PAUSE Meets: Juls

What made you want to pursue a career in music?

I love music. Very passionate about it. I shouldn’t really be doing music. I have two degrees, Undergrad and a Masters in Finance. But I just loved music so much and i just wanted to follow my passion. I still am because even though I’ve been about for a minute still a lot to do.

With an eclectic catalogue of music, who would you say have been your major influences?

Definitely J Dillla and Kanye West. I started off making a lot of boom bap soul and hiphop beats. I had most of their samples and would flip them differently. Then I started flipping ghanaian highlife music to create sort of an identity for myself with my Ghanaian roots.

You’re Ghanaian, but born and raised in East London before heading back to Ghana for secondary school. How has your background, being between London and Ghana influenced your sound?

As a Londoner you’re exposed to all sorts of cultures. I think me being a big fan of reggae music and then being in ghana listening to a lot of jazz and highlife gave me a very diverse imagination of what my music should sound like. I’ve grown up in two of the best places in the world and each culture has played a massive roll in my sound but I plan to be a lot more explorative.

You’ve worked on some major hits, with big artists in the Afrobeats space, what do you think about the rise of Afrobeats in the UK and globally?

With the UK, I think it was great because Africans had something to be proud of. We had always been mocked growing up. Its crazy how all of a sudden few people are proud to rep where they are really from. Secondary school days it was “nah I’m not african I’m Jamaican fam”. lol. The rise of afrobeats can only get bigger and hopefully with the right structures and good business in place it can only get better. Its important to protect the culture as well so that no one steals, or messes with the narrative. its already started happening so we need to be careful.

You just worked with Goldlink on his latest album, what was that like?

Man. Big big break for me man. So happy to be a part of the project. I wasn’t able to have a full blown session like the other producers (P2J, EY and Ari Pen Smith, etc) but its great to know that the record I cut for the album is the big song on there. I pray it gets nominated for something.

You wear many hats, you’re a DJ, Producer but also an artist. Which one do you enjoy the most?

Definitely a producer. DJing is a lot of fun though. I love to see the crowd having fun and creating the right vibes for people.

You also travel a lot, how does this influence your approach to music? Has this shaped your sound at all?

Not really because i haven’t been to places where the sounds are any different But I plan to do that next year. Visit a lot of different countries and explore this music. Because I want to work on my debut album and make it very powerful sound and culture wise.

Having travelled the world, how does it feel to see people vibing and enjoying your music when you’re out?

Amazing I can’t like to you. Its an amazing feeling. Sometimes awks when you’re in the club and everyone is screaming your name with the phones out. Because im super super shy. But it helps uno. Encourages you to keep going.

What is the craziest story you have from travelling?

Hmm. Might have to be one time in D.C, USA, two girls tried to kidnap me after a show. They were in a section that was given to me and my guests. When I was done with my DJ Set, I was heading home and all of a sudden I heard “hey Julian”. No one really calls me that so I thought it was a familiar face. Two girls then grabbed me in. Fam! Managed to get away though.

When it comes to fashion, who would you say has had the most influence on your style?

Cant lie. I am slowly getting into this fashion thing but my style I look a lot of what my peers wear and add my own twist to it. I like to have a  little afrocentric look sometimes but these days im switching it up a little.