Jordan Adetunji has taken over social media with his genre-bending and experimental music that takes cues from hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeats. He’s the face of this month’s SoundCloud Ascending series that puts a spotlight on musicians who defy boundaries and are making a splash in the music industry. With his distinctive style and a commitment to continuously push the envelope, Adetunji is our artist to watch and be captivated by.
Adetunji was born in Croydon, London, and spent the first ten years of his life there. When his mother realized that she loved how quiet East Belfast in Northern Ireland seemed, she packed up and moved the family there,immediately introducing Adetunji to a special music scene unlike he’d gotten the chance to experience before.
While immersing himself in the different bits and pieces of East Belfast’s music scene, Adetunji began dipping his toes into the musical world. At first, it wasn’t with his voice — his mother suggested to everyone in his household that they all try out an instrument. Once he picked up a trumpet, Adetunji’s journey as an artist began.
When he turned 15, Adetunji decided to start posting rap videos online. Perhaps “rap” isn’t the right word;his early music featured elements of multiple other genres packaged in one. His early love of experimentation found him an early fanbase on social media that strengthened over time, thanks to genre-warping releases like “Insecure (Love Yourself)” and “LIAR.” It was impossible to box him in — and Adetunji tells us one of the main traits that makes him who he is. “I’m always onto the new, new thing,” he says.
“I’m creating a new vibe for my music. I don’t ever want to be boxed into this or that place. People are going on a journey with me.”
Though Adetunji’s fanbase continuously grew larger in recent years, the world became hooked on his rolodex of sounds with “KEHLANI” — a shining ode to the singer of the same name with a sensual, slippery sound that’s perfect for the dance floor. As Adetunji croons about a woman who’s “bad” like Kehlani is, he slides all over a spacy instrumental that feels at the intersection of hip-hop and Afrobeats. About its creation, Adetunji tells us that he knew it would take off while he was making it.
“The moment when I knew I had a hit with ‘KEHLANI,’ I think the first ten seconds of the hook, as soon as I wrote that, I remember saying to my brother that if this doesn’t blow, they’re hating. I just knew that every line was a bar...”
Adetunji hasn’t stopped with “KEHLANI” though. His latest release is “Options” with Lil Baby, a song in the same stylistic universe as “KEHLANI” that’s more about an intense infatuation with a woman, instead of attempting to woo her. Adetunji returns to his adventurous bag here, dipping and diving into a more melodic style of rap that compliments a knockout feature from Lil Baby, who matches his energy.
Adetunji’s career so far has been all about trying new sounds, watching them stick and exploring again. We’re excited to see Adetunji continue to grow better, wilder and (welcomely) weirder.
LISTEN TO ‘OPTIONS’ BY JORDAN ADETUNJI ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
LISTEN TO JORDAN ADETUNJI’S SOUNDCLOUD SELECTS NOW
CREDITS: Content: Sata Studios, Design: No Void Studios
.png)
.png)
