Malik Ninety Five is ready to get his due. After taking a chance and leaving behind his home in New Orleans in hopes of sparking something greater in the City of Angels, the Los Angeles transplant has worked around the clock to prove why he's deserving of a place among the fresh faces ascending into inevitable stardom. In the short time that he's called the West Coast home, his catalog has earned him looks on TIDAL's "The Newest of New Orleans Hip-Hop" playlist and placement on New Orleans's Voodoo Festival lineup while sharing stages with the likes of Felly, Pell, Sango, and Monte Booker.
Soon, Malik will have a chance to make believers out of us all with the impending arrival of his forthcoming album, but until then he's decided to hold us over with his Playlist: 003, the third and final teaser that precedes his full-length effort. Similar to its brief predecessors, Playlist: 003 arrives as a couplet, outfitted with the tracks "When I’m Around" and "Popstar." The pairing, originally premiered on Noisey Beats 1 radio, makes for a great contrast as Malik's unshakeable delivery on "When I'm Around" over a jazzed out backdrop is met with the melody-driven and lighter "Popstar." Both cuts are self-produced joints that make for the perfect introduction to the newcomer.