Today’s track ‘Underbite’ sees Khaki (Abdu Huss) lean into a new sonic palette, melding layered & heavily distorted vocals reminiscent of Dijon or Kid Cudi with bracing hyperpop beats arriving in and switching up the track at breakneck speed. A sonic contrast to the jazz inflected hip-hop that formed his debut EP, ‘Underbite’ infuses further genres in a new style for Khaki, a switch up that initially made Abdu anxious – despite ‘Underbite’ being an undeniable mosh-inciting anthem. 

Speaking on today’s track, Khakikid states that “Underbite is about feeling lost or stuck in a dark place. Carsten had this hook about being down and out, and how you don’t want others to see you when you’re in that state.

”The verses speak to darker times in Khaki’s past, a feeling of having nothing but holding on to what you do have. On the collaboration, Abdu praises working together as a mechanism to “open each other up to different perspectives on songwriting. It helped me become more comfortable talking about my past and the things that are hardest to talk about. I’ve always wanted to experiment with different sounds too and working with people with experience really helps. It’s made me really excited to work with others too.”

Abdu, who was unaware of his Arab-Irish heritage and his father’s refugee story until he reached adulthood, is committed to creating a sense of belonging for future generations of his community in Dublin. He expresses a desire to connect more with his Arab background, despite it not being a significant part of his life. Abdu aims to represent minority groups that are often overlooked in Ireland and demonstrate that there are places for them to exist. With this aspiration in mind, Abdu plans to collaborate with others and experiment with his music. He is eager to create new music that reflects the highs and lows of real life and showcase his growth during his upcoming Dirt Bird tour.

Abdu’s love for rap music began when his older brother gave him 50 Cent’s “Get Rich Or Die Tryin” CD. From there, he taught himself how to produce music in his bedroom, which he shared with his three brothers. He focused on creating emotional and expressive lyrics that told a story. Abdu would record himself rapping over beats that he found on YouTube. In 2020, his debut single “Late” introduced his unique style of mixing humorous and self-deprecating lyrics with boisterous rapping. By 2021, Abdu had gained a cult following in Ireland, and his music had started to attract fans from all over the world. His debut EP, “Elevator Music,” received critical acclaim upon its release in September 2020. Fans eagerly await Khakikid’s next chapter as he enters his most assured era yet.