Born and raised in Camden, North London, Bakar channels the U.K. indie sound from the 2000s with stylistic nods to Bloc Party, Jamie T, and Foals.

Although he was initially interested in rap, he discovered indie while at boarding school in Surrey, where a friend’s older brother would burn them CDs. Eventually, Bakar began creating his own music, releasing it anonymously online. His initial tracks began to get noticed, persuading him to come forward with the single “Big Dreams,” revealing his identity in the process. Bakar followed with a few more singles, leading into his 2018 mixtape BADKID, which also featured beat-driven interludes and light rapping.