Northern Irish Artist Jordan Adetunji Earns Grammy Nomination Alongside Major Stars

Northern Irish hip-hop artist Jordan Adetunji has secured a Grammy nomination in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category. The Belfast-based rapper’s song, “Kehlani,” which has accumulated 300 million streams globally, was included in the shortlists alongside tracks by Beyoncé and The Weeknd. Also receiving nominations is the Dublin post-punk ensemble Fontaines D.C., who are contenders for Best Rock Album with their fourth release, “Romance,” and for Best Alternative Music Performance for their single “Starbuster.” The 67th Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held in Los Angeles on February 2. Adetunji, born in Croydon, London, relocated to Belfast at the age of 10. He began his career by uploading rap videos to Facebook, gradually incorporating additional elements such as the guitar into his musical style. His music gained significant recognition after he started sharing it on TikTok, leading to his signing by RCA Records. This occurred after Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon discovered him through Adetunji’s song titled ‘Woke Up.’ Following the expansion of his fanbase, he launched his debut mixtape, “Rock ‘n’ Rave,” in 2023. His track “Kehlani” is recognized for a performance that incorporates elements of R&B melodies and rap. It is nominated in the same category as entries from Beyoncé featuring Linda Martell & Shaboozey, and Future & Metro Boomin featuring The Weeknd. The Dublin post-punk band Fontaines D.C. garnered two nominations: one in the Best Rock Album category, where they are listed alongside The Black Crowes, Green Day, IDLES, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, and Jack White. Their second nomination is in the Best Alternative Music Performance category, competing with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent, and Cage The Elephant. In 2022, Adetunji conveyed to BBC News NI: “My first track was played on Radio Ulster and I always remember it.“Things like BBC Across The Line are fantastic for upcoming artists, it all has a part to play with where I am.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.