Who is ZaeAnarky? Let’s take a deeper look into his story…
This is ZaeAnarky, someone I recently showcased on ORS, and someone who has one of the most captivating come-up stories in underground rap. He has made “:(:” his brand after all that he’s gone through - losing people close to him, working at menial jobs, getting into fights, all the way into fatherhood. For most rappers who’ve gone through so much, they try to make their experiences the most obvious part of their music, but with Zae, his music is incredibly diverse and nuanced, covering various different genres such as rage-inspired music on songs such as ‘NO TALK,’ 'X-inspired songs on songs such as ‘have some faith,’ and more.
To delve deeper into all he’s gone through, he makes his songs with so much emotional depth, and his recent song, ‘Backbone,’ of which the cover is showcased below, has some of his most poignant and clever bars yet.
Like I said, ‘Backbone’ is the song he most recently released, serving almost as a rebirth for him as an artist, with a whole new aesthetic and themes of self-deprecation and struggle, as he raps about a toxic relationship from both sides. It’s a very unique look at this topic, and is almost “We Cry Together” esque off of Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'“ album. His lyrics are incredibly poignant and clever, rivaling some of the best spitters and lyricists in hip-hop today.
If you’re a fan of any of the aforementioned genres or names I mentioned, you should check out Zae. He’s an artist who puts so much care into his music and doesn’t let his past define him, but rather uses his past as fuel to tell stories for the future generation. His upcoming song, “Tom Cruise,” which eh showed me, shows off even more versatility, and goes further into this new rebirth he’s having as an artist.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, give Zae a listen. He’s incredibly versatile, and someone that impressed me so much when I checked out his music. Much love to him, and all the rest of the artists who are trying to make a name for themselves, regardless of what they’ve gone through or are going through. <3
Jeevan Bandi | January 21, 2025