We see no Evil in YETUNDEY’s new EP, only good beats.

A nod is given to Yetundey’s Nigerian heritage in opening track ‘Yeye from Africa’, the first few seconds of drum and vocals giving way suddenly and inexplicably to a wall of synth and beats as the rapper launches into gear. The triumphal tone here moves quickly into new realms, and a penchant for trap emerges through the rolling bass of darker tracks ‘Terrorist’ and ‘What We Want’.

There are still further surprises, with the piano and strings-led ‘Big City Life’ providing a different tone to the songs either side. The lyrics are at their best here too, with a head of steam built up towards an impressive showcase of vocal dexterity. Closer, ‘Djinn’ is perhaps the highlight, melding a slower tempo with the ever-present bass to create an eery yet somehow still exotic atmosphere.

There’s plenty in the vocals here to remind you of New York’s Princess Nokia, and the beats behind at their best compliment the eclecticism of the content.

Now. Press repeat.

For the occasion, Yetundey took the time to answer a few question to indieBerlin.

YETUNDEY: I grew up with an enormous variety of music. My parents listened to everything from Sting over Jean Jacque Goldman to rap music. Then I got many different musical influences through dancing. The genres there varied a lot as well since I did ballet, modern, tap dance and hip-hop. And then the probably most influential were Disney movies. Don’t ask me where the connection between Disney and rap is…

Sometimes even boredom can be very inspiring.

indieBerlin: How did you come up with the name YETUNDEY?

YETUNDEY: Yetunde is actually my second name. It’s a traditional Nigerian name, I just altered the spelling of my artist name a little. I am proud of my heritage and that’s what I want to stand for. It’s a name with a meaning and tradition. Just like hip-hop, it has values and a history that should not be forgotten and that I want to share. Even if with time the way of expressing myself alters or my music changes I always proudly carry my roots and values with me: respect, education, self-expression, community.

indieBerlin: Where do you get your inspiration from?

YETUNDEY: Whatever moves me is a reason to write a song. That can be an experience, a conversation, other music I hear, any emotion I feel or see in others and sometimes even boredom can be very inspiring.

indieBerlin: How do you feel about covering a song?

YETUNDEY: For some unexplainable reason I am not capable of doing that… There are a lot of songs I love and secretly sing along to but I just can’t do any covers. It feels unnatural.

indieBerlin: Do you prefer to play big festivals/stages or smaller club gigs?

YETUNDEY: I’ve not played any festivals yet, so it’s hard to say. But I do love the vibe of the audience at festivals. They’re crazier and unpredictable so I imagine it being very fun if I had a festival concert.

indieBerlin: With whom would you like to share the stage with?

YETUNDEY: Easy question: King Skepta, Queen Little Simz, and Emperor Kendrick.

indieBerlin: In ten years you look back to today and think:

YETUNDEY: Good that I didn’t study medicine.

indieBerlin: Do you dream in color or black and white?

YETUNDEY: I dream so much crazy shit it needs to be in color?

indieBerlin: Do you want to greet somebody ?

YETUNDEY: I want to thank my family for all the support they have given me all these years. Without them, none of this would ever be possible! I also have many dear friends which have helped me in so many ways. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many enlightened people!