Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
With his creative pen game, sensual vocals and unwavering ambition, North London’s Monroe X is an exciting breath of fresh air to the global dancehall scene who is set to continue taking fans by storm with a string of fiery releases and a debut project in the pipeline.
Due out on August 25th timed perfectly with NHC, “Skin Out II” hears Monroe and a yet to be announced global artist trade verses about reconnecting with an ex-lover for one last time across a bass-driven beat fusing R&B conventions with dancehall cadences.
“Skin Out II” is the second half of Monroe X’s well-received “Skin Out” – racking up 460K+ streams and counting, part one of “Skin Out” (featuring CJ and Capella Grey – watch) has seen Monroe X make major waves with continued rotation at Kiss Fresh, BBC Capital Xtra and 1Xtra, alongside spots on R&B Weekly and Channel-X on Spotify.
With his creative pen game, sensual vocals and unwavering ambition, North London’s Monroe X is an exciting breath of fresh air to the global dancehall scene who is set to continue taking fans by storm with a string of fiery releases and a debut project in the pipeline.
Due out on August 25th timed perfectly with NHC, “Skin Out II” hears Monroe and a yet to be announced global artist trade verses about reconnecting with an ex-lover for one last time across a bass-driven beat fusing R&B conventions with dancehall cadences.
“Skin Out II” is the second half of Monroe X’s well-received “Skin Out” – racking up 460K+ streams and counting, part one of “Skin Out” (featuring CJ and Capella Grey – watch) has seen Monroe X make major waves with continued rotation at Kiss Fresh, BBC Capital Xtra and 1Xtra, alongside spots on R&B Weekly and Channel-X on Spotify.



![Sekou | Next Wave 126
At 19-years-old, Sekou isn’t living an ordinary teenage life. From being signed at just 16 off the back of a series of home recordings, to releasing his debut project ‘Out Of Mind’, playing his first show at Glastonbury and boasting the likes of Anderson .Paak and The Blessed Madonna as fans, his trajectory is fast-rising. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to turn up, to be honest,” he recalls of his Glastonbury performance, but a crowded tent and flood of cheers would soon assuage any fears and prove the popularity of this young star.
As he looks back on a tremendous year of travelling and working with people he admires, Sekou’s genuine fascination begins to make sense. “Going to America is a completely, completely different world,” he says. “It’s really weird because I wasn’t used to it! You could literally walk five minutes and you’re at a studio.” It’s a stark contrast from his humble hometown of Ashby, a place where “everyone knows everyone”.
Despite this, Sekou’s spirit remains grounded. He’s still grateful to his hometown and the way it left him feeling “very free” to “just do what you want”, while introducing him to some of his key influences, notably the church. “I just want people to resonate with [my music] as much as possible,” he explains. “But what I’ve learned about myself is just to be who I am. It took me a while to understand who I wasn’t, but when it comes to performing I am a different person. I have so much confidence when I see people in front of me singing my song back.”
WHAT: Soulful pop
WHERE: Ashby
3 SONGS: ‘Better Man’, ‘Too Young’, ‘Forgiving Myself’
FACT: Sekou returned to Ashby for two headline shows – they sold out in a day. Sekou | Next Wave 126](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/i0ffeQglfZ0/mqdefault.jpg)






