In celebration of Black History Month in the UK, we connected with five emerging Black British singers, rappers, producers and DJs making waves in the British music industry. From neo-soul, to jungle revamps, to Afrobeat fusions, here are five women who represent the breadth and depth of Black British sounds. 

Kay Young

Discovered by Jay Electronica, then promptly snapped up by Jay Z to Roc Nation, Kay Young represents a rejuvenation for the Black British music scene. Young, from Brockley, south-east London, is a true all-rounder as a producer, singer and rapper, which translates to her eclectic and charming sound. 

“It was so surreal. I thought it was all a prank!”

Discussing her journey to being signed to Roc Nation, “I did the 30-day beat challenge in 2018, and at the start of January 2021, Jay Electronica started following me, and I freaked out. It was so surreal. I thought it was a prank. My friends and I play tricks on each other all the time, so I thought it was one of them getting back at me. So a few weeks pass, and he's DM-ing me screenshots of conversations between him and Jay-Z chatting about my music. Next thing you know, I was being flown out to LA. The whole time I kept thinking: why me?”

On meeting Jay-Z at a brunch in 2020, Young said, “I must have thanked him about 20 times, and he just kept saying ‘Right, righ’, then at the end, I went in for a hug and patted him on the back.”

Young's music feels optimistic whilst maintaining its depth, mixing fresh and fun vocals with rhythmic instrumentals. Young equally describes her music as progressive, a bit of everything and actively incorporates different styles. With parents in the industry, music is a big part of her DNA, “my dad is a musician and my mum, a backing singer”. Hence, she’s been experimenting with beats and bops since the age of just 11, without the need of any formal training, “I snuck into the music block at my school and made my first beat on the computer without being shown how to use the music technology”. Young continues, saying, “music is quite intuitive to me. I can't read music, but I can play what I need to play. It comes naturally.”

“I've Got You”, taken from her latest EP, This Here Feels Good, demonstrates the rapper's charismatic and cheery personality, which underscores her otherwise perceptive and wise lyricism. 

In terms of what's next for Young, the artist expresses, "I want to do soundtracks, movie scores, music for animation and just keep progressing and moving forward." We are just seeing the beginning of her musical career, and so we are eager to see what she has in store for us in the future. You can catch her at the Colour Factory in London on 17th November.

Must-listens: “Giving Thanks”, “I've Got You'', “White Teeth”

Where to find their music: Kay Young on Spotify, YouTube 

For fans of: Little Simz, ENNY, The Internet 

Follow:  @KayYoungMusic on Instagram and Twitter 

Sheba Q

Sheba Q (Margaret Rwegasira) is a DJ and Producer from London. Her music is a breath of fresh air for the Jungle scene. She recently collaborated with producer No Nation (https://ra.co/dj/nonation) for a two-track intergalactic Jungle EP, GSTEP021, that manages to infuse Afro-futuristic melodies with classic Jungle beats seamlessly. Alongside production partner No Nation, "Period 3C" maintains its Jungle heritage in a salute to the rave and sound system culture of the 1990s. However, Sheba Q's artistry is not limited to the decks as her dulcet vocal tones add an ethereal dimension to the energetic soundtrack in "God is a Woman - CoCo Bryce Remix". You can catch her doing her magic on the decks at the London Boiler Room Festival on 15th October. 

Must-listens: “Seasonal Grief”, “God is a Woman - CoCo Bryce Remix”

Where to find their music: Sheba Q on Spotify, shebaQ on Soundcloud

For fans of: Old-Skool Jungle with a new wave twist 

Follow: @Iamshebaq on Instagram, Twitter

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George Riley 

From Shepherd's Bush, West London, George Riley is a singer who successfully combines electronica, soul and jazz for an enjoyable and alluring listening experience. Riley is not afraid to venture into uncharted territories, demonstrated by her latest album release, interest rates, a tape. In "Power", Riley's smooth and soulful vocals interpolate the drum and bass sonics. Later, "No certainty" maintains her urbane tones with its traditionally R'n'B instrumental, which then pleasantly transitions into a Jazz accompaniment with the addition of the piano and sax. Riley effortlessly combines the old with the new, forming her unique sound.

Must-listens: “You Could Be”, “No certainty”

Where to find their music: George Riley on Spotify, YouTube 

For fans of: Joviale, F.K.A. Twigs, Aluna George

Follow: @george__riley on Instagram, Twitter

ginius 

“I could have made a one-genre tape, but I wanted people to know I have variation”

Georgina Baker, known under the stage name ginius, is another all-rounder - a producer and singer-songwriter who possesses the instrumental range to match, having the drums, keys, and guitar under her belt. ginius was born in Ghana before coming to London at age 11. ginius has been producing since 2012 and got into singing after her friends encouraged her. Before that, she cites her inspiration for making music as her uncle, who formed part of a djembe drum band back in Ghana. 

She tells us, “Growing up, I was always the kid dancing and entertaining people at Christmas. So I have always had confidence and love performing.” 

ginius is the sound of Afro-Fusion with her innovative approach. Responding to the tendency to compartmentalise music into neat, distinct genres, Genius declares: "I could have made a one-genre tape, but I wanted people to know I have variation. I want to make everything". ginius forms part of a different trajectory for the Afrobeat genre, paying homage to its roots with traditional rhythmic instrumentals whilst infusing elements of the soulful R'n'B sound more familiar in the diaspora. Showcasing her range in her latest project, EP How it Feels, Baker's Afro-soul vocals complement the melodic tempos of the backing track in "Alone". On the other hand, "Early in the Morning" feels more like an alté track that combines sensual Tiwa Savage-esque hooks with the contemplative and semi-spoken lyricism of UK Rap, demonstrating her self-professed "Afro-blend" style. "Afrobeats is the fundamental of it and where I draw a lot of my inspiration, but there's also afro-swing and amapiano." "Early in the Morning" also drew some of its inspiration from the artist H.E.R, who ginius is a big fan of: "H.E.R. is who I wanna be, she does it all."

Referring to her upcoming genre-defying creations, ginius comments, “In the future, I want to do more highlife, my granddad was a big fan of musicians like Paapa Yankson, so I would be interested in exploring more of that side.” For now, she is looking forward to collaborating with various European artists and exploring her musical range further, so watch this space.

Must-listens: “Kit Kat”, “One of a Kind”, “Full Moon” 

Where to find their music: ginius on Spotify, YouTube 

For fans of: Tems, Moliy, Wavy The Creator

Follow: @official_ginius on Instagram, Twitter

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John Glacier 

John Glacier is a rapper and producer from East London. Her debut project SHILOH demonstrates her wide-ranging and genre-busting abilities. She keeps her output short and sweet. Coming in at 25 minutes, the release leaves listeners hungry for more. Glacier's sound is refreshing in being a unique blend of matter-of-fact, poetic lyricism with electronic melodies. The vibe is a novel parallel to Santigold's electronica with a mix of the Streets' musing lyrics. As we see in "If Anything", Glacier's frank and grounded voice mellows the otherwise nebulous, lo-fi composition.

 Glacier's music offers an intimate glimpse into her inner monologue: “fish in this sea, I'm strange to this land”, she remarks in “Platoon”.

Indeed, Glacier is quite the enigma as the dreamy, otherworldly atmosphere of SHILOH suggests, and we hope she graces us with another insight into her world soon.  

Must-listens: “Trelawny Waters”, “If Anything”, “Boozy”

Where to find their music: John Glacier on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud

For fans of: Santigold, Princess Nokia, Cities Aviv

Follow: @johnglacier on Instagram, Twitter