Graham Bright Discovers a Fresh Level of Introspection

His project, an album in my darkness, is out now.

Photography by Sharmeen Chaudhary 

There’s a quiet confidence about Graham Bright, the Maryland native whose sound blends rap and introspective storytelling into something undeniably his own. As he joins our call, he’s relaxed yet purposeful, a trait that carries through in his music. His latest single, “Who Else,” is a moody yet infectious track that offers a glimpse into his newest record, an album in my darkness—a body of work he describes as his most personal yet.

“I like to think of myself as a little bit of a mad scientist, where I just like mixing things together and seeing how innovative I can get with it.” That sentiment radiates through the rest of our conversation as we discuss his journey so far, his creative process, and his expectations for the future. 

Bright recalls his early inspirations making music: “I just always loved music. It has always been a huge part of my life, but not directly in the driver’s seat; it was more of a passenger in the car, and soccer was the main driver. I wanted to be a professional soccer player.”

The first-generation Liberian-American rapper and producer divulges on growing up on Afrobeats, R&B, pop, folk music, and singing duets with his sister, all of which he credits as his stimuli. So when an injury in 2014 had him benched and with plenty of time on his hands, Bright took to writing raps—a craft he stuck to, opting out of going to college to pursue music full time. “I believe that God always has a plan, and he used soccer to teach me a lot of lessons that I didn’t know I’d need in music.” 

And now, with his most recent release, Bright is putting those lessons to work. “Who Else” acts as a journal to a particular time in his life. “The whole process was really cathartic—I was at a point where I felt really overwhelmed, and I needed to put something somewhere,” Bright says. “And in a place of desperation, I just made that song,” he says. “It’s a song of me being completely honest about my flaws and strengths.”

The track came together spontaneously during a late-night session—one that he admits was divine timing. A moment of abundant creative flow, propelled by staples like a prayer, a glass of warm water, and seemingly a slice of pizza, saw him sum up the song from the hook and harmonies to the outro and everything in between.

Bright’s recent project, an album in my darkness announced by “Who Else,” sonically falls under alternative rap and gives the entire story through a gospel-like lens —with him describing it as a way through which he reached new levels of introspection. It’s a reflection of his journey not just as an artist but as a person navigating the complexities of life, namely spirituality, love, work, and hardships.

Photography by Sharmeen Chaudhary 

“This record is me really coming out as a more formed version of myself. I felt like there was all this love around me, and I was under the impression that it was unconditional, but even the most unconditional love on earth is conditional to a certain point; you can exhaust it,” Bright says. “However, the one love that I discovered I wouldn’t be able to exhaust at any point in time was God’s.”

an album in my darkness both merits and calls to be listened to fully and in order as one cohesive, cathartic piece. Consisting of seven tracks, three of which were released last year in its lead up, Bright explains, “‘One Last High’ sort of ties to the whole theme of the project which is a journey being ushered out of the dark, there’s like no positive spin at all. It’s all just pure desperation, and like that’s how I felt as soon as I was in that [dark] season, hence why it’s the first one on there.”

The album’s other tracks keep up with trend on its overarching motif of self-analysis with emphatic lyrics such as “like an open heart surgeon, trade scars for a stronger person” off “13 Reasons”—where Bright addresses working on himself and ‘doing the dirty work that was long overdue’ with God. It serves as the transition to the inspiration for “Who Else.” 

For his part, Bright expounds further on several other singles. “‘Wrestling with God’ is inspired by Jacob's story from the Bible [Genesis 32] and is mainly about going back to Jesus. And I also love having ‘Can't Keep U in My Bed’ towards the end because it’s a lot brighter. It’s like a peace, his peace, and it’s like a love song. It’s me basically being in the dark and then just feeling a hand being ushered through the darkness, and I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you know, the end of the project.”

Beyond the album, Bright is already thinking ahead. More music, more visuals—teasing that he has already begun conceptualizing sonic around his next project, and of course potential collaborations, which he explains are chosen with intention.

“I have a really big list, and it’s comprised of artists that are currently at the top and artists that I think are going to be at the top tomorrow,” he says. “But at the end of the day, I think I want to work with artists whose voice I can use as an instrument, for instance, how Kendrick Lamar on certain projects used Kodak Black as an instrument or on ‘Loyalty’ with Rihanna. Yeah, mainly just artists who are innovators and who inspire and challenge me to keep creating.” 

Photography by Sharmeen Chaudhary 

In the contemporary world, when the music industry is saturated with talent, Bright isn’t vexed about fitting in or standing out as an artist. His artistry, he hopes, gives him an edge. His approach to songwriting is rooted in authenticity, an element he finds makes him relatable and connects him to his listeners.

“Everyone has a story to tell, they’ve their own fingerprint. You know, the music they grew up on. And as humans, we’re more similar than different,” Bright says. “I view and use it like it’s a high, where I get the feeling of ‘am I as good as I think I am?’ And that makes me so happy because I’m like, ‘the ceiling just got a little bit higher.’ There’s a reason to keep going. There’s more to live for!”

As our conversation winds down, it’s evident that Graham Bright is an artist to watch. He’s just not making music—crafting a narrative, a space where confidence and vulnerability coexist. “I just hope they’re ready for change. [I hope] that this is a soundtrack that people can grow to like. I wish that I had had guidance when I was going through this season of my life, and I just hope that this can be a soundtrack for many others to shed skin to, one where they look back at a time and be like, ‘yeah! I triumphed. That would be really cool.”

As “Who Else” sets the tone and ‘an album in my darkness’ shapes up to be his most defining work yet, it’s clear that Bright isn’t just stepping into the spotlight – he’s owning it!