Naji has been enticing audiences with his smooth, soulful and sensuous sounds for the past few years. Based in Erie, PA, our artist first appeared on the scene through collaborative projects like ‘Mona Lisa’ with Soulection’s Monte Booker and ‘Might Just’ with Krs. and Kingbnjmn. After launching his first EP, ‘Act I’, last year, he followed with ‘Act II’ and concluded 2018 with his first album, ‘Misfit’. The album actually serves as the final act, encompassing tracks from both EP’s along with three additional songs.
Although separate, all works blend beautifully together. His three-act, full-length project is a testament to not only his vocal skills and distinctive sound but also to his ability to create versatile and emotionally charged bodies of work.
Naji produces compelling songs that speak to love, loss, lust and aversion. It’s not always serious though, as his fun, quirky side often shines through. Take the track ‘Might Just’, which Naji self-describes as an ode to the thirst trap (LOL). Or, one of my favorite tracks, Misfit, which is a story about the ever-fleeting modern day romance. With no specific muse, structure or formula, Naji simply creates music to create music. He approaches every project with the mentality, ‘let’s just see what happens’.
In our interview, he describes how ‘Naji’ has always been a continuous, experimental project that’s just the beginning of his musical career. He foresees his work growing into more of a collaborative effort, developing projects as a group or production group. Stating, “Naji will still always exist as an artist + collaborator, but I want my strongest works to be part of a larger group effort.”
How would you describe your sound?
Imagine James Blake, Sara Brightman, Childish Gambino, Pharrell, FlyLo, Timbaland, John Legend & Kurt Elling having a baby—that’s pretty much the closest thing I can think of. Sonically, I have a lot of directions I take things, but overall, I have R&B-esque roots that keep everything revolving around a certain vibe, but it goes a bit of everywhere.
You say that there are two Najis: a version that represents you, and one that speaks to your alter ego. How do the two differ? How do they coincide?
So Naji is actually my middle name, but everyone, including my parents, calls me that. It’s Arabic and roughly translates to ‘friend’, ‘trustworthy’, or in some instances, ‘King’. For the majority of my life, I’ve unconsciously abided by it. I’m often seen as this weird, loving guy who’s as giving to strangers as he is his own mother. And giving is something I’ve always wanted to do with my music. Even though ‘Naji’ is just a huge, continual experiment, there’s always an underlying current of giving people a sense of inspiration, solidarity or catharsis. So, in that sense they’re similar, but the music side allows me to be a little heavier-handed than I’m able to personally.
Photograph by @montylov
What would you say are some of the perks of being an indie artist? What are some difficulties?
Obviously, as an indie artist, you’re free to do what you want, when you want, however you wanna do it. Plus, I get to set my own schedule and learn every aspect of the business with no red tape around the data and actual relevant information I need to know about my audience. But, not so obvious, you do have to learn the skill of navigating people much more so than you would as a major label player. Your success is dependent on you, your team and your collective resources. Your reputation is dependent on you, your team, and your collective resources. There’s no label to take the reins or blame. At the end of the day, it’s on you. And while that’s liberating, it’s a very vulnerable spot to be in. At any given point, people can just decide to not rock with you, on the business or audience side, and you have to figure out how to overcome that on your own. It’s definitely not the right path for every artist, but it’s a very valuable one if it works for what you need.
‘Naji’ has always been an experimental project for you. As you grow, you want to develop it into more of a “group effort”. What is the ultimate direction?
Naji was and is the beginning. It’s me sorting out my sound palette and figuring out how I can best operate and work with others. So in that sense, it’s already a group effort. But I ultimately want to be able to build out proper projects with a concise and intended vision. To be able to give people a concrete sound to tie to my name would be lovely, but I do way too many things to lump everything into one project. So, my solution is to make new ones. Naji will still always exist as an artist + collaborator, but I want my strongest works to be part of a larger group effort.
Photograph by @montylov
Which musician(s) would you like to collaborate with next?
Right now, I’d love to work with Babyrose. She’s incredible!
You recently released your album ‘Misfit’ (love, btw!), what other projects do you have in the works?
Currently, I have a bunch of collabs coming out during the remainder of the year (as ‘Naji’), but next year is when I hope to debut my two other groups, which encompass completely different sounds.
Where do you find your artistic inspiration?
Mostly from other artists, to be honest. I love listening to music and playing it, and I’ve always been around people who love it just as much. I thrive when I have people to bounce ideas off. Some are great starters, but I’m an impeccable finisher. That’s not to say I can’t start things, but it’s definitely a challenge for me.
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Interview by Rahel Tekle