Northern Irish Grammy Nominee Jordan Adetunji Shares Message of Empowerment

The Grammy-nominated Northern Irish hip-hop artist, Jordan Adetunji, expressed that he is “still processing” the news, adding, “It’s great for music coming out of Belfast; it just shows you can do anything no matter where you’re from.” The Belfast-based rapper’s track, Kehlani, earned him a nomination in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category, placing him alongside artists such as Beyoncé and The Weeknd. During an appearance on BBC’s Across The Line programme, Adetunji remarked, “Having a song that I made in my bedroom in Belfast be up for a Grammy is crazy.” His song has accumulated 300 million streams globally. Adetunji, who was unaware of his impending nomination, described the experience as “exciting.” He elaborated, “That’s why it was such a surprise, because when it came out I thought it was maybe, you know, those fake prediction lists. But then I turned my phone up, because I was in the studio for an hour, and… I was like, why are so many people ringing me and then I realised.” Born in Croydon, London, Adetunji relocated to Belfast at the age of 10. His musical career began in 2019 when he shared rap videos on social media during his school years. He achieved broader musical recognition by uploading his tracks to TikTok, which led to him being signed by RCA Records after Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon discovered him through his song ‘Woke Up.’ The song Kehlani incorporates both R&B melodies and rap elements. He stated, “It’s taught me a lesson to keep going, no matter what the circumstances are. Your phone is your tool. You can do it all. You can do it all from your bedroom.” American rapper Lil Baby “was one of the first to reach out to” Adetunji following the release of “Kehlani,” requesting that he send some music for listening. Additionally, American singer-songwriter Kehlani FaceTimed him while he was at a club, asking for an “open verse.” Adetunji recalled, “I remember that day like yesterday.” For his upcoming project, Adetunji has been engaged in “mixing different drum patterns with R&B-sounding music.” He has been working in America, noting that “the crowds have been taking to my music quite well.” He added, “They loved the unreleased music, which was really reassuring.” Adetunji’s counsel for emerging artists aspiring to emulate his success is to “always think of new ways of getting your content out there. Always be on the ball.” He further advised, “If it’s not doing, try again tomorrow.” Adetunji stated that the nomination has shown him that “you can make it happen.” He emphasized, “The world is so big, and there is such a way for people to discover you, so don’t give up. You only fail when you give up.” Separately, the Dublin post-punk band Fontaines D.C. also received nominations for Best Rock Album for their fourth album, Romance, and Best Alternative Music Performance for their single Starbuster. The 67th Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held in Los Angeles on 2 February.