also one of the few black artists in Finland’s predominantly white rap scene. For several years he was one half of cult duo The Megaphone State, but it was when he was cast in a musical – and met sound designer Totte Rautiainen – that he decided to explore singing, and his other musical influences.

Jesse is also a Finnish hip hop artist with the group The Megaphone State. This is his new solo album.

The Finnish rapper-turned-singer-songwriter is a former member of hip-hop group, The Megaphone State. On racial identity in Finland, Markin has revealed, "No one ever asked us anything about music. It was all about us being black. Where are you really from? What do you think about the True Finns (the populist party)?" and after a single hype cycle, the hip-hop scene became all-Finnish and all-white again." As for his process and inspiration, he shares, "My advantage is that I don't know anything, but I trust my intuition. Of course, I've known the issues I want to talk about all along."

Interview with David Fricke. Live from Iceland Airwaves 2019 (Kex Hostel - Reykjavík, Iceland)