Akil Dasan

Whenever Philadelphia native Akil Dasan finishes a track, he usually gives it away. Some are given to his mom, and others are gifts to his neighborhood pals. "I only want to hold onto tracks that everyone can enjoy," the 25-year-old Dasan says. Still, his hip-hop cuts and his energetic presence have managed to impress more than just those in his inner circle. Dasan made it to the final five of Missy Elliott's UPN show, "The Road to Stardom," and was a guest on Us3's newest, "Schizophonic." Additionally, the Columbia University creative writing grad has also shared stages with such groups as Blackalicious and the Roots. Dasan raps, sings, beatboxes and plays every instrument on his jazzy, self-released, self-titled 2002 disc. After touring with Us3 this summer, the artist hopes to finish his sophomore set before the end of the year. - Billboard Magazine (May 13th, 2006) - Katie Hasty

Now people, you KNOW I would never steer you wrong — even if Brian Littrel is one of my MySpace friends.

Just believe me when I tell you that I have stumbled upon the next big thing.

I called a win by Miami this week; I called it with T.I. back in 2003; and I'm calling it now with Akil Dasan if it's the last thing I do before I leave MKE.

The day my faith in humanity was restored happened by accident after a magical press release landed in my inbox the other day. I quickly read through it clicking on the links and was pleasantly surprised to run across Akil and his one-man hip-hop show.

And after I caught one track I immediately e-mailed his fabulous publicist Paulina Piekarski and was all "Can you overnight a press kit and CD to me?" Paulina, by the way, is mad cool. (Eh, Paulina, holla at your girl, aiight? We gonna hang when I'm in NY.)

I mean, what publicist has their own Myspace page? Now that's hot.

Oh, yeah, I digress. So she hits me back and is like, yeah, here's his stuff, do you want to interview him? And I'm like, what! Lord Jesus, yes! Why? Because this is one bandwagon I want to jump on.

Anywho, when I first heard his music, I was like, wow, this reminds me of something! But the more I listened, I didn't want to be thinking of anyone else.

It's neo-hip-hop, it's smooth, insightful and cerebral. There's no booty booty booty everywhere, just good music, and I refuse to compare him to anybody because I don't want to taint his innocent musical purity.

I'm telling you, people, after I got off the phone with him, I knew this cat was the real deal. He was very down to earth, humble and quick-witted — and he had me laughing like we were old friends in the first five minutes! (How can one NOT be smitten by that?)

Originally from Philly, the city of brotherly love and some of the baddest musicians of our times, Akil is an African-Judaic musician in love with the spoken word and spilling over with creativity that he happens to express through music.

He's not just an emcee and doesn't just strum a guitar, Akil can do it all. Literally. Rapper, singer, guitarist, DJ, writer, beat-boxer and occasional b-boy.

When Akil "was super-duper little" he used to attend his sister's piano lessons. During break he would hop on the bench and start pelting away. His mother noticed his attraction to the keys and by age 6 he was strumming a guitar left to him by his grandmother. H

However, boys will be boys, and he put down the guitar, not wanting to conform to conventional instructors - and to probably chase worms - before getting serious with it at 13.

By high school, he and some cronies had formed a hip-hop club at school. How cool is that? And the rest is history.

"When I make music… I make music that I want to listen to. I love hip-hop and I love the groove of hip-hop and funk because I like to dance. I like poetry for lyrics and the melodies of jazz," Akil told me in the telephone interview. "Some people make art for art's sake and don't care, but I'm on a musical mission because I want people to enjoy my music. When I do a show, I want people to have a good time and I can't see it any other way."

That is what I am talking about. Loving what you do and wanting to share that with others not because you're on some 'ol "my shit doesn't stink" mess, but because you genuinely want to share your craft to help uplift others.

"Virtuosic hip-hop soul," he said. "I try to give people a buffet."

In addition to his solo work, Akil also has a side hip-hop jazz project he's a part of called Us3. Oh, and he's single too.

So do yourself a favor and visit his web site or see him on the 'space, making sure to listen to "Pretty Lady." It's totally about me.

OK, well, maybe not, but a girl can dream.

Seriously, go catch a show if he's near you, buy his CD, watch his video, hell, hit up manager Rendel at Timeless Talent and book him. Whatever you do, show love.

-Sarah Hoye - MKEOnline.com (June 23rd, 2006) - Sarah Hoye

In this era of manufactured mainstream artists like Ashlee Simpson or any of your American Idols, it’s refreshing to come across an artist such as Akil Dasan, an artist with little to no pretensions and a hope that people can “dance, make love, and just simply listen to [his music].” With so much of that music aimed at reaching out to as many people as possible rather than having any actual redeeming qualities, Akil definitely belongs in a small and limited category.

I got in touch with Akil over the phone from his apt. in NYC. He had just returned from a European tour with Us3, where he played, among other places, Holland and Italy. "We played in front of a crowd of 60,000 one night. It was just so empowering."

Akil told me coming from a diverse background of Native American, Jewish, and African American heritages has always allowed him to "feel like a social communion. It has always enabled [him] to travel in many different circles and have a diverse group of friends." In return he has been exposed to many different genres of music, and has incorporated all of them into his repertoire. From Bob Marley to Stevie Wonder, Akil says that his vast array of musical interests have helped him to not limit his musical capabilities. "When I’m up there [on stage] I want to be able to reach out and touch people through the mike. I want to try to make my music move people."

Dasan has been musically active since he was six, when he first picked up a guitar. Soon thereafter, an interest in piano and drums took a hold of him. At the age of twelve, he joined the Philadelphia Boys Choir and traveled all over the world honing his voice. By the time he was a young teen, he had changed gears and had become active in the local spoken word scene. “I really gained a lot of confidence and experience with my lyrical abilities at places like the Painted Bride. They really encouraged me.” Soon thereafter a chance jam session with a group of young Philadelphia hip-hop artists led him to seriously start considering meshing both his verbal and musical capabilities into one unified machine. “I was doing this talent show at The Widener School in Philadelphia. This young hip-hop group called G-Had Platoon saw me holding my guitar and waiting my turn in the wings, and they asked me if I could put a beat over their lyrics. It just took off from there.” Ever since, Akil has been hard at work developing his brand of “Virtuosic Hip-Hop Soul,” a style of music that pretty much speaks for itself. “

Currently the self-proclaimed rapper, singer, guitarist, DJ, writer, beat-boxer and break-dancer is prepping a new album that he hopes to have out, at earliest later this year, but more pragmatically in 2007.

With a blend of music that refuses to be categorized and a willingness to do anything and everything to achieve his goals this is an artist not only unlimitedly talented but unquestionably unique.

Holding a degree from Columbia University, doing tapings for both BET and MTV, appearing on Road to Stardom with Missy Elliot, and being featured in magazines such as Marie Claire and Billboard Magazine, means only one thing: Akil Dasan can only be heading upwards. But don’t take my word for it. Check Akil out at www.MySpace.com/akildasan1 and look for him anywhere and everywhere soon; very soon.


- Zach Pontz
zach@audioxposure.com - Audioxposure.com (July 5, 2006) - Zach Pontz

In this era of manufactured mainstream artists like Ashlee Simpson or any of your American Idols, it’s refreshing to come across an artist such as Akil Dasan, an artist with little to no pretensions and a hope that people can “dance, make love, and just simply listen to [his music].” With so much of that music aimed at reaching out to as many people as possible rather than having any actual redeeming qualities, Akil definitely belongs in a small and limited category.

I got in touch with Akil over the phone from his apt. in NYC. He had just returned from a European tour with Us3, where he played, among other places, Holland and Italy. "We played in front of a crowd of 60,000 one night. It was just so empowering."

Akil told me coming from a diverse background of Native American, Jewish, and African American heritages has always allowed him to "feel like a social communion. It has always enabled [him] to travel in many different circles and have a diverse group of friends." In return he has been exposed to many different genres of music, and has incorporated all of them into his repertoire. From Bob Marley to Stevie Wonder, Akil says that his vast array of musical interests have helped him to not limit his musical capabilities. "When I’m up there [on stage] I want to be able to reach out and touch people through the mike. I want to try to make my music move people."

Dasan has been musically active since he was six, when he first picked up a guitar. Soon thereafter, an interest in piano and drums took a hold of him. At the age of twelve, he joined the Philadelphia Boys Choir and traveled all over the world honing his voice. By the time he was a young teen, he had changed gears and had become active in the local spoken word scene. “I really gained a lot of confidence and experience with my lyrical abilities at places like the Painted Bride. They really encouraged me.” Soon thereafter a chance jam session with a group of young Philadelphia hip-hop artists led him to seriously start considering meshing both his verbal and musical capabilities into one unified machine. “I was doing this talent show at The Widener School in Philadelphia. This young hip-hop group called G-Had Platoon saw me holding my guitar and waiting my turn in the wings, and they asked me if I could put a beat over their lyrics. It just took off from there.” Ever since, Akil has been hard at work developing his brand of “Virtuosic Hip-Hop Soul,” a style of music that pretty much speaks for itself. “

Currently the self-proclaimed rapper, singer, guitarist, DJ, writer, beat-boxer and break-dancer is prepping a new album that he hopes to have out, at earliest later this year, but more pragmatically in 2007.

With a blend of music that refuses to be categorized and a willingness to do anything and everything to achieve his goals this is an artist not only unlimitedly talented but unquestionably unique.

Holding a degree from Columbia University, doing tapings for both BET and MTV, appearing on Road to Stardom with Missy Elliot, and being featured in magazines such as Marie Claire and Billboard Magazine, means only one thing: Akil Dasan can only be heading upwards. But don’t take my word for it. Check Akil out at www.MySpace.com/akildasan1 and look for him anywhere and everywhere soon; very soon.


- Zach Pontz
zach@audioxposure.com - Audioxposure.com (July 5, 2006) - Zach Pontz

9/2/06 Issue Billboard Magazine Pg. 68
Song: The Jawn
Artist: AKIL DASAN
Producer(s): Akil Dasan
Genre: R&B/HIP-HOP
Publisher: Akil Dasan, SESAC
Management: The Timeless Talent Group

Hip-hopper Akil Dasan doesn't need an outrageous grill to show his musical worth. When he unleashes one of his tongue-twisting raps, you hear the gold in his mouth. And forget about rudimentary, overproduced loops and samples. The Philadelphia native eschews them for lounge-smooth soul that's rife with funky beats and—praise God—melody. "The Jawn" exemplifies Dasan's lightening-quick syncopations (their speed and precision put him in league for a throwdown with Eminem) and his quest for positivity. He disavows the rapper stereotype that spews "repetitive, negative messages" and theorizes, "Instead of stayin' home raisin' the youth/We raisin' the roof." The timing is right for Dasan to crash hip-hop's over-hyped party. But can his fresh approach slip past the cognocenti's velvet rope?

— Christa L. Titus - Akil Dasan, SESAC

9/2/06 Issue Billboard Magazine Pg. 68
Song: The Jawn
Artist: AKIL DASAN
Producer(s): Akil Dasan
Genre: R&B/HIP-HOP
Publisher: Akil Dasan, SESAC
Management: The Timeless Talent Group

Hip-hopper Akil Dasan doesn't need an outrageous grill to show his musical worth. When he unleashes one of his tongue-twisting raps, you hear the gold in his mouth. And forget about rudimentary, overproduced loops and samples. The Philadelphia native eschews them for lounge-smooth soul that's rife with funky beats and—praise God—melody. "The Jawn" exemplifies Dasan's lightening-quick syncopations (their speed and precision put him in league for a throwdown with Eminem) and his quest for positivity. He disavows the rapper stereotype that spews "repetitive, negative messages" and theorizes, "Instead of stayin' home raisin' the youth/We raisin' the roof." The timing is right for Dasan to crash hip-hop's over-hyped party. But can his fresh approach slip past the cognocenti's velvet rope?

— Christa L. Titus - Akil Dasan, SESAC