Afropunk Fest London 2016: Five To See

SZA

Alt-R&B maven SZA makes her way across the pond for her first London performance. Some will know Solána Rowe from her Rihanna collaboration on this year’s ANTi, while many will also be familiar with her work via her previous EPs. Not many people know that she did work on Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj’s monster of an anthem “Feeling Myself”. All we can say is that these efforts only serve to titillate us ahead of this singer-songwriter’s debut studio release. This New Jersey native has been one to watch for a while and this momentum hasn’t slowed down.

HO99O9

We could suggest scouring YouTube so you could get a glimpse of what you have in store with this Newark-to-LA duo, but no video can capture what you’d feel catching these two storm the stage. TheOGM and Eaddy will undoubtedly put chills down your spine (while also threatening its structural integrity) with their experimental punk rap. This is one that’ll leave you sweaty, but in a good way.

GoldLink

GoldLink has been often been described as one of those rappers for people that don’t like rap. Heralding the sound of “Future Bounce” the D.C. rapper – like artists such as Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak – crosses beyond what we see from traditional Hip-Hop/R&B performers, creating a richer sound that often makes us wonder what we just listened to and how we can get more of it. We should expect nothing less from someone who found mentorship in Rick Rubin. Coming up from under the wing of such an icon was undoubtedly bound to yield extraordinary results and we heard these in the form of GoldLink’s debut release And After That, We Didn’t Talk. He has a way of giving listeners what they want before they know that they want it, so we can only imagine what he’ll be able to deliver on the Afropunk stage.

Lady Leshurr

Lady Leshurr has been proving her lyrical dexterity for some time, but it’s her Queen Speech series that has really turned heads in her direction. It’s well-deserved for the Birmingham rapper, who’s been putting in work for British Rap long before she became a YouTube sensation. Nonetheless, she has won over many hearts and ears with her fast flow and tongue-in-cheek raps. With her debut album on the way, we can look forward to her proving herself to an even wider audience, while showing us a good time in the process.

Word Sound Power feat. Akala

It’s easy to get lost in the image of Afropunk – the people, the style, even the music – and forget about the message. However, with this showcase, there’s no way of ignoring what we ought to be recognising and/or celebrating. The Word Sound Power soundclash will feature Don Letts, Dreadzone and Akala, plus other artists that will celebrate and highlight 40 years of Black British music. While this set as a whole is something to look forward to, Akala – the academic and lyrical wizard – is not to be missed.

Afropunk Fest London takes place at Alexandra Palace in London on 24 September. Tickets are available from the festival website.