THE BACKSTORY:
Nayana Iz clearly knows a thing or two about making a grand entrance. For her debut single, ‘How We Do’, the hotly-tipped rapper appeared in a stunning video in which she rides through London’s streets in a flower-adorned car whilst wearing a bridal sari. Bursting with Bollywood-style carnival and chaos, it’s one of the most memorable pop visuals you’ll see all year.
‘Memorable’ is a word you could use to describe all of Nayana Iz’s fabulous output. Born in India, raised in north London, the 19-year-old’s British-Asian fusion has seen her hailed as one of 2020’s most dynamic, inventive new pop artists.
A member of the influential west London collective NiNE8 (which includes Lava La Rue and New Sounds favourite Biig Piig), she’s a vocalist, rapper and multi-instrumentalist who can switch between hard-hitting bars and strident melodies with effortless ease. Inspired as much by her Asian heritage (her grandmother was a skilled Manipuri singer) as she is by the current UK hip-hop scene, her sound is a potent mix of experimental beats, fiery delivery and lyrics of bold female empowerment.
Recent chosen as one of BBC Asian Network’s Future Sounds of 2020, she’s now gearing up for the release of her much-anticipated debut EP, ‘Smoke & Fly’, arriving on June 26. Whatever the future holds for Nayana Iz, you can be sure she’ll always be wearing her British-Asian heritage with immense pride.
KEY TRACK: Recent single ‘TNT’. A haunting, brooding track about “people in disguise”, this explosive collision of deadly beats and electronic production is aptly named.
FOR FANS OF: M.I.A., Missy Elliot, MF Doom.
