On Twitter, they call Abdi TV “the plug” – an appropriate nickname for a self-made tastemaker who made his name giving other artists a leg up. Since 2012, Abdi has been accruing followers at rapid pace, drawn in by his sharp sense of humour and eye for spotting the hottest UK grime, rap and urban talent just as it’s about to blow. From now-established artists like Stormzy and Krept & Konan to fast-rising newcomers like Abra Cadabra and Young T and Bugsey, Abdi has been there to give them a leg up. “I’ve definitely helped a lot, I’ve made some careers,” says Abdi. “People say to me, if you don't tweet it, the music’s not that good.”
Abdi joined Twitter in 2012, and at first music took a back seat to banter. “At first I just used it to post funny pictures, make fun of people. But then I posted my first video, a Stormzy video. He must have retweeted it, because it got a lot of retweets, a bit of hype. After that I started posting other videos and I built up a bit of a following – soon I had over 5,000 followers. It just built up.” Now he has 30,000 followers, and his tweets of 30-second video clips routinely get retweets in the hundreds.
With Remy Sounds I'm trying to make a platform where the content is all good. I want to have quality control
This isn’t a day job for Abdi – not yet, anyway. Right now he’s a computer science student in his second year at Coventry. “I thought about dropping out of uni to do the music thing full time,” he laughs, “But I've only got a year left.” He has chosen to take his career to the next step by founding his own YouTube channel, Remy Sounds, where he hopes to host exclusive video clips from up-and-coming and established artists. “I'm trying to make a platform where the content is all good. I want to have quality control – good music, not lots of music. So it’s all about playing the long game. I see it creating careers, expanding outside the UK.”
Watch a Remy Sounds freestyle recorded at Red Bull Studios London below.
So what’s going to be big in 2017? “Afrobeats is going to have a big year,” he thinks. “But I don't think they're going to call it Afrobeats. There’s this sound called Afroswing, which has an Afrobeats feel but mixes it up with a bit of rap, a bit of singing. Kind of what Drake did with Controlla.” Being versatile, he thinks is the way forward. “Look at Stormzy – he can do a grimy, violent song, and he can do a love song. Drake has got the looks, he can sing, he can act, he can rap - he can do a song with Section Boyz, then he can do a song with Mariah Carey if he wants.”
Abdi TV picks 4 artists to watch in 2017
His track My 9ine really blew up last year. He’s what they call Afroswing – it’s like Afrobeat, but melding together different genres.
He’s part of the New Gen project. Check out his track his song River Cry, which samples Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River.
He’s really versatile - he does grime, he can also rap. This is just a freestyle, but he’s on nearly 200,000 views.
He did that Fine Wine song with Kojo Funds. He's got an American vibe – he can rap, he can do love songs, any type of music he wants. He's got the looks too – girls are going to love him.