London To Addis

A pioneering instrumental project, London to Addis brought together the worlds of UK grime and traditional Ethiopian music for the first time, pairing an all-star line-up of grime producers with Ethiopian musicians recorded in Addis Ababa.

As Creative and Producer, I helped shape the concept, recording, and production process, working closely with musicians to capture traditional instruments including the Masinko, Krar, Washint, drums, and vocals. These elements were then sampled and reimagined, inspiring grime producers to push beyond their usual 140 bpm frameworks and experiment with pentatonic scales and non-traditional time signatures.

The resulting compilation featured producers Dexplicit, Ignorants, JT the Goon, Wize, Shudan, Proc Fiskal, and more — spanning everything from hard-edged bangers to melodic and experimental explorations. Notably, Ignorants – “Uncolonised” became the first grime track in 3/4 time signature, directly influenced by Ethiopia’s rhythmic heritage.

To celebrate the release, we held a live event in Addis Ababa featuring Kenyan singer Labdi, Grime MCs Snowy and Maxsta, and traditional Ethiopian musicians. The project stood as a powerful testament to cultural exchange, musical innovation, and the global evolution of grime.

Red Bull: Inside London To Addis the grime field trip exploring Ethiopian sounds