Jordan Adetunji: From Kehlani to the Grammys

British Nigerian rapper Jordan Adetunji soared to global recognition with his viral hit Kehlani. Now a Grammy nominee, he sits down with Guardian Music to discuss his Nigerian roots, free-form locs, genre-defying sound, and a vision set on conquering new musical territories.

His thick dark locs cascaded down his shoulders, relaxing his gaze as he appeared on screen. His voice, like his eyes, softened as he began to recount. “I have been growing my hair since I was 16,” he said with a chuckle. “I wanted to freeform my hair because it’s a part of my identity.”

Jordan Adetunji’s breakout last year was just as impressive for the 25-year-old Nigerian-British rapper. His melodic rap music spread like wildfire around mid-2024 when he released the song, Kehlani, which first went viral on TikTok before exploding into a global hit. The song, an ode to American singer Kehlani, also features the singer herself on the remix. Both versions have now amassed at least half a billion plays on Spotify, earning him his first Grammy nomination. Competing with artists like Beyonce, Latto, Future, and Rapsody, for the Best Melodic Rap award, he’s set to attend the 67th Annual Grammys next month.

Growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Adetunji’s musical expression has always shone for its emotional intensity and poetic storytelling, often focusing on close relationships and personal struggles. His earlier records—his 2020 debut Close To You, Wokeup!, and Around—lean towards emo-pop and traditional American rap fusions. Meanwhile, his more recent releases like his 2023 Rock ‘N’ Rave album, and his just-released sophomore album, A Jaguar’s Dream, showcase more of his melodic sing-rapping and upbeat Jersey-Club EDM/Bounce-driven production.

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Staying true to his Nigerian heritage, the UK-based rapper admits to being shaped by the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and the Afrobeats influences of Wizkid, among other homegrown stars. Evident in his debut song, Close To You, these influences also run through the rest of his catalogue. With growing interest in stars like Rema and Asake, he’s eager to explore Afrobeats further, he notes.

In this week’s edition of Guardian Music, the star opens up about his cherished Nigerian heritage, discussing everything from his earliest trips to the country to rapping over Wizkid songs. He unpacks his come-up journey, including last year’s breakout, offers insights into his creative process, reveals plans to remain non-conformist yet expand his success, and even hints at a desire to sample Lagos’ Detty December.

How long have you been growing your hair?

I have been growing my hair since I was 16. I grew it originally because I wanted to freeform my hair. So, I free-formed my dreadlocks while I was in school. It was kind of crazy, and I’ve just been growing it ever since because it’s a part of my identity. So, I always keep my hair.

How do you feel about your Grammy nomination?

It’s exciting. There’s a lot going on at the moment. I’m about to release a mixtape on the 24th of January. It’s been an exciting journey with the Grammys and everything. Hopefully, it still goes ahead despite the fires and everything happening in Los Angeles, which is really sad. But yeah, I’m excited.

Why do you make a lot of melodic rap?

From a young age, I was playing the trumpet in school, and as I grew up and developed my music skills, I found interest in R&B, hip-hop, and Afrobeats. I started to pivot my sound and indulge more in alternative influences from rock music. I started creating my own music around age 17, trying to rap on different styles—rock beats, hip-hop beats, and Afrobeats. Now I’ve cultivated my sound from all of these journeys.

Why are you using your real name as your artiste name?

I did that on purpose. Back then, many people would tell me to change my name to something that could be easier to pronounce. And I was like, ‘No, you’re gonna learn to pronounce it.’ An English guy can keep his name as an artist name, and that’s perfectly fine, but a Nigerian man can’t? I have stood my ground on that, to use my name. My name means greatness as well. My second name, Adetunji, means ‘the return of the crown’. I’m royalty. And that’s why I kept the name.

Tell us more about your most-viral song, Kehlani, and how it came about.

When I made the song, I always felt it would do very well. The hook flowed seamlessly; it didn’t feel forced. That’s how I know it’s a good song. I want to have that experience (again). The energy felt right, and I felt that energy translated during that song. Now, it’s started to trend and people are connecting with it. Then Kehlani saw it and made a video that made it go more viral. It’s been amazing since then.

How did Afrobeats shape your sound?

I grew up listening to a lot of Fela Kuti, and many other people like Wizkid. When Wizkid was around, I was still in school. They played a lot of the songs he was dropping in school. One day, I heard Final, and I tried to rap on it. That was my first kind of introduction to music, and it had a big influence on me and my sound—as in, the drum patterns of Afrobeats. I love Rema and what he’s doing. I also love Asake. I have met him a couple of times, and he’s a great guy.

Ever visited Nigeria before?

I’ve been to Nigeria when I was quite young. I visited my granny. My great granny is now 111 and still alive. It was her birthday recently. I didn’t get to go to that, but I watched loads of videos, and I have one where they were playing my song and she was cutting her cake, which is amazing. I would love to go back. I’m surprised I haven’t been called to go back there, especially now. However, once I have my mixtape out, and I release some more songs, I think I’ll make a trip. I’ll be at the next Detty December, as it should be.

Do you think you’re open to exploring other genres outside of Hip-Hop?

I don’t box myself in. Nowadays, my music is very diverse. That’s why my new project is called A Jaguars Dream—any world a jaguar steps into, it conquers. And that’s how I see myself, like a jaguar. So, any music I step into, I conquer that sound, and I make it my own. That’s how I see music right now.

Take us through your typical creative process.

I start with creating the melody, because, for me, everything is feeling and sound. So I believe in sound frequency; I feel like people hear sound before they hear words. I always start with the sound of the melody, and then I put the words to the melody. So, it can just be gibberish or like harmonies, and then I put proper words to it. That’s how I made Kehlani, for instance.

Any Afrobeats collaborations in mind?

I would love to collaborate with Rema. I’ve worked on some Afrobeats songs and they’re pretty good, so I’m excited to show them to the world as well very soon. Also, I’m a big fan of Burna Boy. I would love to collaborate with people from the motherland. That’s a beautiful thing I want to do.

What are we expecting from you in 2025?

I have a new mixtape out this weekend. It’s going to be a lot of new music, futuristic sounds for me and a different, deeper dive into my sound, which is exciting.

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What is the vision for Jordan Adetunji?

The vision is just to conquer every step and be great. That’s my main vision. In the future, I want to tour and touch places I haven’t been to before, meet the fans, and meet the people who support my music.

Finally, tell us three fun facts about yourself.

I play the trumpet—did a lot of classical music in school. I’m six foot three and a half inches tall. Everyone always expects me to be smaller before they meet me, but I’m pretty tall. Also, I’m big on gaming. I play a lot of video games. That’s a big part of my identity. I also love anime. I recommend people to go see Full Metal Alchemist. If you haven’t ever watched Naruto, you have to watch Naruto and Blue Rock as well.