By Olivia Espinoza
A young talent with a big future ahead of him, Rajanno Rahim (Arnxld) from Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC) is a junior who is already making it on people’s Spotify playlists. Starting off his musical journey by producing his friends’ music videos, he has recently taken his own path by releasing music that tells his own story.
“After all of the experiences I’ve had being an immigrant, living in an under-privilege neighborhood, experiencing financial instability, being able to have upward mobility resulted in me having an interesting dynamic and outlook on life,” Arnxld said.
Being able to tell those stories and express his outlook on life has always been a priority since he discovered music. Especially as a student, finding the balance between academics and music for some would be a challenge. However, Arnxld’s music is such a priority to him, he doesn’t describe the process as a balance.
“I don’t balance anything. I don’t want anything else to interrupt my music. But at the end of the day I’ll have both homework and school work completed. Even though it’s tiring once you have created something that is meaningful to you, it is always rewarding. I think we all have enough time to do everything that we need to finish. But, I feel like trying to balance life in the middle of the creative process destroys what you were creating,” Arnxld said.
Arnxld’s dedication to his music has been awarded through one of his most streamed songs on Spotify. “Whip” has over 16,000 listens. The song shows how he is inspired by artists like Drake and J. Cole, though it has not gone unnoticed that he is also developing his own sound. The raspy vocals complimented with a unique beat and a couple sirens, keeps the listener on their toes.
The success he has received so far in his career has allowed him to reflect on the music industry.
“There are so many hard working talented musicians who have small audiences, and yet there are talentless superstars who have ghost writers and producers behind them,” Arnxld said.
Having witnessed the music industry first hand, his idea of success revolves around the music rather than money.
“I think success for me would be able to perform at a festival but something that’s more closer for now would be putting out a project which I’m completely proud of. Material success being secondary,” Arnxld said.
After high school Arnxld plans on going to college, however not for music. Music is something that he would like to keep separate from his academics. Continuing to develop his sound and voice is something that is still in the works.
If you would like to check out Arnxld’s music and follow his musical journey check him out on Spotify!
The Plaid Press 