Since the release of his debut single in 2019, Malaki has been turning his head inside out in order to carefully examine the mental health issues that plague Irish youth. This running theme through his body of work has made him a kind of spokesperson – the sincere and open response to Ireland’s repressed emotions and “banter” culture. Armed with a pen, his longtime collaborator Matthew Harris, and a remarkable ability for spinning ugly truths into honest verse, the young Dubliner is premiering the final instalment in his Cocoon project, “Glory Daze,” exclusively on EARMILK.
Backed by deft production and intercut with an irresistible hook courtesy of Matthew Harris, “Glory Daze” plays on classic hip-hop tropes. But, like in “Cavalier,” we’re once again privy to Malaki’s inner monologue. Alongside sex, drugs and alcohol comes social anxiety and worries about family, and under the guise of a drug haze Malaki weaves lines like “Twiddling his finger ring / Fidgeting, a rigid king / Dethroned through the ketamine / it’s cold you should let him in.”
Album artwork here comes from graphic designer Ellen Owens, paired with a tattoo realised by Eimear O’Reilly. Cocoon has been a collaborative project from its inception, and Malaki truly saved one of the best for last. Fellow Dublin-based rapper Nealo, who features on the track, has been gaining quick momentum in the Irish hip-hop scene as well, though he comes at things from a more mature angle in “Glory Daze” – the weathered party goer to Malaki’s swaggering – if nervous – new arrival.
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