Daniel Dickson, better known by his stage name Akai Solo, is an American rapper hailing from Brooklyn, New York. His stage name is an acronym that stands for Ascended Killer Absolving Ignorance Souls Of Lords Omniscient; the word “akai” translates as the color red in Japanese.

He is of Panamanian and Nigerian roots and discovered hip-hop during sixth grade, when his math teacher played the class Aesop Rock’s “Nickel Plated Pockets.” At one point Aesop raps, “You could pretty safely quote Shamar/ Life’s ill, sometimes life might kill.” “Shamar” here refers to rapper Vordul Mega from Cannibal Ox, but he had a classmate named Shamar and immediately felt involved in the narrative.

While attending Benjamin Banneker Academy in Brooklyn, Akai and his friends formed a “horrible rap group” called B.D.B. At the time, he was calling himself KITE (Killing Ignorance Throughout Eternity).

In 2019 he released his debut mixtape, From The Burning East With Love.

Beside his prolific solo career, he is also the leader of NYC based creative collective Tase Grip, and has released collaborative projects with rapper Pink Siifu as well as with producers IBLSS and BSTFRND.

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