Azekel

Standard love songs are far from the be-all, end-all for progressive R&B artist Azekel. A ruminative songwriter, the Nigeria-born, England-based musician has examined issues such as adulthood and identity, self-worth and depression, and the responsibilities of parenthood, all the while developing a fearlessly vulnerable singing technique that doesn't rely on his potent falsetto. Azekel generated momentum during the mid-2010s with a slew of early, short-form releases that earned the admiration of Prince and led to collaborations with Massive Attack ("Ritual Spirit") and Gorillaz ("Momentz"). The advancements culminated in 2018 with the release of his self-released debut album, Our Father. After a semi-hiatus, Azekel put together his first mixtape, the meditative and more sonically varied Analyze Love, issued through emPawa Africa in 2023.