It’s not often that you’d expect to find the bass-heavy sounds of urban London and the rhythmic beats of Nigeria sitting together on a track, but if there is one MC who’s not shying away from doing exactly that, then look no further than Afrikan Boy.
Born Olushola Ajose in southeast London to Nigerian parents, it’s not hard to spot the impact his Nigerian heritage and British upbringing have had. Fusing together his passion for grime, rap and afrobeat with a love for a good hook, Afrikan Boy is steadily carving out his own niche in the MC circle. With a self assured style - custom ankara threads and the obligatory pair of trendy kicks are staple part of his wardrobe - his lyrics are as dynamic as his musical tastes, citing everyone from Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade to 2Pac, Kano and Dizzee Rascal as influences.
Already championed by the likes of DJ Semtex (BBC Radio 1/ 1Xtra), The Guardian, Wonderland, The Fader, Fact Magazine and listed as one of MTV’s ‘Hot Afrobeats Acts for 2012’, Afrikan Boy is a firm favourite among industry heavyweights. It was the grime infused ‘One Day I Went To Lidl’, a humorous ode to the discount supermarket, that caught the ear of underground fans and fellow British rapper and Grammy Award nominee, M.I.A, that soon led to guest appearances on the ‘Paper Planes’ remix and ‘Hussel’ on her ‘Kala’ album as well as a stint on both the ‘Kala’ and ‘People vs. Money’ world tours. A collaboration with US hip hop veteran DJ Shadow on ‘I’m Excited’ once again created the chance for Afrikan Boy to push his experimental boundaries, a feat that didn’t go unnoticed by BBC Radio 1 aficionado, Zane Lowe who crowned it ‘Hottest Record In The World’ on 7th July 2011.