A contender for the most exciting Finnish newcomer in 2018 is Jesse Markin.
His second single “Truth” combines soulful vocals with a chugging mid-tempo beat and a catchy chorus. The production is world class, switching up a gear from his first, equally convincing offering “Blood”.
The music speaks for itself, but there’s some interesting background too. Jesse Markin moved from his native Liberia to a small town in Finland as a kid, and he’s not new to the scene either. Using the name Thelo Ekow, he did three solid albums in 12 years with the acclaimed rap group The Megaphone State.
A black kid in rural Finland, the story goes that he turned to rap as a form of self-empowerment via succumbing to a stereotype. He certainly has talent and it’s very fortunate that he has found the freedom to broaden his expression this way.
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