‘Quiet Anger’: The Bajan Teen Angst of Haleek Maul

Words by Emily Shapiro, via The Fader—

Based on his recent interview with The Fader, it appears Haleek Maul has the kind of melodramatic view of the world you can only find in a post-pubescent teen. He talks about “jubilant children” and going to the beach late at night to listen to the ocean’s “quiet anger.” While his voice, lyrics and flow may have a more grown-up quality, maybe the unique darkness in his music comes from the kind of hormonal madness only a young teen experiences.

Whatever it is, this 15-year old rapper from Barbados (via NYC) is attracting a lot of attention and has linked with some notable producers like Supreme Cuts and The-Drum to create his EP, Oxyconteen, out June 18th. In his Fader interview, Haleek highlights how the new generation of artists learns about legends of the past, explaining how he spent years surfing the internet for musical inspiration. Described as the sad adoptive baby of Rihanna and Drake, it looks like Maul will be around well into adulthood: When asked if he will be rapping at 24, he uses some mature language to point out how he is not interested in other paths. Check out his single “88” produced by The-Drum below, and visit his Tumblr for more of his tunes and inspirations: