Check Out Manji’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manji.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Eastside Costa Mesa. I’ve lived in the same crib my whole life, never moved. I have always had a love for music since I was a kid. My mom listened to Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Madonna. You name it, my mom played em. My pops was a drummer for 18 years so I kinda got the rhythm instilled in me from him. I first got inspiration to make music when I was 13 just rapping in my room. I started listening to Jay z and J Cole a lot. Mr. Nice watch was the song that originally inspired me to pick up the pen and pad. My mom is from Queens and my pop was from Connecticut. Both sides of my family still stay on the east coast so it wasn’t a surprise that I was drawn to the East Coast style of hiphop from an early age.

I started posting music on SoundCloud in early 2017. It wasn’t until 2018 when I dropped my first single “Chasing Dreams” that people started to pay attention to my music. Since then, I’ve dropped a mixtape titled “Just Manj! vol 1” and three more single ahead of my upcoming project “Mixed Emotions” set to drop in the fall of this year (2021). I still feel as if I’m not receiving the recognition I deserve but that’ll come in time followed by hard work! Until then, we embrace the journey and keep one foot in front of the other.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve definitely had a couple of roadblocks as far as the music comes for sure. For a while, I was struggling to pay for studio time, at 15 I was desperate to get into a real studio, but I was too young to get a workers permit and no one wanted to take a chance on me. As soon as that summer came around, I saved up enough money to get a couple of sessions in with my mixing engineer Prod By Pria. Since then, he’s helped me find my voice within myself as well as help me experiment with my sound and overall just become a better artist.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an artist at heart. I just love to create. I’m also madly in love with rap, as well as the history of the craft. Different flows, wordplay, punchlines that’s where my mind usually goes when I head into the studio. However, like I said my heart resides in art and I think that in this day and age in hiphop, you can’t have too much of a dated flow. Everything needs to consistently be fresh and new and I believe that what sets me apart. I can consistently deliver a fresh flow, new punchlines that real hiphop fans can dissect. While also giving the more nonchalant fans something they can play at functions and party too.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Just to give the little guys a listen, all your favorite rappers had fans that knew they were going to pop before they did. Think of me like a stock, you get in early and you’re going to see a decent return. I promise you that! Also, I have a new Music video that is coming out June 4th so make sure you go and check that out!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whosmanji/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLB1UuJEvIh6dZV_jTbXung
• SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/whosmanji
• Other: Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Qm7UQr9mzr6xHUzcc9rtp?si=l0CX3My0Qg-LEssuzxfMgQ

Image Credits:
Madison Hooper