i’m roo(t)ing for you
Semilla Cafe + Studio
Hartford
May 25, 2026
Three days of rain broke early Monday evening, salvaging the last few hours of the Memorial Day weekend. The air was warmed by the setting sun. I considered walking to work, but I decided against it. I had to make sure I was on time to say goodbye to someone I had never met before.
When I reached Semilla Cafe + Studio, a coffee shop at the mouth of the North End, the man of the hour had already turned the space into a stage. A few dozen other people had come to hear Thorne Malik. perform, and wish him well as he prepares to leave Hartford to go to the Big City, aka New York.
The evening sun made the shadows long and the room dark, setting the mood for Thorne Malik.’s cool blend of hip-hop and R&B. He flowed effortlessly between the two styles, demonstrating a mastery of both rapping and singing. I was impressed.
I was a little disappointed too. This was my first time hearing Malik. perform, and it had to be at his going away party. He said that he was going to NYC to work on his new project, Dancing in the Living Room. But he let us know that he would return someday, through the lyrics of his song:
The paper weights we hold it down
What goes around should come around
When I make my way back to Connecticut
Don’t act you don’t know me please
That made me happy to hear. NYC is often the end goal for artists in our region, but it’s refreshing to hear that a talented Hartfordite is going to return someday.
I’m sure that the fans and friends that were gathered there are happy to know that he’ll be back. I don’t usually comment on the crowds at events, but I don’t think I’ve seen a more diverse group of people in one room before. I think that speaks both to the quality of Malik.’s music, but also his qualities as a man whose message reaches so many different people.
That message is that no matter how we may feel, even through depression, anxiety and other challenges, we are not alone. It’s what Dancing in the Living Room means. Malik. told me that he was a bedroom rapper, keeping his thoughts and music to himself. Eventually he gained the courage to move out into his living room, in the literal and spiritual sense. Entering the common space of the living room in his home was him taking the step to share his passion with his family.
Semilla was the perfect place to celebrate his new journey. It was my first time in the Semilla Cafe, and I absolutely love the look and feel. The rug and the sofa made me feel like I was at home in my living room, so it seemed fitting for Malik.’s concert. The James Baldwin throw pillow tucked into the corner was my favorite item in the cafe.
From his living room, to Semilla’s, to New York. Thorne Malik. is on his way, so I say goodbye and good luck, but thankfully not farewell.
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