Meet Mandella Eskia | Rapper/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mandella Eskia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mandella, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As a kid, I was always into the arts. I used to draw comics, I played the piano a little bit and I did improv comedy. Music/rap was just the only thing that stuck with me. I started doing it because I listened to a lot of rap as a kid and just wanted to see if I could write my own and to my surprise, it wasn’t bad.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a rapper/ songwriter from Harlem New York and I’m also an educator who teachers songwriting in an NYC high school. I was raised in a pan African household with two activists parents and my proximity to that has had an impact on how I express myself musically. When I write, I think about what things my parents would want me to fight for and how they encouraged me to follow my own ambitions. There are a million rappers, but only one me and one you. My motto is that if you create music that is truly honest to who you are and your experiences that no one can mimic that. That is what I try to do musically and I let that extend to how my branding presents itself online.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would definitely go get a drink at the Cantina in Harlem on Frederick Douglas Blvd. I’d take them to get some soul/Caribbean food at the Greedypot on 117th and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. I’d have to take them to check out my friend’s store front in BK called Gamba Living where they could buy some crystals for spiritual protection. If it’s summer the we gotta go up to riverside park in Harlem AND down to BK Bridge Park. Then we need to go check out some food spots in Astoria queens.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Baba (father) and Mommie are who I want to shout out. My father passed in 2014 and my mother passed in October 2023 but they always encouraged me to follow my passions. Even if they didn’t know if rap would make me money, they gave me the space to be an artist. My mother woke up one day in her late 50’s and decided she wanted to paint with no prior training. She then painted a series of beautiful photos. Those are the things that inspire me.

Website: Blackzeusx.com

Instagram: @blackzeusx

Twitter: @blackzeusx

Facebook: Facebook.com/mandellazeusx

Youtube: YouTube.com/blackzeusx

Other: Tik Tok- @blackzeusx

Image Credits
Photos 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 by @eatthecskenyc Photo 2 by Rob Lee