Today, we’re hyped to introduce Mikano, the Paris-based rapper and artist who is making serious waves in his hometown and beyond. His journey goes way back to 2017 when he made his debut, but the subject of our review, the single ‘Touché Coulé’, is part of Mikano’s exciting conceptual phase. This track is lifted from his AWKA II EP, which is the sequel to the first installment of AKWA.

Considering that the EPs take their name from one of the Douala’s districts in Cameroon where Mikano spent his early years, it’s a fair assumption to make that he’s going back to his roots with this music. But then, what do we mean by roots? Surely we can have roots in many different places as the music video for ‘Touché Coulé’ shows with scenes of the artist comfortable in his Paris base where he’s been since 17-years-old.

His sound is super fresh, with contemporary beatwork and a vocal style similar to Frank Ocean, Blood Orange or Kid Cudi. Even still, this wise 26-year-old gives a nod to the origins of hip-hop with clips of soulful vocals that gives the track an old school edge.

There’s no doubting that Mikano is onto big things and ‘Touché Coulé’ is just a taste of what’s to come.

Follow Mikano on Instagram.