AK Drops New Single ‘Closed Off’ as Lead in to New EP ‘On Me’

Back Story – Hailing from the Garden State, teen hip-hop artist AK (Austin Kassabian) has already firmly planted his feet in the music industry with his uncanny lyrical abilities. The 19-year-old artist from South Brunswick, NJ was quick to take to the internet by storm after writing and releasing remixed freestyle covers on YouTube of top hip-hop tracks stamped with his own creative spin. Austin’s list of remixes includes Desiigner’s “Panda” (32M+ Views), Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang” (9.4M+ Views), Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” (4.5M+ Views), etc. Now, with 1.5-Million subscribers and well over 100-Million views on his own YouTube channel, AK has successfully branched out with several successful original singles under his belt. He recently wrapped up a nationwide tour, during which he released his first fully self-produced single “Ignorance Is Bliss.”

Now, AK is gearing up to release a string of new singles, music videos and eventually an EP on Feb 7^th, 2020. His first single from the EP entitled “Closed Off” was released today Oct 4^th, 2019. AK opens up on “Closed Off” inviting listeners into his kingdom – and inevitably fandom – in which he rules supreme as the leader of a new era of hip-hop.

AK is definitely representing New Jersey well with his sound. This single is only the tip of the iceberg for what this young lion has in store for us.

More about AK

Early last year, AK released his debut original single “Love Me,” which landed on the U.S. Top 20 iTunes Hip Hop Chart and on the Top 25 iTunes Charts in four other countries. He followed this track up with a similar series of hits “Life Like This,” “Selfish” and “Go Away.” Austin then learned the power of his singing voice when he added a melodic chorus into his next single “Now I’m Forever,” which skyrocketed to #1 on the U.S. iTunes Hip Hop Chart, garnered over 7-Million Spotify streams and was added to YouTube Music’s ‘Flow Superior’ playlist. With great praise for his vocals, AK shifted his sound with the release of his R&B lyrically reflective track “Don’t Look Down” and provided his fans with an introspective review of his emotional journey to these new heights of his career.

With his recent releases “Why Would I?,” “Déjà Vu” and “Like I Got It,” AK hit a sweet spot of blending hip-hop and R&B genres that pack the perfect punch of his versatility as an artist in terms of tone, lyrics and vocal range. Though very much in his own lane, his lyrical flow and delivery is reminiscent of current-day Post Malone mixed with the spitball fire of Eminem and vocal range of Khalid. Carving out a space of his own in the music industry, BET noted “this is only the beginning for hip-hop newcomer AK.”

AK’s recently released single “Broken” strikes an emotionally raw chord, with an accompanying music video to match. The single perfectly portrays AK’s masterful vocal ability, carried by a chorus of his raw and emotive vocals. While the dark and dreary music video for “Broken” mirrors the tormented tongue-twister verses and pained falsetto-laced vocals evoked by the feeling of a purely broken heart and the one who broke it.With each music release bigger than the last, it goes to show that AK is the next big thing in Hip Hop.

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Tags: Ak, Closed Off, Hip Hop, New Music, ON ME

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.