Ahead of his headline show, Malaki has released a record that balances tongue-twisting lyricism and wit with an admirable dose of vulnerability.

He’s not been releasing music for long but Malaki has certainly made a splash since emerging earlier this year. The Dublin MC blends numerous styles, most notably borrowing elements from spoken word to spin poignant tales of the mundanities of life in the city.

Grabbing attention through tracks like ‘Love Through a Cigarette‘ and ‘Call Us By Our Name’, the young spitter was booked for Forbidden Fruit and was hailed for his live performance there and in numerous other shows this year.

He’s capitalised on this year’s growing excitement with his debut EP ‘Butterfly Boy’ that features production from frequent collaborator Matthew Harris.

‘Butterfly Boy’ is the sum of his life experiences so far, seen through 6 thoughtful tracks. There’s a genuine diversity to the project too, illustrated by the opening track ‘Paper Prophecies’ that starts as a spoken word piece and eventually erupts into an emotive and explosive finish.

Sitting at around 20 minutes it’s easily digestible and the young wordsmith has thrown his hat in the ring as a late entry for the Irish hip hop project of the year.

Listen below:

Photography: Matthew Harris