A figurehead of the Afrobeats/Afrowaves sound sweeping the UK, London artist Afro B is acutely aware of the fascination behind his genre, a unique combination of dancehall and hip-hop, with further influences taken from reggae and R&B. Releasing his new track ‘Pull Up’, the production serves as an aural embodiment for a movement led by the man himself.
Afro B’s clever lyrics lace the percussive release, with ‘Pull Up’ acting as a fusion between various genres, entwining flows from old-school RnB songs to create a melodic masterpiece. Afrobeats, the pan-African umbrella of styles that has been responsible for the most exciting pop music in the world for most of this decade, is expanding and evolving. And Afro B, the genre’s key trendsetter has already caught the eye – and ear – with his 21-track ‘MOVES’ documentation, a profile of the Afrobeats genre, released in May.
Starting his musical journey with a residency at a Jamaican club called NW10, the Londoner has since moved into producing, highlighting his talents as one of the industry’s most exciting curators around. Afro B has enjoyed a meteoric rise, channeling Ghanaian, Congolese, and even French – on account of his Ivorian heritage – as influences. The South Londoner, heavily supported by the likes of Westwood, MistaJam, and Toddla T, also hosts his own monthly show on London’s Radar Radio, and has become one of the scene’s most respected vocalists.
“With Afrobeats, an artist can be sing rapping about the rawest topic but you can’t help but to move your feet because of the vibe of the song,” adds Afro B. Fresh off the back of latest single ‘Juice & Power (feat Yxng Bane)’ and recent high profile work with Emeli Sandé, 67, Geko, and Tion Wayne, ‘Pull Up’ is due for release on 8th October on Marathon.
