“Tottenham is where the talent is at. What can I say?” These are the words of north London-raised Nippa, one of the slickest lyricists on London’s R&B scene. Tottenham’s extensive list of musical alumni includes Skepta, JME and Headie One, so really, Nippa has a point.
The 23-year-old first caught our attention in 2021 with his breakout single ‘Situation’, but since then has worked with Craig David and toured Europe supporting American rapper Jack Harlow. “Jack Harlow just DM’d me, then we linked up and I ended up touring around the whole of Europe with him. It was the best time of my life. Going to countries with different languages and singing songs when not everyone knows you is hard.”
Does he have any favourite memories from touring with Harlow? “The London show was my favourite. That’s where everyone was at, my friends, my family, everyone caught a good vibe. At the end we all went to my dressing room and really celebrated.”
Earlier this month, Nippa released his latest single ‘Reverse’, a hypnotic track that will make you forget that the lyrics you’re singing along to are deeply sexual. Nippa is the kind of smooth talker that gets away with misbehaving due to his charm. “Right now my songs are conveying how everyone’s feeling in the summer,” he explains, “everyone wants to party, have a move about. That’s what my songs convey. I want people to feel energetic, I want them to dance and feel excited.”
Next Thursday, Nippa will be performing at the monthly event hosted by R&B champion Mahalia, titled eponymously, ‘Mahalia Presents’. “I always get nervous before a show, but I’m excited. I’m gonna show some vocal ability and some unreleased songs too. I hope the crowd enjoys it.” If you haven’t yet been to Mahalia Presents then you’re missing out; every second is pure joy.
How does Nippa spend a Friday night in London? Romantically, of course. “I might spend some one-on-one time with someone I love, have some quality time, might go for a nice dinner, the cinema. Or…I might just link up with some of my friends and party until 3am.” This week, Nippa curates your Friday night listening. Listen to the full playlist here.
Drake - Headlines
“The bounciness of the beat, the lyrics themself, it gets you excited and pumped for a Friday night out. If you’re looking for a jumpy night out this will get you straight in the mood.”
Sonder - Indonesian Fantasies
“This one’s for a romantic night out with someone you love or someone that you’re seeing. This gets you into a romantic mood for some one-on-one time. Maybe pop a bottle of champagne and spend some quality time with your companion.”
070 Shake - Cocoon
“This is for a proper party with LED lights. If you wanna feel like you’re the main character of the party or of your life, this song is for you. You’ll be enjoying the London night out all the way to 3am.”
Nippa - Reverse
“It’s a summer song. It doesn’t start getting dark until really late so you can still enjoy the weather, enjoy the sun, wear short sleeves, get a tan, move about and have a dance.”
Ragz Originale - Styles (feat. Knucks)
“This one gets you feeling yourself. Feeling like you’re the man or the woman, feeling like you’re the person of today. Everyone is loving you and in awe of you. That’s what ‘Styles’ does for me personally.”
