Sarah Higgs

“Travel is about connecting... connecting with the world, connecting with people and connecting with the energy in new societies.”

We linked up with Rema, the rising star of Nigeria’s music scene and self-styled ‘baby dragon’ to chat travel, his home in Nigeria and spirituality. Proud of his African heritage and its influence on his music, Rema “

wants to take afrobeats to the whole world

”, sharing ideas, culture and spirituality through his musical output. He takes his position as a creative role model seriously and admits that a lot of young people where he’s from need to work on their confidence to achieve their goals.

Moving to Lagos in 2018 to sign with Mavin records and make music he describes the capital as “the city of hustle. Everyone is moving, everyone has a dream, a goal to achieve. Lagos is also a place to party…”

Confidence is something ingrained in the Nigerian energy and Rema has it in spades. But his musical journey started long before he moved to Lagos. Rema was born in Benin City, in Edo State. Nicknamed the ‘Heart Beat of Nigeria’, Benin is far less populous than Lagos and has a distinct culture. The city has shaped him in many ways. Smiling, he tells us the vibe of his hometown is “just about having fun, playing video games and trying to find the new guys in the hood to influence with music.”

Proud of his Benin, he boasts that “my mum’s a really good cook. She makes owo, you eat it with plantain or yam, it’s a Benin delicacy and it’s amazing” and recommends a visit to Mama Ebo Pepper Rice, located on the airport road. 

Crediting the culture and spirituality of Nigeria as an inspiration for his music. He says “Whenever I make music I’m always emotional. I tend to create my vibe through spirituality, emotion and energy. It has a taste of happy and sad feelings. The same way I mix different genres together I also want to mix emotions together and deliver it all in one sound so when it goes out it triggers different emotions in the heart and the mind. It’s really spiritual and hard to explain.”

Rema’s skillful blend of genres is what makes his sound so special and means he appeals to so many. He refuses to be defined by any one genre and it’s this that sets him apart from the competition. “My music is not ordinary, it’s obvious. When I’m in the studio, the whole vibe changes, I feel something come over me when I’m recording.”

He is his own man, a man inspired by the culture of his hometown and the musical influences that surround him in Lagos. When we offer him a choice of balaclava at the end of the shoot he knows exactly which one he wants (diamantes embroidered into the fabric custom made by Erin Alexis) and tells us that his trademark balaclava is his most essential item for travel.

I’m just a kid trying to share a new sound with the whole world. I’m just a kid trying to create a new vibe, i just want to be different and I just want to motivate the youths. 

Do you feel like a role model for young people in your country and around the world?

Yes, to those who want me to influence them, yes.

Do you feel like there’s a need for there to be more creative role models where you’re from?

Yeah because a lot of young people really need to work on their confidence. I feel like I’m not the only person with the ability to create a new vibe or a new sound inspired by afro-beats. A lot of people feel shy because they think they’ll get laughed at... And you know, sometimes I make some funny melodies, I know they’re funny but I know it’s just my vibe and when i back it up with confidence it’s a whole energy.

You’ve spoken in the past about your spirituality and how that inspires you. Do you feel like that will always have a role in your music going forward?

Yes! When I’m in the studio, the whole mood changes, the whole vibe changes. I feel something come over me when I’m recording. Every single time I finish a project and i listen I get surprised, I’m like did i do this shit, did this happen…

You can feel a certain hustle in the culture out there, how would you describe the energy in Lagos with you and your friends?

With my friends in Lagos it’s more about the music, it’s more about creating stuff for the future. Whenever we create, whenever we share ideas, whenever we hang out it’s about the music and taking Afrobeats or Africa to the whole world. We just wanna push the sound, we’re more about how we can share ideas in inspiring youths and everybody else…

An Hour with Rema

As anyone who’s ever spent time in Peckham knows, the area is home to a vibrant mix of cultures and ethnicities. With 70% of the population from black and minority ethnic groups, the neighbourhood is one of the most diverse in the UK.

This explains the creative energy bubbling up in the streets here. From emerging music artists like cktrl to up and coming fashion brands like Image Gang, there’s a tangible sense that the next generation are ready to make their mark, with a creativity rooted in the area’s global community.


, a South London local, born to a Nigerian and Northern Irish mother and a Jamaican and Puerto Rican father. The aspiring filmmaker chats to us about how he’s been inspired by his eclectic hometown, while giving us a tour of some of his favourite spots in the neighbourhood.

“I’ve learnt to understand the beauty of combining cultures, so in my filmmaking I take loads of inspiration from East Asian filmmaking but then I’ll take dialogue from the UK, British dialogue and then maybe with an American aesthetic. And then when you do that, you put all these things together, you get a wonderful and unique result.”

Kaylen is currently harnessing his talents as part of the 

 The initiative, launched by Converse and John Boyega, will focus on supporting five young, black, London-based filmmakers. They will receive mentoring from Boyega and a team of other creatives and will be given funding for a five-minute film.

Over a meal at his Peckham staple, JB Soul and Food, we touch on the initiative and how important it is for youngsters like him to be supported when telling their authentic stories. This is especially powerful in South London where gentrification has meant that many locals have been forced out or have had their voices stifled.


I think this is very important because I think it will certainly be a bridge to people who haven’t got voices or a place to enter an industry. And that can mean many different people, obviously there’s race, but also disability, people who don’t really feel seen.

, also a Peckham native, who has been vocal about supporting young talent from less well-off communities and acknowledging the lack of representation in the industry.

Kaylen aims to shine a light on diverse perspectives through his artistry. He explains that he draws inspiration from the minority cultures that he’s grown up around with many of his characters “

inspired by real life people and my interactions with people.

It’s not just the people that have helped him along the way, it’s the area itself. He takes us to Pollard’s Hill, a spot close to his house where he comes when he needs to clear his head. 

“I tend to go here when I have a lot on my mind or have to make a big decision, seeing the view of the city helps me put things into perspective.”

Next on our tour is Purley Way Valley Park and then Peckham Pulse - a leisure centre he loved as a child. He says, “

I often believe that places you loved as a kid should always stick with you because your child self is your true self if that makes sense.

This feels especially relevant when he tells us, outside the iconic Peckhamplex, that he’s wanted to be in filmmaking since he was a young boy, when he used to pester his mum to get the latest Percy Jackson’s.


“I really loved how I’d be transported to whole new worlds with characters that are not so different to me. I found it beautiful, and it became something I wanted to do too.”

With the support of the Converse All Stars Programme Kaylen is poised to translate his drive and unique perspective into real world success, while giving a voice to his beloved multicultural community at the same time. Support the creators by joining them at the Create Next Film Project premiere taking place on April 12, at The Curzon Soho. The filmmakers will be sharing their work alongside John Boyega.