CHAII

Making it happen. The journey of the person behind CHAII lies somewhere in those three words. An artist having grown up in two worlds, her art is a melting pot of influences while her words carry the attitude and conviction of those who have navigated a bicultural upbringing before her. Melding influences from traditional Persian music, elements of hip-hop and electronica into her self-produced project, her heart-pounding sound is found somewhere in another dimension. Ahead of its time, yet arriving at just the right moment.

At the age of 8 years old, CHAII emigrated to New Zealand from Iran. Before she could speak her first inklings of English, she could rap Eminem lyrics. “Eminem was my English teacher,” she recounts when asked about her first taste of westernized hip-hop and pop culture. It wasn’t long after that, at age 11, naturally she began writing her own raps as a way of adapting to her new life. A child of two worlds, forming into one whole.

In early 2019, CHAII put the internet on notice with the unofficial release of “Diggebasse (Enough)”, her first single under the CHAII moniker which set off a chain reaction of positive events.

Now in the public consciousness of the world, a global citizen with both feet planted firmly on the ground, CHAII is “making it happen.” Releasing her first self-produced project, enter ‘South’; a representation of the fun, unfiltered side of life and enjoying yourself. Underneath a heavy Southern Iranian-influenced beat, CHAII is playful while making a tongue and cheek dig at modern-day social pressures.