Manje Khan is an artist who focuses on writing music that’s fun and catchy, yet incredibly deep and personal. With an upbringing that combines Nigerian heritage with the American dream, he tells the tales of his two contrasting worlds through his finely-crafted lyrics, pivoting between the roles of Manje Khan, the smooth harmonizer, and his alter ego Slum Kid, the interpersonal rapper. Throughout his introspective strain of hip-hop, he has a deeply personal approach to music that’s curated in a sound that captivates with soulful grooves and witty lyrics. His new release, Sweetest Pie, is a catchy song that features influences of alt-pop and hip-hop, which highlights his versatility and range. In this interview, we discussed getting his start making music, his inspirations, who he’s listening to now, Sweetest Pie, and a whole lot more.
Hey! Introduce yourself. Where are you from?
I’m from Atlanta.
When did you start making music?
I started making music when I was 17 when I started out as a songwriter, then a producer, and now doing all of it.
Who inspired you to start making music?
Really my cousin. He’s older than me but just seeing him be able to make music in the basement whenever I came over was so fun to see and from there I just wanted to get into music ever since I was a kid.
How would you describe your music style?
I describe myself as an electro-soul alternative hip artist. I made a change this year to bring more soulful vibes to my music.
Who are you listening to now?
Who I’ve been having on heavy rotation is Dave B and Remi Wolf. They are fire.
What’s your best project or single so far?
My best single that is out has to be Splash! Years later, a potential sync placement, and 600,000 streams later it’s still a blessing how everything came together.
Any new releases we need to hear?
Yeah, I released a single on October 21st called Sweetest Pie.
Have any shoutouts?
Shoutout to my homie MGD, he’s been my main producer all these years until I decided to get back into it, he’s it.
Want more from Manje Khan? Check out his music on Spotify, follow him on Instagram, watch his music videos on YouTube, find him on TikTok, or stream his new single Sweetest Pie on your favorite digital streaming platform.