London artist Kasien grew up in the south of the city via a stint in a Lagos boarding school during his teens – both settings which made him “open to different cultures, sounds, tastes and lifestyles”. Through making music, he follows in the footsteps of his late father DJ Swing, who was part of the Boogie Bunch and soundtracked the family home with hip-hop and neo-soul classics. In fact, Kasien’s earliest musical memory is hearing him play tracks like Bone Thugs ‘N’ Harmony’s 1999 hit “1st of tha Month” and Robert Miles’s “Children” on regular rotation.

Kasien credits “life, my Nigerian and Jamaican heritage, death, my parents, drugs, nightlife and emotions” as the major influences behind his music, which materialises as forward-thinking international-sounding rap that’s worlds away from that of his fellow south Londoners. This is due, perhaps, to him honing his writing style while living in Lagos, where he studied alongside alté scene pioneers DRB LasGidi and Afrobeats mainstay Davido.

On his debut EP I Found Paradise In Hell, Kasien sums up life as he knows it. “I feel like I’m always trying to find peace and tranquillity in the midst of chaos,” he tells us of the project, written part in LA, part during lockdown in London. “The EP itself is a collection of songs that describe the moods I’ve felt over the past year as I’ve been trying to find my balance in the world. My paradise in hell on earth.” In other words, the seven tracks follow a journey the artist has been on personally – from the family-focussed “Oh My Gosh” to the poppy lead single “Cloud 9” – maintaining an unbreakable positivity the whole way.

“I make motivational music,” Kasien says. “I’m the guy that will tell you to get up and get it but also tell you you’re not alone when you feel down and out.”