I was completely blown away by rapper McKinley Dixon. The songs and their sound bring me back to a certain space in time. McKinley Dixon from Annapolis, Maryland spent his childhood shuttling between two cities. One in Jamaica, Queens, and the other in Maryland. He says he found his voice here in the sights and sounds of NYC.

This talented rapper and lyricist made his debut while still in college. In 2016 he released the album Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?, and followed it with The Importance of Self Belief in 2018. The music is a mix of hip-hop with jazz, gospel, and soul. He says the greatest rapper for him is book author and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature,  Toni Morrison. It’s her writing of American History entangled with the Black experience that McKinley Dixon is trying to convey in his songs. His musical influences are Mary J. Blige, the gospel duo Mary Mary and the hip-hop duo Outkast. His new album will be released on June 2nd called Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?! Check out this talented rapper and support independent music and musicians. Happy listening!