Ace Poetik is a hip hop lyricist and writer from Louisville, Kentucky whose star has been slowly rising in recent years. With his poetic lyrics and spoken word-style flow, he’s living up to his name, especially with his newest single, the heart wrenching yet hopeful documentation of trauma and recovery, ‘Tears of a Melody’.
Ace Poetik came from musical roots, with his mother being a talented singer and his grandfather and concert and church pianist, but the Poetik excelled at writing first. He won multiple rewards for his verse and became published at the young age of ten. He always knew, however, that music was his passion. It seemed only natural that his gift as a poet could merge with hip hop.
Poetik released his first album, Deeper Than Most, in 2019 and it quickly gained traction for its unique verse format and unblinkingly emotional content. The album did well, but his next single, ‘Lost Souls’, really found its stride with over 150,000 streams on Spotify thus far. One could see this as a seminal single for Poetik, but his defining moment in both music and life was yet to come.
After a few more single releases and surviving COVID, in 2023 Ace Poetik was involved in a near-fatal car accident, which changed his perspective on life. Deeper Than Most might have been premature for a title, because to hear Poetik talk about it, his new verse became even deeper than most of the others. Crafting ‘Tears of a Melody’, for Poetik, wasn’t just about describing his trauma.
This song came from a car accident that almost took my life. The wreck was a huge eye opener for me. So yes the song is sad but there’s also motivation in its recipe. A reminder that tomorrow is promised to no one, and if you have a dream u should let nothing stop you from turning that dream into reality. It’s your dream for a reason. Only you can make it true.
Released on the one-year anniversary of the accident on 4th July, the verse of ‘Tears of a Melody’ is a narrative style a’la Warren G and Nate Dogg, and Poetik takes the listener along on the story in a way that’s completely immersive. His poetic ability is really on show here, and the depth of the point simply can’t be lost in Poetik’s poignant words. A way to purge the trauma for him, but also a wake-up call for both himself and his listeners, Poetik is likely to be even more serious with his rap career, starting with putting this chapter in the past.
One gets the sense in listening to Ace Poetik that the substance is just as important as style in his musical work. A true poet, now that Poetik has his vision and drive, the hip hop world can expect to see more and more beautifully written flows from the Kentucky native.
‘Tears of a Melody’ is out now and can be streamed on Spotify. Check out his other video, a tribute to Nipsey Hussle, on the Ace Poetik YouTube channel.