logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
24m 8s

Music as a tool for self-expression with...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Biig Piig, Nayana IZ, Puma Blue and Louis Culture explore the power of community, how social media has affected the way they make music, and what it's like to make music as an introvert.

Biig Piig blends soul-tinged melodies over hip-hop and pop beats with lyrics in English and Spanish. After growing up between Ireland and Spain, she moved to London and joined the Nine8 music collective alongside Nayana IZ.

Born in India and raised in North London, Nayana was named on BBC Asian Network's 2020 Future Sounds list and last year released her debut EP Smoke & Fly.

Puma Blue is a musician and songwriter originally from South London, now based in Atlanta. His first two EPs have built up millions of streams and he recently dropped his debut album In Praise of Shadows to critical acclaim.

Also representing South London is rapper and lyricist Louis Culture, who released his debut EP Smile Soundsystem last year and has worked with Frank Ocean producer Vegyn.

Up next
Mar 2024
The time machine of tradition with Brìghde Chaimbeul, Sam Amidon, Linda Buckley and Rhodri Davies
Brìghde Chaimbeul, Rhodri Davies, Sam Amidon and Linda Buckley discuss the roles of tradition and place in music, and what they might think about when performing.Brìghde Chaimbeul is a Gaelic musician, composer and bagpipe player. Her music stems from traditional Gaelic material, ... Show More
31m 36s
Mar 2024
Limitations are limitless, with Caterina Barbieri, Kali Malone, Moritz Von Oswald and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Caterina Barbieri, Kali Malone, Moritz Von Oswald and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe discuss the role limitations play in the creative process, and whether they can be a source for creativity, if working with limitations helps sharpen one’s aesthetics and define one’s unique artistic vo ... Show More
30m 20s
Mar 2024
Everything's a drum with Ane Brun, Amelia Meath and Linden Jay
Ane Brun, Linden Jay and Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath discuss collaboration, navigating between genres and lyrical inspirations.Ane Brun is a musician hailing from Norway but based in Sweden, who also runs the label Balloon Ranger. Her music is rooted in folk pop and she's released ... Show More
25m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
9. The 3Ps: Pop Culture (ft. Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam, Yuna, May Calamawy, and Minhal Baig)
What do musicians Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam and Yuna, actor May Calamawy, and filmmaker Minhal Baig all have in common?They are proof of what revolutionary representation can look like. These story guides have used their art forms to search for the deepest parts of themselves and c ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2014
Songs from Africa
Music from the rising stars of Africa, including wordsmiths M.Anifest from Ghana and Tumi from South Africa, whose conscious rap uses lyrics to challenge and delight. Also featuring Aziza Brahim from western Sahara, Songhai Blues from Mali, Lala Njava from Madagascar, Nigerian po ... Show More
49m 53s
Jul 2019
Nadia Rose, Tony Blackburn, Gideon Coe and Kojo Anim
6 Music presenter Gideon Coe, Legendary DJ Tony Blackburn, Grime artist Nadia Rose and comic Kojo Anim join Colin Murray to pick the track they first heard as a child yet still love to this day, second albums better than the first and best artists from Croydon. Features music fro ... Show More
1h 23m
May 2022
3. "Muslim Cool" (ft. Dr. Su’ad, Mumu Fresh, Brother Ali, and Ilyasah Shabazz)
Conceptualized by Dr. Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, the journey of Muslim Cool takes us on an exploration of Knowledge of Self through the lens of hiphop, Islam, and Blackness. The stories we tell through our names, music, and the identities formed around us. Come for the music. Stay for ... Show More
58m 1s
Sep 2018
Maimouna Youssef AKA Mumu Fresh Is Ready For The Spotlight
The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter talks about her Native American heritage, how she learned to rap and what it's like to navigate the music industry as an independent artist. 
37m 10s
Sep 2022
The future of hip-hop: Atlanta
Cakes Da Killa is in Atlanta, the epicentre of hip-hop and home of trap music. The success of southern queer artists like Lil Nas X and Saucy Santana has brought more diversity into the genre, but boundaries and prejudice are still strong. Despite differences in their backgrounds ... Show More
50m 58s
Jul 2023
Immersive Joy: Yinka Ilori & Kelsey Lu
Kelsey Lu is a classically trained musician whose work is defined by otherworldly electro-classical sound, and by collaborations with artists including Solange and Blood Orange. Yinka Ilori is known for creating bold, colourful designs informed by his British-Nigerian heritage, o ... Show More
21 m