Azkia Malik’s “More Than a Visit” is Here—We Connected with the Artist to Uncover the Passion Behind the Track
- STAFF
- Aug 6
- 11 min read
By: Staff
“More Than a Visit” is a breathtaking journey that blends raw emotion with an unforgettable sound.
Azkia Malik's latest single, "More Than a Visit," has arrived, and it’s everything you never knew you needed. A deep, romantic journey filled with emotional depth, the track grabs you from the first note and pulls you into its world. But who is the artist behind this stirring song, and what drives the creative force behind such intimate melodies?
We spoke with Azkia Malik to explore the layers beneath the surface of his captivating sound. From his early beginnings in the vibrant cultural heart of Oakland to his reflections on balancing personal storytelling with wider audience appeal, Azkia shared insights that reveal a side of his artistry that many fans haven’t yet seen. In this candid conversation, we dive into the themes of love and longing that define "More Than a Visit" and discuss how those universal emotions take shape in his music.
Azkia's journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. Oakland’s rich hip-hop legacy pulses through his music, while his soulful approach to songwriting gives "More Than a Visit" an undeniable depth. The song isn’t just a love letter to a particular person; it’s a reflection of the broader, timeless feelings that tie us all together.
What’s next for this rising artist? What surprises does he have in store for listeners who are already hooked on his sound? Keep reading to find out more about the inspiration behind his music, his growth as an artist, and what you can expect from him in the near future.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Azkia Malik, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. For the fans meeting you for the first time, is Azkia Malik your given name or a stage name? What inspired you to choose that for your artist persona?
A: Yee, good Q- Azkia Malik is my given first and middle name. I chose this name for my performing artist and songwriter persona because it’s unique, tied into my authentic roots, and has a ring to it. To put some game on table, I was named after Askia Muhammad, a great 15th-century ruler of the Songhai Empire (modern-day Mali). Look him up!
Q. Introspective, deep, authentic, and loving are the immediate feelings we got from your lyrics. Has this always been your style—creating music with so much intellectual depth?
A. That’s dope to hear my work instilled these feelings. I would say, “no”, cuz my style has evolved into what it is today…but I’ve always tied my deep life experiences, perspectives, reflections, you name it, into my lyrics. Letting some of the heaviness in life go on paper - about love, loss, desires, fears - has always been a positive outlet; that’s some of what listeners get when they bump an Azkia Malik track. My music has all kinds of vibes, though; a lot of party and kick-back tracks too.
Fast forward to today, you know, I earned a master’s a few years ago, I’ve been to twelve countries, I’ve had all kinds of good and bad experiences that’ve impacted my music. When I write, I keep my international listeners in mind too, so I think a lot about what I wanna share on the world stage, not just in my city, or the States. I’ve also learned to express my experiences and sentiments by having fun with it and trying different things out, which has helped me get where I’m at today. Not everything works, but it’s also been cool to take risks as I’ve learned to polish my sound.
Q. As a teaser description, what would you tell someone about this song to intrigue them about its meaning, if you only had one sentence to get them interested in listening to it?
A. Dang…one sentence is hard. Something like, “This track is about wanting ‘more than a visit’ with someone you deeply connected with, who you may not see for a while, or ever again.”
Q. Your debut EP dropped on April 1, 2025. What was the experience like to finally release your first project, after all the work that goes into creating music? How did that moment feel for you as an artist?
A. This was a feeling of achievement, fasho! I recorded The Love&Loyalty EP in Bangkok, Thailand, and I’ll never forget the experience of creating it and finally getting it released. It was dope to get my music on streams and accessible to listeners for the first time. It’s an interesting feeling saying anything is “finished”, though, as an artist, because there are always tweaks you can continue to make; at some point, you gotta wrap it up and keep it moving…so there was a bit of that too.
It was a good feeling, it was also a bit sad closing this chapter of life because putting the project together was such an epic journey. I was also interested to see how listeners would respond, so releasing my work for the first time was also kind of a vulnerable spot to be in. It was fly though, getting that record out! Shout out to Craft Web3 MusicLab in BKK for the memorable international recording experience, and helping lay the groundwork to keep my motion going when I got back to California.
Q. Being based in Oakland, CA, which is known for its vibrant hip-hop culture, how do you think your surroundings influence your sound and artistry? Do you feel like the city has shaped the way you approach music?
A. Yo! Another dope question. I love Oakland! Waking up in this city and in the Bay Area inspires me every day. From the Mac Dre mural on my street, to knowing Pac recorded his first album here, to this being the birthplace of the black panthers, the list goes on in terms of how much history lives here. This was also a major destination and safe haven when black folks fled the South during the great migration, which is not as widely known. I went to grad school in Oakland as well, shout out Mills College (RIP; it’s now Northeastern), and it was definitely the most radical and real learning experience I’ve had.
I know Oakland has a bad rap, crime-wise, but I’ve never felt so accepted and celebrated as I do in this city. I can really just do my thing and be myself here, which has unblocked a lot of barriers for me, creatively. The thing about Oakland is that it really does have amazing, bad, and ugly parts to it. There is real struggle, which curates an incredibly resilient community, because you gotta be really strong to make it here, especially as a family unit. The grind and resilience you find in the town is incredibly inspiring to my art as well.
When I touched back down after recording my EP in Bangkok, I was able to tap into an Oakland-based studio as well, shout out StudioX510, they got my sound right, and I’ve been recording there ever since; this is where I recorded MTAV. Given how Oakland and the Bay are known as cultural hubs for Hip-hop, innovation, and community organizing, it’s been a solid place to build a team around me and to launch this thing off the ground.
Q. How do you translate personal experiences—especially intense emotions like longing or desire—into something that others can connect with? Can you walk us through your songwriting process for this particular track?
A. No doubt, let me share some backstory on how this track came together. So what happened was…I met one particular girl on the last day of my trip in Thailand (literally, my flight was departing around 10 pm, and we had one day to kick it). We had a dope time together, but I was heading back to the states, and that was it. It was a bittersweet day and an experience. For context, I had just wrapped recording Love&Loyalty, so I was juiced on getting some new music in motion, and I was heading back to the states with hella experiences freshly imprinted on my mind.
While in Bangkok, I made some producer connections. I kid you not, on my way to the airport after kicking it with shortie, with a ton of inspiration and reflection swirling inside of me from the trip, one of the main producers I now work with, GetYouAMonte, sent me his beat library at this perfect time for me to check some joints out; it felt like the stars aligned right at this moment foreal. The beat for MTAV was one of the first joints I came across, and I wrote this song just vibing on my way back from Thailand. I wrote most of the track during my layover in Korea, just bumping GetYouAMonte beats and vibing in the airport after a wildly transformative trip.
At the end of the day, as an artist, you never know exactly how tracks will resonate with listeners. More Than A Visit relates to a wide audience as it really embodies the human experience of longing for someone, or something, which is something we’ve all been through at one time or another. I attribute my ability to translate lived experiences into relatable tracks through my authenticity, and I’m not afraid to connect with my fams through our shared vulnerabilities, either. I know I won’t connect with every listener, but my approach right now is to double down on all the areas that make my sound unique, to connect on a deeper level with the ones who really f$ck with me. For my fams who enjoy that raw organic sound I bring to the musical landscape, let’s ride this wave.
Q. You mentioned how "More Than a Visit" is the kind of song that gets people to pull out their phone flashlights during live performances. What do you envision those live moments feeling like, and how does the connection with your audience influence your performance?
A. Got you! So I envision these performances and moments being in a jam-packed stadium one day, as all artists dream of, although I’ve had some dope experiences performing this song already that I can speak on.
It’s always nice to have a track for the lovers on a live performance set list. I played this track at The Boom Boom Room in San Francisco during one of my monthly gigs there. Before I performed it, I gave a quick shout-out to all the lovers in the room, saying, “The song was for anyone there who brought their special somebody”, yada yada. Yo! There were a few couples killing it with the slow dancing, kissing, rubbing up on each other. I feel this was a solid affirmation of the track landing how I envisioned it. I’ll be juiced to perform this track at a Rolling Loud-style festival and on the bigger stage. It’s coming!
Q. With your confidence in the future of your music, what specific milestones or collaborations are you looking to achieve in the next year? What do you think will be the next major step in your artistic evolution?
A. No doubt, got a few things in motion. I’ve been releasing singles biweekly, and will continue to release #BiweeklyBangers through the end of this year. I’ll also be releasing my next EP, Water Bearer, on September 19th. This next EP should really showcase my growth, more polished production, and a more defined Azkia Malik brand presence. I just started releasing merch and am working towards getting a larger inventory of merch items, and an e-store going by next year. At this time, I would say my main goals for next year are really building my fambase up, getting more shows, expanding my brand presence, and continuing to lock in on creating new music and content that resonates with my audience. I do have some fire features in the works, too, so listeners can anticipate collabs OTW.
Q. Many artists hit a few walls along the way. Have there been times you questioned continuing with music? What helped you stay committed to your path?
A. Oh yeah, I’ve definitely experienced the ebbs and flows. What’s crazy is… less than a year ago, I didn’t have any new material written, and I didn’t know whether I’d get back into making music at all, let alone take it as seriously as I do today. So I did experience a pretty long hiatus, but life unfolded in a way that opened up a lot of windows for my creativity, and I’ve really been going hard all of this year. It’s a blessing being able to reflect on what I’ve accomplished in the past 6 months since dropping Love&Loyalty, seeing my love for my craft grow, and the people showing love around me.
Let me tell you, it’s a massive undertaking trying to break into the music industry full-time. This large a goal can get overwhelming and at times make you wanna give up. My approach is to do small things each day that tangibly move me closer towards the bigger picture of becoming a successful performing artist and songwriter. Anything I can do each day to become a better artist or build a stronger connection with my fams will add up to a lot of progress being made over time. Excited to keep the momentum going, and the people who rock with me truly motivate me to not give up on the dream.
Q. What are your top three venues you wish to perform at?
A. This is a tough one…I gotta say Madison Square Garden, Fenway Park, Oakland Arena. These would be my top three right now. That would go crazy!
Q. What do you want people to remember most about you after hearing this song and reading this interview?
A. I’d want them to walk away knowing MTAV showcases a lot of what I bring to the table as a songwriter and performing artist, and I’m also a versatile artist with all kinds of different vibes and song styles, so definitely check me out. I’d also like them to know there are a lot of talented up-and-coming indie artists, such as myself, coming out the Bay right now. Don’t sleep on the Bay Area music scene because Hip-hop and R&B are really popping out here.
If I had folks leave this interview knowing one thing, it would be that I’m here to stay as an artist, and just getting started. What’s dope is I've laid the foundation to help take this thing to the next level, now that I have a team around me to help execute my vision, consistently create dope music, and make it accessible to listeners. I also gotta get some promo in and definitely would tell the audience to keep an eye out for my next EP, Water Bearer, officially dropping in September of this year. I also have my #BiweeklyBangers single release schedule through the end of this year, so definitely stay tapped into what I've got cooking up.
Q. And finally, what’s next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We’d love to be the first to share the news!
A. Thass right, let’s get it! So I’ve been releasing singles biweekly, and will continue to release #BiweeklyBangers through the end of this year. I’ll also be releasing my next EP, Water Bearer, on September 19th. This next EP should really showcase my growth and more polished production. I also have another trip planned to Southeast Asia at the end of this year, which is gonna go crazy. If you follow me on socials, you already know I’m excited to continue taking y’all on this content journey, blending travel, fashion, my lifestyle, and Hip-hop. The plan for this trip is to just get super dope content, and I’m planning to play a few shows in Thailand and the Philippines if all goes as planned.
Definitely stay tapped in on my upcoming projects and content journey. I said at the beginning of this year that we ‘bout to go crazy with the music and content in 2025! It’s been dope taking my fams on this journey so far, and the best is yet to come.
Azkia Malik, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Azkia Malik’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
