Raheem Bakaré

Today we present you the debut EP of rising vocalist Raheem Bakaré. Titled AWOL, the eight-track project offers a diverse palette of alternative R&B sounds filled with tales of romance and flirtatious lyricism, chronicling an episode of the artist's life where he felt absent from the world; distracted by love, creativity and ultimately, music. Or to put it in Bakaré's own words:

“It stems from R&B and neo-soul, but goes off into influences from electronic music, indie and, even, hip-hop through Kanye West’s ‘808s & Heartbreak’ vibe.”
Born in East, raised in South London, Raheem is a Londoner through and through. Mixing with the likes of Bluey Robinson at school, music has been a part of his life since an early age; allowing his confidence to continuously expand his musical repertoire, which finds its current highlight with the release of his debut EP that you can stream above and download here. - Hypetrak

Raheem Bakaré seems to understand that music is nothing without visuals.

From the start, the London based R&B artist has introduced lavish imagery into his output, with live performances peppered with a real sense of charisma.

New cut 'Portrait Of Love' has already gained support from high profile DJs, with Raheem himself stepping in to shoot the accompanying visuals.

Inspired by everyday life in London, the singer introduces a "dark cupid" trying to capture his perfect "portrait of love". There's a beautifully dark element to the clip, a sense of dangerous glamour with an unexpected twist at the end...

Watch it now. - CLASH

Another day, another stellar talent from London emerges. This time around we’re getting to know Raheem Bakaré through his debut release AWOL. The young R&B crooner from across the pond is coming strong from the door and flirtatiously singing about getting lost in love. From his “Wake Up Call” about how much life has changed since he began chasing his dreams down to the Drake-esque “Purple Sky” and the project’s lead single “Portrait Of Love,” Bakaré proves over and over again that he has perfected his own formula and it deserves to be heard. The brightest star out of this six-track batch comes along when he whips out a soulful slow jam entitled “Carried Away.” “I’ll never be ashamed of who I am, of what I did to get me here,” he sings over a music bed that almost plays as a smoother and muted version of Jay Z’s 2006 hit “Show Me What You Got.” Join the party and let Raheem Bakaré carry you away with AWOL, which is available for streaming and free downloading on SoundCloud now. - Soul Bounce

Soulful singer Raheem Bakare has finally dropped the long awaited visuals to accompany his powerful single ‘Portrait of Love’. The South London native has kept his growing army of fans in suspense following the release of his EP ‘AWOL’ earlier this year…

The abstract video for ‘Portrait Of Love’ sees Bakare assume the role of cupid in the clip which explores the many different forms of love across a series of different scenarios, perfectly supplementing the haunting backing track. The self-directed clip showcases Raheem’s supreme talents both in and outside of the music realm, all whilst taking viewers on a journey of love and emotion with a surprise twist at the end.

Intrigued? Watch for yourself below.


Read more at http://www.mtv.co.uk/the-wrap-up/blog/raheem-bakare-drops-the-video-for-portrait-of-love#3VI5BLVtiTMxtHkW.99 - MTV UK