Tkay Maidza at Aisle 5

CL Critic Joshua Robinson Recommends: Apart from Iggy Azalea and The Kid LAROI, you’d be hard-pressed to name a globally known rapper from Australia, let alone a Black one, but the sensational Zimbabwean-born Tkay Maidza is quickly shaping up to be one of the most important acts to come out from the land down under. From 2018 to 2021, Tkay Maidza pumped out her creative Last Year Was Weird project series, with her output strong enough to land her an opening spot for the Atlanta, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. stops on Billie Eillish’s Happier Than Ever World Tour last month. This exciting rising artist is set to return to the A for her headlining Last Year Was Weird Tour. Be sure to see her in the intimate confines of a small club while you still can when she plays at Aisle 5. — JR