Bien Monk

German-born, Berlin based, Togolese rap artist Bien Monk, born Akio Enaku has a half-sung/half-rapped vocal style with sound influences from alternative and experimental genres. His music is filled with spaced out introspection, fashion, anime references and his vices. Reminiscent at times of Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and Outkast. His sound often hypnotic and at times intense. With production that leans into epic musicality and synth tones accompanied by non chalant, parable filled vocal delivery and lyrics.

Monk grew up in the inner city of Munich and began rapping as teenager. He grew up watching anime and his parents practiced buddhist teachings. His early life was a pendulum swing between western and East Asian values. With this background and unique set of experiences Monk achieves to slip in and out of genres singing or rapping, cursing and meditating, dancing and dreaming. In his newer works he is far more aggressive and ambitious than anything he’s attempted before and will continue going deeper into this duality.