Mali Music

Kortney Pollard, who records under the name Mali Music, stands out as a mercurial singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Savannah, Georgia. He crafts richly layered, emotionally immediate neo-soul and hip-hop tracks grounded in traditional gospel, recalling the approaches of Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo and Bilal. Although his first recordings appeared in the late 2000s, widespread attention came only in 2014 with the Grammy-nominated Mali Is.... His 2017 follow-up, The Transition of Mali, supplied several additional hits. After claiming a Grammy for the 2020 duet “Movin’ On” with Jonathan McReynolds, he issued God Be Praised in 2023, his sixth solo album.

Pollard entered the world on January 12, 1988, in Phoenix, Arizona. A multi-instrumentalist from age five, he lists Sam Cooke and Otis Redding among his key influences and released his debut album, the inspirational Coming, in 2008. The bold, narrative-driven 2econd Coming followed the next year to strong notices and landed him a contract with RCA. The label released the singles “Ready Aim” and “Beautiful” in 2013 ahead of Mali Is..., which arrived in early 2014. The set broke through commercially, climbing to number 16 on the Billboard 200 and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Although The Transition of Mali in 2017 posted softer numbers overall, it still registered on several charts and delivered popular cuts such as the Jhene Aiko duet “Contradiction” and “Loved by You” featuring Jazmine Sullivan. After leaving RCA for the Provident label, Mali Music delivered his fifth album, The Book of Mali, in August 2020. That same year he partnered with Jonathan McReynolds on “Movin’ On,” which won a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance/Song. The two artists reconvened in 2021 for the joint EP Jonny x Mali: Live in LA. Drawing on the preceding three years of personal experience, Mali Music returned to solo work with the introspective and characteristically eclectic God Be Praised in 2023.