Chillz? is known for her unique blend of Afrobeats, RnB and House in her music which has put the Nigerian-born producer on the map of rising female talent to watch. A proud member of the LGBTQ community, she not only founded her own South London based weekly event, Riddim Nights, but she also hosts the weekly syndicated Eclectic Sounds Radio Show with her own releases getting considerable airtime on BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra.
She spent her early early years in Lagos, Nigeria before moving to London and we were lucky enough to speak to her about both cultures, wha
You spent the early part of your life in Nigeria before making the move to London. How have both cultures shaped the music you produce today?
It’s given me the experience of the best of both worlds. As a child growing up in Nigeria, I grew up in Lagos and the day started from dawn. There was always an upbeat free-flowing atmosphere as well as very hard-working.
On the flip side, in the UK my primary school days started at 9am with structure, but I was able to make friends with people from other cultures and embrace other sounds from Asia, Caribbean etc.
What artists are your main influences?
Whilst in Nigeria my parents would listen to Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Shina Peters and Lagbaja, so I would ended up listening to them too. When I moved to the UK I heard artists such as Artful Dodger and Oxide & Neutrino on the radio, I loved the whole garage sound. I also fell in love with Shaun Escoffrey?s voice and Tina Moore.
When I started exploring music myself, the American stuff trickled in – Ludacris, Dr Dre (especially his productions, I always used to check the credits to see who engineered what) and J Cole.
Do you ever go back to Nigeria to visit?
The last time I went back was to bury my dad, but it was also very empowering. It allowed me to remember my roots and my connection that I guess I could only experience if I visited Lagos.
For someone thinking of visiting Lagos, what are some places that you would recommend?
To be honest I would say either Lekki or The Islands are the places to be – they have all the food places to chill at.
My friend A Morgan is my plug out there and she has recommended I go to the following places when I’m there in February 2020.
Lagos
Best restaurants if you wanna be a bit bouji:
Z Kitchen (Victoria Island) | Shiro (Victoria Island) | Salmas (Victoria Island) | The W Bar (Ikoyi)
Nice calm restaurants and bars:
Sugarcane (Victoria Island) | The House (Victoria Island) – my favourite spot to chill.
Warehouse Kitchen (Lekki) | Crossroads (Victoria Island) | Circa (Lekki)
| Ocean Basket (Ikeja) | Danfo Bistro (Ikoyi) | La Brioche (Victoria Island) – Only for brunch.
Clubs:
Vellvett (Victoria Island) – Only on Friday or Saturday. | Sip! (Fridays or Saturdays) | Kabaal (Victoria Island) | Cubana (Victoria Island) | Quilox – but only after 4am!
What are your London hangout spots?
I like to find hidden gems as my taste is very specific. I don’t eat meat, chicken, or dairy but I’m not a vegan like that. I recently found this Thai place in paddington called, Two Point.
There is also a pizza place in north london called Lovenpresents. Cocktails wise, The Dutchie in South London do really good cocktails and the Prince of Peckham throws dope parties. I usually go to events that my DJ & Promoter friends are throwing.
Best places in London to listen to Afrobeats/R&B?
Riddim Nights lol, no really there are a few nights doing bits such as Wahala, Tribal Soul and My Tribe My Vibe.
I have also started getting into day parties. Actually the last one I went to that had the right balance of afrobeats and RnB was called Pitch Sundays, really vibey.
Tell us a bit more about ‘Riddim nights’…
It started out with my friend who owned a restaurant in Croydon asking me to throw a party there; I was skeptical about it until he said I could close at 4am. The rest was history and it became a weekly Friday night event.
I would like to take Riddim Nights out of the UK to be honest. I think places like France, Belguim and Germany would like the vibe. But the end goal would be to get it out in Japan or Asia.
Do you have any travel plans coming up?
At the end of May I’m part of the Chasing The Sun festival and I think I will make a holiday of it too. I really want to go back to Egypt and explore Luxor and Aswan more as when I went this year I stayed in Cairo.
In February it will be the 10 year anniversary of my dad passing, so I’m going be in Nigeria then.
Keep up to date with CHILLZ on her socials below.
