Malahqai

John Zakayo Ndorosey known as Malahqai, (formerly Malakai and before that Malakhi), is a musician with a diverse and compelling background that profoundly shapes his music. Born in Arusha, Tanzania, to a Tanzanian father (a commercial pilot with a remarkable history of flying the late Pope John Paul II) and a mother of Scottish and Kenyan descent (who worked at the United Nations in Mozambique and Tanzania), Malahqai is one of five siblings. His early years were divided between Mozambique and Tanzania before embarking on a transformative journey that led him to call Melbourne, Australia, his home. Malahqai's music is a dynamic fusion of Hip-Hop, Trapsoul, Drill 'n' Bass, and R&B. His remarkable talent encompasses both singing and rapping, and he takes a hands-on approach in producing, composing, and writing a significant portion of his music. His unique sound harmoniously blends the power of 808s with live instruments, including horns, bass, acoustic guitar, and strings, all woven together with his vocals to create a captivating rhythm and melody. At the tender age of nine, Malahqai's passion for music ignited when he co-wrote and performed a rap with a classmate, accompanied by live bongo drums, captivating classmates and their music teacher with their talent. Since then, he has embarked on a solo music journey that has solidified his name in the industry. His distinctive style was nurtured during his time with Hard Hustle Recordings, where he joined forces with other talented artists and musicians upon his arrival in Melbourne. Before that, during his secondary school years in Arusha, Tanzania, he founded the musical group M-Camp (Kidd, K-los, Reflex, Lio). Throughout his tenure in school, Malahqai showcased his artistic flair by participating in school plays, such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Bugsy Malone," where he won the Best Actor award in back-to-back years. Hard Hustle Recordings, founded in 2007 by Slycoh “Sly” Marowa, Norman “ManLikeNorm” Munyaradzi, and Jackson “Street Language” Kadenhe in Melbourne, Australia, was a melting pot of exceptional artists, including Pasika, Ishy Z, Dust 2 Dust, Teekay, Mack, In Dreamz and others, primarily from African backgrounds. While these artists often created as solo performers, they occasionally collaborated under the 'Hard Hustle' banner, infusing their diverse styles into collaborative projects. In 2015, Malahqai released his debut mixtape, "City of God," featuring the debut single "Smile," a song that propelled him to numerous live gigs in Melbourne. The mixtape featured tracks primarily produced by Malahqai under his producer alias, 'Kai,' with contributions from producers Bidza and Sly. The entire project was recorded and mixed by Malahqai at Hard Hustle Recordings. Despite facing personal challenges, including the heartbreaking loss of close friends and fellow Hard Hustle Recordings members, Slycoh “Sly” Marowa in 2010 and Jackson “S.L” Kadenhe in 2022, Malahqai's dedication to producing music that deeply resonates with audiences has remained unwavering. In 2019, he marked a powerful return with the single "Elevate," produced by iDBeatz (Tyga, Lil Skies), mixed by Dan Konopka (OkGo), and mastered by Ben “iamBNJMIIN” Thomas (Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, Brian McKnight). This was followed by "Drive-Thru," produced by Relly Made (NBA YoungBoy, Rod Wave, YK Osiris) and the engineers Dan Konopka and Benjamin Thomas, the same team behind ‘Elevate’, which became his most successful release, amassing over 100 thousand streams worldwide for both the audio and video. Malahqai's music serves as a testament to his unique background and diverse experiences, offering a genre-defying sound that continues to captivate listeners globally. His unwavering passion for music, rooted in his rich life journey, is an ever-evolving story that resonates with music enthusiasts worldwide.