Rising artist Nanji tells his story

What’s your artist name and where are you from?

Hailing from South Carolina, rapper and singer Nanji creates music that exudes positive vibes, containing authentic stories and messages that his quickly growing fanbase is able to deeply connect with.

After releasing his debut EP in 2019 – comprised of six tracks including fan favorite Only You – Nanji has been making music prolifically, releasing singles ‘Make a Killing’ and ‘Big’ in 2020 as well as his first full album Desire in 2021, with each new release showing the artist’s musical progression in leaps and bounds.

Artistically, Nanji cites Gunna – his all-time favorite artist – and big names such as Post Malone and Travis Scott as his main influences, with Nanji’s production being stylistically similar to the latter two artists, with spine-tingling beats and a tight yet laid-back vocal flow.

Why do you love music?

Writing music since he was just nine years old, music and creativity have always been cornerstones of the artist’s life, with Nanji crediting his love of music in large part to the avenue it gave him to express himself.

Moreover, the ability of music to connect people is a huge draw for the artist, as a very social person to whom human connection is incredibly important.

What makes you different as a music artist?

“I love that music brings people together regardless of language; it breaks down barriers between different cultures and countries, allowing all kinds of people to connect with each other.”

As such, one of the artist’s top priorities is ensuring his audience connects with his music, by permeating his tracks with messages that listeners can meaningfully relate to. In his own life, the artist feels able to “relate to most people” and uses his music as a vehicle to connect with many more, with a far greater reach than he would be able to achieve otherwise.

Likewise, connecting with other artists’ music is vital to Nanji.

Each morning, he puts on playlists that best match his vibe, propelling him into the rest of the day. Since this music changes week on week, month and month and year on year, different music ends up representing successive phases of the artist’s life.

As Nanji summarizes, “music is the soundtrack to your life.”

Indeed, stories of the artist’s life pervade his music, with each new single, EP and album representing a snapshot in his journey. The EP Reach for the Stars, for example, encapsulated a time in the artist’s life when he was recovering from breaking up with his longtime girlfriend, embarking on a journey to find himself and rediscover his passions.

In contrast, Nanji’s latest album Desire was created from the position of having found himself, balancing striving for greater things and following his ambitions with ensuring he stays true to himself.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

When asked about his aspirations going forward, Nanji reflects back to his childhood, revealing his aspirations are comprised of more than just music.

“As a kid, I made a list of everything I wanted to own when I grew up, like clubs and hotels. I think we’re all big kids no matter how old we get so I guess my answer would be to accomplish my childhood dreams.”

What do you bring to the music world?

Despite this, music is still Nanji’s number one priority, with the artist determined to hone and perfect his craft to the greatest extent possible.

“I have my own lane – my voice and flow is unique and I’m one of the hardest working artists out there. As long as I’m always improving, I’m happy.”

What do you want to accomplish in life?

Indeed, the artist tries not to compare himself to others, and as long as he continues to work hard and commits to a lifetime of learning, Nanji is confident that God will take him where he needs to go.

What do you want to be remembered by?

However, Nanji’s ultimate dream is to leave a legacy: to have an impact on the world and to be remembered as a man who, despite the odds stacked against him, was able to accomplish something.

In particular, he wants to see – and be a driving force behind – as many people as possible being genuinely happy.

“Not the emotion of happiness – that’s fleeting. I’m talking about the joy of life that’s God given: daily gratitude for the amazing opportunity we have on this planet to be able to experience life. That’s how I want to be remembered.”