Rapper Brandon Nembhard Needs To Get Again To Having Enjoyable

With a dire economic system and a information agenda the place hatred tended to be the one factor trending, final 12 months was draining for thus many Brits. Thankfully, the UK music scene stays able to offering escapism, so we’ve compiled an inventory of our favorite rising musicians for 2025 who all have the longer term within the palms of their palms and would possibly simply find yourself soundtracking the 12 months forward. From uncooked raps that elevate single mums to stadium-sized soul ballads about therapeutic damaged hearts, every of those promising artists is somebody properly value getting accustomed to.

“Came from a place where if they can’t iron it out, they put it on a T-shirt,” raps the South London-born, Jamaica-raised wavy road poet Brandon Nembhard, 26, on Keeper. It’s a telling lyric that displays being raised in a group the place younger Black boys can simply lose their lives attributable to knife violence, ending up with their faces on ‘RIP’ T-shirts. When listening to Nembhard you get the sense that he’s somebody who’s travelled to date, chosen the righteous path over self-destruction and is finally preoccupied with rooting his bars in empathy for these on the backside of Starmer’s Britain.

Brandon wears EMPORIO ARMANI

This messaging, in addition to his nostalgic jazz-rap sound, is a response to what Nembhard considers to be a UK hip hop scene that’s dropping its edge musically by means of enjoying it too protected. “I understand why UK rap has taken this direction [of] safety. If you can make money and ensure security in your life from making ‘safe’ music, from a business standpoint it makes perfect sense, right?” Nembhard says. “However, the question of ‘What are we doing this for?’ has to be asked at some point, as without a sense of purpose, the saturation and vacancy begins. There aren’t any risks [right now], the passion got lost, and you’re starting to feel that in the performance of the music itself.”

Nembhard give up a company job to gamble on the dream of being a rapper and it’s a leap that appears to be paying off. However, he additionally admits a lyric on the stirring Mind Your Manners, from his newest EP, If Not Now, When?, which touches on feeling like an aeroplane that hasn’t left the hangar, displays an underlying frustration round not being even higher recognized. “I’ve got to get back to having fun, finding the thoughts I want to share and how I want to share them,” Nembhard says of his focus for altering this within the 12 months forward. “It’s all about the performance and I need that to be really felt this year. In 2025, I am going to be rapping, thinking and I’m gonna be dancing too. Watch this space.”

Taken from 10 Men Issue 61 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now. Order your copy right here. 

@brandonnembhard

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Creative Editor PAUL TONER
Text THOMAS HOBBS
Portrait ANNA STOKLAND
Fashion assistant GEORGIA EDWARDS
Production ZAC APOSTOLOU and SONYA MAZURYK