MALIK WATKINS (MaLLy) is an independent hip-hop artist, educator and entrepreneur. Active since 2009, MaLLy has cemented his place in the Twin Cities music scene with a strong discography boasting three critically acclaimed albums — The Passion, The Last Great..., and The Colors of Black — along with two well-received EPs including Free on the 15th and Strange Rhythm. MaLLy has toured nationwide with Atmosphere on their “Welcome to Minnesota” tour in 2012 and with Brother Ali on his “Home Away From Home” tour in 2014. Additionally, he’s made two appearances — one as a performer (2011) and one as co-host with Brother Ali (2012) — at Soundset, the largest Hip-Hop festival in Minnesota. He continues to perform, serve as a teaching artist, practice Buddhism and collaborate with community-oriented organizations dedicated to the arts and social justice such as Common Ground Meditation Center, TruArtSpeaks, COMPAS, Kulture Klub Collaborative and KRSM Radio. In 2018, MaLLy was awarded the McKnight Foundation Fellowship for musicians. This year he released his fourth solo album The Journey To A Smile produced entirely by PC.
