Electric Dreams: Dark Prince Fendi Blends Pop Ideology With Rap

“I’m in this shit for me alone. Everybody’s trying to copy me but I’m flexing on them.” So begins Dark Prince Fendi’s seven-month-old Soundcloud track “Gang Shit.” The artist is well aware that he has a lot to offer, and is proud to show it off. Over vigorous, rolling beats he raps about underachieving, and cowardly posers that are not worthy of attention, declaring: “I have what it takes.”

“I like sticking to the basics so the message isn’t lost in some avant-garde attempt.”

Jón Múli is the 21-year-old producer behind Dark Prince Fendi. He has made music under a range of influences like techno, house, and rap. “I just really like performing and making music that’s entertaining and you can dance to,” he told me. This past year, Jón Múli has been performing live at bars and DIY concert venues in Reykjavík with Geisha Gartel, a rap group formed by him and his friends who make music. “Being a solo artist is different as I have to be a songwriter, producer, engineer and performer all at once.”

Of Dark Prince Fendi, Jón Múli says: “The lyrics deal more with human emotion rather than the conspicuous consumption and narcissism found in Geisha Cartel’s songs, and my past solo releases.” Here his focus is on conveying his energy and joy to an audience through music in the style of contemporary rap blended with themes found in pop music. “I like sticking to the basics,” he says, “so the message isn’t lost in some avant-garde attempt.”

So if you’re interested in a confident, critical and alternative approach to rap which, interestingly, promises that it’s not, stay tuned: Dark Prince Fendi’s debut album is in the works.