YNaija’s Next Rated is always looking for new and under-the radar music talents. And coming off from last month’s roundup wherein we interviewed emerging artistes like Merry-Lynn, Brum3h, Jarell Ebuka and Phaemous, we are rounding up on the artiste interviews we had in April.
Dara Blaxx
Born in Lagos, soul/RnB singer Dara Blaxx moved to the UK at 11-years-old and with musical influences that include Asa, Jill Scott and Nina Simone. ”I Put A Spell on You and Feeling Good were the first songs I’d heard scatting on and I was enamored. That’s when neosoul and soul was injected into my life.” she says.
With sonic beginnings on SoundCloud, Dara Blaxx’s debut EP Arrhythmia was released in March and captures the fallout of her platonic and romantic relationships, elevated by frank songwriting and firm vocals. Read our interview with her here.
Jess ETA
Based in Abuja, 22-year-old singer-producer Jess ETA has been independently making music since 2017. His 2018 album Aphrodite is an impressive artistic effort shuffling between alternative RnB, Afrobeats, pop, and also with a seamless production. His 2020 EP Balance carves more into digestible, resonating Afrobeats.
”I think the thing I really want to accomplish is a life where I can sit down in my 70s or 80s and know that I really touched a lot of lives with my music and I really gave people a reason to experience life and ponder over the years, ”Jess ETA says, ”Yeah, I wanna retire in my old age and know that I gave it my all.”
Read our interview with Jess ETA here.
Tochi Bedford
21-year-old Tochi Bedford launched his music career as a beatmaker, evolving from listening to EDM from Flume and RL Grime growing up. Foraying into rap in 2017, his debut project Eternal Mob ranges from the kinetic burst of trap and the trippiness of emo.
Tochi Bedford also leads a producer collective called 44DB, a community of young, versatile producers uplifting each other in a music world that often skews the spotlight towards artistes. ”It’s really just a bunch of friends making music and growing together.” Tochi says.
Discover Tochi Bedford here.
Remy Baggins
Singer-songwriter-producer Remy Baggins is arguably an unsung talent in the music scene, with a discography that dates back to 2016 with his debut mixtape VIV. His subsequent projects would look towards anime as an inspiration for their titles – Eigengrau, Hentai, Sakura and Amaterasu – and showing incredible sonic shifts with them.
”I produce too and it depends on my mood and what emotions I’m trying to convey. If I’m making a sexy song, R&B is the way to go. If I’m trying to tell a story, rap/trap works best, etc.” Remy reveals.
Discover the world of Remy Baggins here.
When Bernard Dayo isn’t writing about pop culture, he’s watching horror movies and reading comics and trying to pretend his addiction to Netflix isn’t a serious condition.
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