Over the years, West London has given us a number of titans in the rap scene, from C Biz and K Koke to Nines and Knucks. While some in that list are more active than others these days, there is an exciting new generation of talent pushing rap into new territories and finding new connections between the various tribes and subgenres.

One of the latest in this new tidal wave is Bawo, an emerging artist connecting the dots between grime, garage, rap and soul (plus a few other influences) in a way that feels both new and fundamentally West London. He describes his own sound as ‘homely’ and there is indeed a warmth to it.

Six years ago, Bawo uploaded his first track to SoundCloud, an ultra-90s, ultra-New York boom-bap tune called ‘It Don't Stop’. Although his sound has evolved tremendously since that first drop, the nostalgic edge is one of the few constants in his music. In the years that followed, he played with instrumentals from a mix of unknown producers, alongside bigger names like Wiley, The Streets and Preditah. As he jumped back and forth between grime, garage and back to rap again, his punchy, commanding delivery style remained intact. This distinctive style can also be heard in his latest album ‘It Means Hope Where I'm From’. His music is ‘homey’ but not just to be experienced at home. So come to AB Club to enjoy his set in an intimate setting.