Interview: bLAck pARty Talks DJ Culture, Heartache, & the Healing Power of Music

bLAck pARty’s Malik Flint emphasizes the important role DJs hold in music, by creating a groovy record just in time for summer.

Stream: “Sober” – bLAck pARty

It’s something special about music, it can soothe the soul when you’re lonely, sad, or happy. It has a certain effect on your mood; it’s something that’s always there, even when people aren’t.

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**bLAck pARty isn’t afraid of change – he welcomes it with open arms as he continues to bend genres with his latest release, The Last Dance.**

Experimenting in music isn’t a new concept for him, as he previously has blended funk, R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop, and a variety of other genres.

When it comes to music, bLAck pARty, also known as Malik Flint, is a jack of all trades. For the multi-talented musician, immersing himself in song comes easily, it’s what he knows best. With experience in songwriting, producing, and DJing, he draws from his musical past for inspiration. The album is DJ-driven, highlighting a new perspective and danceability to his discography. Known for his chill, R&B sound, he felt driven to mix it up for listeners, and himself.

The Last Dance - bLAck pARty — The Last Dance – bLAck pARty

This newfound rhythmic appeal isn’t just available on your preferred streaming platform, it’s infectious, real, and coming to a stage near you. bLAck pARty has begun his “Late To The Party” tour, with his first stop at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Don’t let the tour’s title deceive you, though; he may be late to the party, but never to a show.

“I’m always late, except for the stage. I’m not late to the stage,” Flint tells Atwood Magazine.

His recent Lollapalooza set started off the tour strong, as he incorporated the album’s core characteristics live: DJs and dancing. DJ Icee, the co-executive producer of The Last Dance, shared the stage with Flint as they performed songs from the new album. The two grew close during their time working together, as DJ Icee continued to let the audience know: “That’s my brother.”

At Lollapalooza, we had the chance to speak to bLAck pARty about the festival, The Last Dance, and how music has shaped him as a person.

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:: stream/purchase The Last Dance here ::

:: connect with bLAck pARty here ::

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bLAck pARty © Ehud Lazin, Lollapalooza 2025

A CONVERSATION WITH bLAck pARty

Atwood Magazine: How’s your weekend going so far?

bLAck pARty: It’s going good. I think this festival is cool. I’ve always wanted to go here, so it’s like, for this to be my first time being able to go to the festival and it being my first time playing is pretty cool.

Are you here for the whole weekend?

bLAck pARty: No, I’m still on tour so I have to continue onto the next few dates.

Who are you excited to see today?

bLAck pARty: I’m not sure yet. I’m just excited to see anybody. I just love music so discovering anybody is cool. Like the band Silly Goose that played earlier, I’d never heard of them but seeing them live was super sick. I liked what they did, they were dope. To be the first set of the day, you kind of have to set the tone, which is like a tough job. So it’s like the fact that they did that to the max is dope. But that’s the cool thing about a festival like this, there’s a lot of acts, it’s more music based and not necessarily popularity based.

The Last Dance was made with the intention of providing more danceable jams to the R&B scene, specifically to be played by DJs. What is your connection to DJ culture, and why are fast-paced songs so important to you?

bLAck pARty: Honestly, before I was a full-fledged artist I was a DJ and toured as a DJ. I look at music from the eyes of a DJ, you have to use your brain differently when you’re DJing versus being an artist and making songs. I think it’s just me kind of circling back to where I started in a way. What made my music pop off as an artist was DJs playing the records in different clubs or different parties worldwide. So that’s what kind of made certain songs earlier on, really go far. It’s kind of like a nod to that culture and how important DJs are to music. People forget how important they are. They bridge the gap between the people that make the music and the people that hear the music.

Do you have a go-to song or vibe you look for when it comes to club music? What is your criteria when it comes to playing songs as a DJ and what were your favorite songs to play?

bLAck pARty: It depends on the vibe. “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac is a fun song to play because it’s vibey. I like playing a lot of dance hall music. Stuff to make people dance really, in whatever genre, just trying to find records that make people dance.

This whole album revolves around dancing, from the title The Last Dance, to the groovy beats within each track. What is your favorite dance move?

bLAck pARty: My favorite dance move of all time is the Harlem Shake. It just reminds me of my childhood, that’s really it.

How did you incorporate dancing into your Lollapalooza performance today?

bLAck pARty: I tried to dance a little bit, I try to encourage people to dance too. I just like going to a party and everybody feels free enough to just let loose, dance, and enjoy themselves. Even if you’re not good at dancing, if you hear dancing music in a space you should want to dance in some capacity. Ideally, I like to ease the tension so people feel okay if they want to dance a little bit, to dance, you know?

You released accompanying visualizers for each track on the album, with separate music videos for “Distant Lover” and “Hola Mami.” Why was it important to you to add this visual storytelling aspect?

bLAck pARty: I watch a lot of TV shows, and in the past I’ve done a lot of music for TV shows like Insecure, Higher Maintenance, Atlanta, just a bunch of different TV shows. I kind of wanted to bridge that world together. People have heard certain songs of mine from TV shows and that’s how they discover the music. So it’s kind of creating a world that the music exists in, where it feels like you’re a part of a show.

What are your favorite TV shows?

bLAck pARty: I love Californiacation, Atlanta, I’ve been watching Suits. I like The Sopranos, that’s a good show.

What song off the new album do you think would best fit in a TV show?

bLAck pARty: Probably “Sober” – it feels very movie-esque.

Was it intentional for the two singles off the album to be the only ones with music videos? What did the brainstorming process look like for each video and visualizer?

bLAck pARty: Yes, because I feel like music videos are kind of over, which is sad to say. They’re not over over, but it just feels like it’s over. I only did two music videos, one was supposed to feel like a dream sequence.

This album opens a new door in your discography, challenging the norms of R&B music. Do you feel that this project reveals a newfound side of yourself to your audience?

bLAck pARty: I think it shows versatility honestly, because I realized a lot of my music is very calm and chill, like more laid back. While that music works in certain instances, it doesn’t work in a club scenario. I think the audience will see that the world can kind of expand past just calm, vacation vibes.

Do you see yourself making music that explores other genres in the future?

bLAck pARty: For sure. I’ve made rap-rock and country songs before. Being a producer before being an artist, I just approach it as I’m just making songs. I don’t think about it from a genre perspective.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your time as a producer?

bLAck pARty: My time as a producer, it’s been dope. It’s funny, I actually wanted to focus more on being a producer originally. I guess basically, based on public demand, I kind of had to take being an artist more seriously. I enjoy being a producer, I did production for TV, like scoring and composing and producing for artists. It’s just fun helping somebody home in their special talents into a cool song. I feel like there’s more freedom in it.

The Last Dance is described as a sonic escape from a breakup. Do you find yourself using music as a coping mechanism?

bLAck pARty: Definitely, it’s the cheapest therapy you can ever get. It’s something special about music, it can soothe the soul when you’re lonely, sad, or happy. It has a certain effect on your mood; it’s something that’s always there, even when people aren’t.

What music do you listen to when you’re trying to cope?

bLAck pARty: A lot of Amy Winehouse, jazz, blues. I like Rihanna, it’s funny, Rihanna’s a good person to listen to when you’re sad. Rihanna and SZA, they make good music that makes you think: ‘Alright, maybe I could bounce back from this. Erykah Badu is a good person to listen to when you’re just moody.

Can you speak a little more about your choice to pair a breakup-based album with such rhythmic beats? How does this juxtaposition reflect the desire to escape through song, alongside the clubbing scene?

bLAck pARty: I think it kind of represents the guy’s perspective on breakups. A lot of the time if you’re sad after a breakup, there’s a friend dynamic where it’s like don’t be sad, we’re gonna go out, have a great time and enjoy ourselves. But the entire time, you’re still going to be a little bit sad regardless of whether you’re having a great time or not. I just like that juxtaposition of being in the club and sad, but it’s still a great time. Everything’s great going on, but you still have that underlying like melancholy sadness.

Your artist name highlights two fundamental places that have shaped you as a person, Los Angeles and Arkansas. What other people or places have made an impact on you? How have you carried these influences with you as you continue to evolve?

bLAck pARty: I feel like Houston and Memphis are two cities that played a huge influence on me. Brazil is another place, and Nigeria with Afrobeats. I just feel musically drawn to certain places and the music that they’ve introduced to the entire globe. New Orleans bounce, yeah a lot of cities, a lot of different artists.

Do you have any experiences that you think have shaped you in your career?

bLAck pARty: Definitely. I feel like traveling for sure, just being able to go to other cities that I’ve never experienced before and soaking in their culture. I remember the first time I went to Chicago, I went to a jazz bar, I think it’s called The Green Mill. I don’t have that back home so to experience a cool jazz bar, little experiences like that. My view of the world just gets wider with every experience. Little things like that just go a long way.

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What you surround yourself with impacts who you become.

Whether it’s the places he travels, the music he listens to, or the shows he watches, bLAck pARty has continued to carry his own myriad influences with him – and he will continue to do so as he creates. By opening himself to life’s experiences, bLAck pARty has flourished and grown thanks to his own versatility, with the latest example being The Last Dance, homage to club culture informed by his time as a DJ. This season of his life shaped his perspective on the true value DJs bring to music, and hopefully can provide a new lens for listeners as well.

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