Malique unleashes his debut solo album

Remember Too Phat? The hip hop duo of Joe Flizzow and Malique from Malaysia revived the Malaysian hip hop scene back in 2002, and had the entire region raving about them. After the release of their last album Rebirth in 2005, Joe and Malique have both moved onto solo careers, continuing to inject feel-good beats into the local music scene, much to the delight of hip hop fans.

While Joe has been regularly seen onstage and in clubs advocating his brand of hip hop through his own label Kartel, Malique has however, chosen to remain under the radar–not until this July, when he finally released his much-anticipated solo album OK.

The title of the album OK seems simple enough–just like the man who made it, who is known to be media shy. But it’s also a title that reflects what is going on in Malique’s life right now. Things actually seem to be going really well for the rapper, who recently got hitched to local actress Melissa Maureen. And on the music front, his double disc release has already received accolades from industry bigwigs like 8TV’s Ahmad Izham, and fellow rappers like Altimet and Dose Two.

“OK has 20 tracks on it and features a lot of known and lesser known artists. It’s 70% in Malay,” Malique reveals. M Nasir, DJ Fuzz, Najwa, Chi Qa and Cat Fabuloso are among the artists featured on the album, all whom give it a varied flavour as well as provide a fresh spin on the hip hop genre.

An album featuring songs in Malay might cater to a niche audience, but Malique is confident that language is no barrier. “If you know the right formula, there really is no difference between writing, rhyming and timing in any language,” he says. Asked if this will create a disparity in his audience, he confidently replies, “The people who enjoy it like my lyrics, but it’s meant to be enjoyed even by people who don’t understand or speak Malay. The plan was to make it a Malay album that’s strong from all points, not necessarily a hip hop album.”

What’s interesting about Malique’s label Qarma Music is that it’s made up of a street team. “The Qarma Music Street Team is actually the entire label. They are the marketing, promotion, sales and nationwide distributors. But nobody knows who they are and they don’t even know each other,” he explains. The street team formula might not be a new thing with hip hop acts around the world, but in this region where fans who support their favourite acts are few and far between, it’s a nice change too see his friends and fans spreading the word of Malique. Want to order a copy of OK? Send an SMS with your details and the street team will deliver copies to your doorstep within the same day.

Malique is glad to see that OK has been well-received by the public. “The radio stations have really helped by putting my songs on heavy rotation. I’d like to thank them for supporting good independent music,” he says. The MC is currently planning to shoot a video for a song off his album and also start touring. “Everything is starting to look positive again,” Malique says of the hip hop scene in Malaysia. Indeed, with Malique back in the game, everything seems to be A-OK.

Words Jolyn Photo Qarma Music
www.myspace.com/maliqueibrahim