Akira the Don

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Akira The Don
Akira in 2018
Akira in 2018
Background information
Birth nameAdam Jan Narkiewicz[1]
OriginUK
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • DJ
  • record producer
Years active2004–present
LabelsLiving in the Future (2009–2016)
Something in Construction (2004–2009)
Interscope (2005–2006)
Websitewww.akirathedon.com

Akira the Don (real name Adam Jan Narkiewicz) is a British musician, DJ, producer, and YouTuber.

His music and production traverses the boundaries between pop, hip-hop, indie, and dance. He lists influences including Ice Cube, Adam Ant, Morrissey, Big Bang, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie and the Wu-Tang Clan. His debut album When We Were Young was produced by Danny Saber. In 2017, Akira the Don released mixtapes in the form of a new genre he created, referred to as "Meaningwave"[2] – a fusion of wave music with meaningful lyrical content and lo-fi hip-hop.

Career[edit]

Rapper[edit]

Prior to launching a solo career, Akira the Don was a member of hip-hop group Crack Village, another member being Lois Winstone.[3][4] In 2006, Akira rapped on Brave Captain's album Distractions.[5] He released his first album When We Were Young the same year.[6]

In May 2011, he released his second LP, The Life Equation. The album is co-produced with Stephen Hague and features collaborations with Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) and Envy.[7] Akira often produced his own videos.[8] In 2013, Akira performed at Grant Morrison's MorrisonCon.[9]

In March 2014, Akira released A.T.D.R.I.P.. He played his final gig as a traditional rap artist in London on 19 May,.[10]

Producer[edit]

Akira has produced songs for a number of artists including two top forty hits for Lethal Bizzle[11] along with songs for Newham Generals' Footsie, Big Narstie, Envy, G-Mane, Littles, Marvin The Martian, Issue, and Time.

In 2011, Akira collaborated with Chilly Gonzales on mixtape.[11]

In 2015, Akira produced a cover of Adamski's "Killer" featuring Grant Morrison. [12]

In 2016, he released a remix of the Stranger Things theme.[13]

Since 2017, Akira the Don has been integrating philosophically inspired lyrical content into his music. He created and developed the Meaningwave Universe which is aimed at inspiring people to find wholesomeness in their lives, and promotes the ideas of peak performance or flow consciousness.[14] He's sampled soundbites from Jordan Peterson, Alan Watts, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Fred Rogers,[15] Anthony Bourdain, and others.[16] In 2019, he released dozens of albums during a period of "hyper productivity" [17]

In September 2021, Meaningwave and Akira the Don were covered on the Fox News Channel talk show Gutfeld!. [18]

In 2022, Akira was featured on Jordan Peterson's podcast. [19]

DJ[edit]

In October 2014 Akira relocated to Los Angeles, where he formed the party rap duo MIDNITEMEN with long time collaborator and nightclub organiser Wade Crescent, and began DJing every week in Hollywood nightspots like The Roosevelt Hotel, Blind Dragon, Hooray Henrys and Bootsy Bellows. The latter is co-owned by David Arquette, for whom Akira provided accent coaching for the actor's role in a stage production of Sherlock Holmes.[20]

As resident DJ at Blind Dragon, he DJed parties for the likes of The Weeknd, Nylon Magazine[21] and Harry Styles.[22] He DJed for Justin Bieber at Hooray Henrys following his VMA's performance.

YouTube[edit]

In 2020, Akira started to live-stream daily DJs sets on his YouTube channel, at times doing two sets per day.

Personal life[edit]

Born in West Bromwich and raised in North Wales, for most of his career he lived in London.[23] In 2014, he moved to Los Angeles. In 2020, he moved to Texas in order "to secure the future of Meaningwave, his son's childhood, and the very Don Dynasty itself."[24] Since 2021, he has been residing in Mexico.

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

  • When We Were Young (Nov 2006)
  • The Kidnapping of Akira the Don (Nov 2010) featuring Joey2Tits
  • The Life Equation (16 May 2011) co-produced and mixed by Stephen Hague
  • Saturnalia Superman: Akira the Don Salutes the Majesty of Christmas (19 December 2011)
  • A.T.D.R.I.P. (11 March 2014)
  • 12 Rules For Life: The Album (JPWAVE) (5 February 2018) featuring Jordan Peterson
  • Goldtron III (9 July 2018)
  • JBPWAVE: Genesis (24 August 2018) featuring Jordan Peterson
  • MUSKWAVE - A Space Odyssey featuring Elon Musk (21 September 2018)
  • Goldtron IV (5 November 2018)
  • The Path (25 January 2019) featuring Jocko Willink
  • Telling Stories (2021)
  • Freedom to Chains (2021)
  • The Call to Adventure (2021)
  • Truth & Dragons (2022)
  • Dunewave: Odyssey (2023) featuring DanikaXIX

EPs[edit]

  • Akira the Don's First EP (Sep 2004)
  • AAA EP (May 2005)
  • All I Want for Christmas Is You (and World Peace) EP (Dec 2006)
  • Five and a Half Songs About Love (Feb 2006)
  • I Am Not Dead (YEAH!) (Oct 2009) featuring Gruff Rhys

References[edit]

  1. ^ "A LOFI CHRISTMAS SONG". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  2. ^ Parrish, Joseph (11 May 2019). "The Rise of Meaningwave Music". Medium. Joseph Parrish. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/feb/22/akira-don-chilly-gonzales-weatherman
  4. ^ "BBC Wales - Music - Akira the Don - Biography".
  5. ^ "Martin Carr - Ye Gods (And Little Fishes)". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Interview: Akira The Don". Oxford Student. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Akira the Don - The Life Equation review". The Quietus. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Watch Akira The Don's Halloween Ready Video For 'Spooky Scary Skeletons'". NME. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Akira The Don's Second Day At MorrisonCon". Bleeding Cool. 3 October 2012.
  10. ^ "The final A.T.D. Music video: Akira the Don – LATELY | Akira the Don". Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  11. ^ a b "New music: Akira the Don and Chilly Gonzales – Don't Need a Weatherman". The Guardian. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Grant Morrison Appears In Akira The Don's New Music Video For Killer". Bleeding Cool. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Akira the Don's Remix of the Stranger Things theme". NME. 13 September 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Evolution Of The DJ: An Interview With Akira The Don". prosoundweb.com. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  15. ^ "Akira the Don's Mr. Rogers-themed vaporwave mixtape is exactly what the world needs right now". CL Tampa. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  16. ^ Byebstaff (9 December 2016). "The Top 10 Most Important Music Memes of 2016". Electronic Beats. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Both vaporwave and its offshoot hardvapor are genres as well as memes
  17. ^ "Akira the Don: The DJ of the Intellectual Dark Web". High Existence. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  18. ^ "15 September". Gutfeld!. Season 1. 15 September 2021. Fox News.
  19. ^ "S2 E4: Akira the Don: Music and Meaning". 15 April 2019.
  20. ^ "David Arquette bringing a zany Sherlock Holmes to the stage". Toronto Sun.
  21. ^ "NYLON Magazine's Spring Fas... | Photo | firstlook celebrity photos". Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Harry Styles birthday party DJ politest millionaire ever". Sugarscape.com.
  23. ^ "Akira the Don". BBC Wales. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  24. ^ "TEXODUS". Meaningwave. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

External links[edit]

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