Strandz hails from Croydon, but New York hip-hop of the 1990s and 2000s has been more influential to his sound than anything out of the UK at the moment. To that end, Strandz stands apart from many of his peers—something he takes pride in. The influence is clear in “Us Against the World” and its remix, which evoke memories of the rugged melodies that propelled 50 Cent to the top of the charts two decades ago. “Us Against the World” has over three million plays on SoundCloud to date, which is a major win for the South London rapper who began his career by uploading music to the platform.
Now, Strandz is part of the SoundCloud Ascending program, which highlights emerging artists around the world on a monthly basis. Although Strandz’s music draws heavily from the vintage hip-hop sound he and producer Blueboy have a deep affinity for, his sound is also inspired by his upbringing. Strandz was born in Germany, then moved to Nigeria before settling in London. He cites the contrasting lifestyles that he witnessed living in Nigeria as having a profound not only his sound, but his approach to his music as well.
Strandz believes music gave his life purpose and points to his passion for it as something that kept him on the straight and narrow, steering him toward his goals. He began got his start in music as a teenager after downloading music software and getting to work on the best microphone he could find. This DIY approach was the only realistic path forward due to his lack of resources and connections.
SoundCloud played a pivotal role in Strandz’s rise by allowing him to easily share his music and develop a following without knowing the right people or having anyone funding his dreams.
“My first song that I released was on SoundCloud…I it just helped me, being the first platform that really made me feel like an artist.”
As someone whose career can be traced back to early SoundCloud uploads and who has thrived on the platform in the years since, Strandz views his participation in the SoundCloud Ascending as a fitting part of his journey.
Check out more of Strandz’s music here and listen to our playlist featuring other rising UK artists.
LISTEN TO STRANDZ
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