If McKinley Dixon isn't on your radar yet, let these words you're reading clue you in: he may be the best musician you've yet to hear. There's a reason The Guardian included him in their list of 2023's most...
If McKinley Dixon isn't on your radar yet, let these words you're reading clue you in: he may be the best musician you've yet to hear. There's a reason The Guardian included him in their list of 2023's most promising musical newcomers, and it's because he really is flat out phenomenal.
McKinley opened for Tank and the Bangas to a sold-out Neumos audience in Seattle on a night where the winter attempted to stick around for a few more days in the PNW. Often with opening acts, the crowd mills about, orders drinks, and generally doesn't pay much mind to what's happening on stage. Not here. McKinley had everyone in the house glued to the stage, and for good reason. His set what energetic, tight, and sounded fantastic. By the end, the crowd was eager to sing along with the chorus as instructed.
He's based out of Chicago, and to be clear, it's tough to classify his sound into one genre. Maybe that's to be expected from a guy who rocked the set in an ICP t-shirt, calls Toni Morrison the greatest rapper of all time, and writes truly transformative lyrics that tackle topics like violence, religion, and finding new ways of physical and mental communication, as evidenced by his stunning last project For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her. Is he a rapper? Yes, and a great one. A singer? Also fantastic. His backing band is also heavily jazz influenced. Does his music need to be classified? Maybe not. What it is is great, beautiful, honest music.
Keep up with McKinley here, and catch him on the remainder of the tour with Tank and the Bangas. You'll be glad you did.
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Words + Photos by Bodi of Sattva Photo
