Dax, a Nigerian-Canadian poet and rapper, calls from a phone number with a Wichita, Kansas, area code to speak with The Tennessean about his outsider-to-insider rise in country music's mainstream.

Dax’s latest single, “A Real Man,” is making waves, currently trending at #30 on YouTube after peaking at #17 just two days ago. The song’s popularity extends to Instagram, where it has been featured ...