Brit Award, Mercury Music Prize and Ivor Novello nominee Kojey Radical has announced his debut Australian live shows, headed down under for the Reason To Smile Tour playing two intimate headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne this September/October.
Wednesday 27 September | Mary’s Underground | Sydney, NSW
Wednesday 4 October | Howler | Melbourne, VIC
The Hoxton-based, Ghana-born multi-genre artist (real name Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah) has emerged as one of the UK’s most thrilling and unique creative voices – as witnessed on his acclaimed 15-track 2022 debut album, Reason to Smile. With a dexterous skill for words, socially minded approach and maverick experimentation, Kojey emerged into the mainstream after finally dropping his long-awaited studio album last year, following on from a series of acclaimed EPs released over the past decade. Shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and included in both Album and Video of the Year categories at Britain’s MOBO Awards, Reason to Smile saw Kojey also nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act. The critical praise continued into 2023, with a nod for Best New Artist at the Brit Awards in February.
Defined by a sound he describes as “space and bass” and also featuring the singles (and sensational accompanying videos) ‘Payback (ft. Knucks)’, ‘War Outside (ft Lex Amor)’ and ‘Gangsta’, Reason To Smile is without doubt Kojey Radical’s most ambitious and complete work to date and an emphatic statement of the levels at which he operates. With album number two currently in the works, Kojey can also be heard on recent singles by Emmeline (‘Dust’), SHY FX’s ‘Good Morning’, SOLOMON’s ‘phases’, as well as his notable appearance on Mahalia’s ‘Wassup’.
As a musician, poet, visual artist and aspiring actor Kojey Radical is an artist who refuses to be penned in. “I’ve always seen myself as a servant of creativity,” said Kojey, ahead of Reason To Smile’s release. “I’m only here to contribute. Outside of that it’s not about me.” Blending everything from rap to jazz, spoken word to funk, Kojey manages to wrap narrations on the conditions of country, the celebrations of community and the relationship with self into soulful, rhythmic sounds that carry at stage shows and festivals. By doing so, he has become a voice for the unheard.
Don’t miss the incredible Kojey Radical next month!