The Dublin-based, Lagos-born rapper is one to watch.
Handz ON, a Dublin-based artist originally from Lagos, has shared new single ‘Champions League’, the follow-up to debut track ‘Dey Play’, which featured a music video filmed across both Dublin and Lagos.
‘Champions League’ builds on the momentum of ‘Dey Play’, combines UK and Irish rap influences with Nigerian sounds and storytelling, a blend that gives him a sound that’s both familiar and distinctly his own. There is an underbelly of darker grimier Afrobeats tones on both songs.
“For me, Champions League felt like the right name because it reflects how I’ve been feeling about my music lately,” he says. “I’ve put a lot of time into figuring out who I am as an artist and what I actually want my music to sound and feel like, and I feel like I’m finally in a place where that’s really starting to come together. I’ve built something that feels like my own, and I’m really proud of that. For me, the song is about stepping into that next level and being inspired by where I’m at now, rather than always feeling like I need to get somewhere else. It’s about knowing you’re in a different league and being excited to see what you can do from there.”
Debut single ‘Dey Play’ arrived in July, written during a trip back to Nigeria and capturing the duality of Handz On’s roots and his upbringing in Dublin.
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Handz ON is one to watch – catch him on TikTok and Instagram.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
