Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Jordan Adetunji, the now 24-year-old, Belfast-hailing artist recalls, as a kid, standing in the corner of the living room watching a Busta Rhymes video. The iconic rapper’s music intrigued Adetunji but he was too scared to fully let himself get wrapped up in the dynamic world of a true idiosyncratic star. Nowadays, Adetunji doesn’t have that same apprehension, his own innate eccentricity prevailing.
The start of his journey began through the confines of classical music, specifically as a trumpeter. In the last few years, Adetunji strayed into contemporary music – one that eventually led to him being discovered on TikTok by Oli Sykes, who then suggested RCA Records sign this fledgling talent.
Rock ‘N’ Rave’ is the title of his debut mixtape, capturing the natural synergy between the two scenes and Adetunji’s embrace of them. “Listen to it with an open mind” is his only disclaimer. Beyond the meshing of elements of alternative music and hip-hop, Adetunji’s Gen Z credentials mean he’s open to influences beyond the confines of music. Other endeavours such as fashion, anime, and gaming tend to have an impact on the way he frames his output. “For me it’s like a canvas,” he says. “I’m painting constantly and I like using different colours.”
WHAT: Rock N Rave
WHERE: Belfast
3 SONGS: ‘You & I, ‘Involved’, ‘Go’
FACT: Jordan Adetunji first started conceiving ‘Rock ‘N’ Rave’ after being inspired by Paris Fashion Week.
Jordan Adetunji, the now 24-year-old, Belfast-hailing artist recalls, as a kid, standing in the corner of the living room watching a Busta Rhymes video. The iconic rapper’s music intrigued Adetunji but he was too scared to fully let himself get wrapped up in the dynamic world of a true idiosyncratic star. Nowadays, Adetunji doesn’t have that same apprehension, his own innate eccentricity prevailing.
The start of his journey began through the confines of classical music, specifically as a trumpeter. In the last few years, Adetunji strayed into contemporary music – one that eventually led to him being discovered on TikTok by Oli Sykes, who then suggested RCA Records sign this fledgling talent.
Rock ‘N’ Rave’ is the title of his debut mixtape, capturing the natural synergy between the two scenes and Adetunji’s embrace of them. “Listen to it with an open mind” is his only disclaimer. Beyond the meshing of elements of alternative music and hip-hop, Adetunji’s Gen Z credentials mean he’s open to influences beyond the confines of music. Other endeavours such as fashion, anime, and gaming tend to have an impact on the way he frames his output. “For me it’s like a canvas,” he says. “I’m painting constantly and I like using different colours.”
WHAT: Rock N Rave
WHERE: Belfast
3 SONGS: ‘You & I, ‘Involved’, ‘Go’
FACT: Jordan Adetunji first started conceiving ‘Rock ‘N’ Rave’ after being inspired by Paris Fashion Week.




![Mnelia | Next Wave 125
“For the average lover, heartbreak isn’t a stranger.” It’s with this sentiment that Mnelia created her latest EP, ‘Closure Tapes’, her “heartbreak bible.” While the record was born out of a period of intense pain and grief for the artist, her focus has always been on what the music would do for others; her own healing secondary. “When I decided to become vulnerable within my artistry, it was more of a choice for the people that were supporting me than for myself,” Mnelia explains. “My favourite artists are the sacrificial ones. They’re the ones that put it all in because they care more about what it’s doing for the world. There’s so much more reward in giving than there is in taking.”
Five years on from her first release, and three years since her single ‘Say Yeah’ put Mnelia on the map, ‘Closure Tapes’ arrives after a deeply reflective time. “It’s been a rollercoaster but everything’s happened exactly how it needed to,” Mnelia ruminates. She looks back fondly on her musical roadmap, cherishing the lessons she’s learned along the way.
The EP features a number of collaborations, from South London Drill artist Kwengface to American R&B dynamo, Jayla Darden. Closest to Mnelia’s heart, however, is a link up for the remix of ‘Genesis’ with three of her best friends, Miraa May, Joyce Wrice and Bellah. “The whole project is about personal experiences, so if I was to bring anybody in [for the remix], it’s going to be these girls, without a shadow of a doubt,” Mnelia says. “In my personal life, they’ve been my pillars of support, but it’s also such a privilege to have friends that do the same thing as you in terms of career.”
Read the full interview: https://www.clashmusic.com/next-wave/next-wave-1130-mnelia/ Mnelia | Next Wave 125](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uQF1RDyhj9M/mqdefault.jpg)





