In Talks With BBC 1Xtra’s Hottest DJ & Artist Jeremiah Asiamah

Championed by no other than Toddla T as“The hottest new DJ on the scene”, Jeremiah Asiamah has been making some profound moves over the last few years. Hailing from South London, the ascending DJ, earlier this year was given his residency on BBC 1Xtra, stepped out as an artist in his own right and more recently took over Todda T’s show on Radio 1 – impressive right?! In pursing his love for music from a young age, the 23-year-old has since traveled across the world performing an array of sets and even thrown his own online carnival with the likes of Sean Paul, Kenny Allstar, Tiwa Savage, Afro B and more as headline acts!

Although he’s still at the very start of his career, Jeremiah Asiamah has been breaking boundaries and paving a lane for many of the next generation of up and coming DJ’s, broadcasters and artists to come. We caught up with Jeremiah Asiamah to find out more about his journey and more!

How have you been? How have you been finding this pandemic?

It’s been alright, I can’t really complain! I know it sounds weird to say, but when you’re working and stuff it’s actually calm. You know what it’s like though, can’t go clubbing or link up with anyone!

I saw it was your birthday earlier this week, how was it?! What did you do to celebrate?

I just stayed at home, I went to see my boys – social distanced of course, and that was pretty much it! I don’t really like birthdays you know, I like the attention on Twitter *laughs* but I don’t like it in real life – it’s a bit cringe!

For those who aren’t aware of who you are, could you talk us through a bit about your upbringing and how you were introduced to music?

So, my name is Jeremiah Asiamah, I’m 23 from Lewisham, South London and I love Dance music as well representing Soundsystem culture. For those that don’t know what Soundsystem culture is, it’s music that represents Africa and the Caribbean and I love merging that into House music, which usually comes under Afro-House or Carnival-House music.

My first introduction to music was quite different because I have Ghanaian parents, when my Dad used to live with my Mum, I used to hear massive old-school Ghanaian records 24/7. As I grew up, I never had access to the internet like that, you know that downloading app called Napster? That was my first one. I missed the whole Myspace era, I never had access to YouTube from early it was only ever TV or Radio – all the records I heard were quite Pop, like the Justin Timberlake’s and the Justin Bieber’s, so I grew to love Pop music early!

In school I got kicked out and then I got kicked out my house, this obviously wasn’t a route I wanted to go down so I thought about what I could do that was going to benefit me. I’ve always enjoyed music, I used to listen to Kiss FM a lot when I was growing up, they did this thing called ‘Kisstory’, it was Garage and R&B music and I thought maybe I want to be a DJ?! I used to watch a lot of Jersey Shore as well, DJ Pauly D was on there and he went out, DJ’d, got girls and money, I was thinking surely life can’t be that simple?! *laughs*  At 13, 14 or 15, I was thinking do you know what, maybe I do want to be a DJ! I’ve done a lot of things in life that I’ve given up on but DJ’ing was never like that, so I began doing my research and watched Boiler Room sets from DJ EZ and Carl Cox and started learning about the craft.

I taught myself at home, with no decks, just on my laptop. I used to close my eyes and try to figure out the BPM to beat match. I would test myself, I would even button-bash my keyboard a lot and put my body to the test – it even got to the point at one point where I was had blisters all over my hand because I was pressing the button so much! *laughs*

Sounded like a DJ camp in your bedroom! *laughs*

Oh for real! It was a whole DJ camp, I was just grinding, and I thought if I am going to do this, I’m going to do it properly, but that’s how I started really.

So, you have been with 1Xtra for a hot minute, how did your journey with 1Xtra start? Was this a station you had always wanted to work on?

I was at Reprezent from about 15, funnily enough it was my Mum that made me go to the radio course because I said I wanted to do radio as well. Radio has been a huge part in me finding my identity, when I was at Reprezent, it was my only access to DJ equipment so I would go in everyday and every night, skipping school just to practice DJ’ing. People would hear me in the practice rooms and say that I was sick, word was getting around that I was talented, but no one knew who I was still.

I met Toddla T, whose show I have just taken over on Radio 1, he booked me for his rave after seeing me DJ at Reprezent. The last 10 minutes before the end of my set, the BBC producer came to the building and wanted to get me on 1Xtra, I did a guest mix and everyone loved it, then I got a residency which was 6 months long but I made sure I made a good impression so that when it was done, I was still able to work. I was DJ’ing with Tinie Tempah in Ibiza for two summers straight, I was going to all these different countries to DJ and I was still 18 or 19 at the time. The word was getting around that there was this young guy from the block that isn’t playing your typical R&B records – if I was playing Ashanti’s ‘Foolish’, I would mix it with a Drum and Bass record, I would always mix it up so people wouldn’t expect it! People liked that I was a Black guy that wasn’t doing what everyone else was doing, that’s how it happened with 1Xtra! I ended up doing more cover shows, and this year on February 14^th I got my own show!

You just briefly mentioned about you finding your identity through doing radio, how have you found cultivating your personality? Do you think it’s helped you with your personal growth at all?

When I got kicked out my house when I was younger, I was a little stubborn kid. My phone and laptop were taken from me, I had no access to the internet. I used to listen to Clara Amfo when she was on Kiss every morning, I used to steal the person’s phone whose house I was staying at! I always thought that when you texted the radio it was a scam but when she responded back to me, it was nice because it was during a time where I was so lonely – I had someone to speak to. When I started at the BBC, I didn’t know how to be myself because I wanted to be like Clara Amfo, Mista Jam or Annie Mac, I would forget that the BBC took me for me – it’s taken me over 2 years to really find my identity on 1Xtra.

For people of my age at the time, most people from where I’m from were stereotyped to either end up in three places, behind bars, dead or on the streets. I came out of school with 4 GCSE’s, if I can’t get into Uni because of my grades, I would spend 8 hours practicing DJ’ing instead of being at a lecture – that mindset really helped me to build who I am today. Even though I am only 23, if I can do it at 23 and I’m only just starting out, then you can do it as well.

I was shocked to find out you were only 23! You have done a lot for your age!

Yeah! By the grace of God, I am a massive believer of God – I genuinely do believe that nothing would be possible without him. When you get put into these positions, it’s no longer just about you, my aim isn’t to just be a DJ or presenter for 2 years because I want to do it forever. There will be become a time where people look up to me, not to sound arrogant, but as a legend or an icon! So young people both men and women can look up to me, if Jeremiah can do it then so can I – you know what I’m saying? Everyone’s timing is different but know if I can get there then so can you!

You recently took over Todda T’s Soundsystem on Radio 1 for the rest of the year – which is sick! How are you finding it?  

I took over the show just over 6 weeks ago! Radio 1 has always been a dream of mine and although it’s still very early on in my radio career, the fact I’ve been announced to take over the show means so much to me. It’s a blessing! I just want to play Dance music, I don’t really see a lot of Black people from the UK who want to push dance music like that who are young, so to be able to have a platform where I can still represent Africa, the Caribbean and be true to myself is the dream for me!

You have had a very busy year! You even put on your own online carnival which is mad! What was your experience like in curating this? You had some pretty big acts on the line up!

Yeah! First of all, big up Island Records and Notting Hill Carnival! I’ve been to Notting Hill Carnival twice and the first time I went – you know what it’s like when you catch that whine! *laughs* For me, besides the whines, the culture is amazing! I wanted to get to the stage in my career where I could throw a carnival that represents me, I couldn’t do that live and physically this year but there was no way I couldn’t not do it! My manager and I were speaking to Island, they loved the idea, but I really wanted to go big with it to make sure the full experience was there!We had some big headliners like Tiwa Savage, Skip Marley, House Gospel Choir, Afro B and Kenny Allstar – it was a real opportunity for people to enjoy carnival within their own homes! It was amazing, we have over 50,000 viewers in the space of a day! We created a happy space for people to enjoy!

You have had a very busy year! You even put on your own online carnival which is mad! What was your experience like in curating this? You had some pretty big acts on the line up!

Yeah! First of all, big up Island Records and Notting Hill Carnival! I’ve been to Notting Hill Carnival twice and the first time I went – you know what it’s like when you catch that whine! *laughs* For me, besides the whines, the culture is amazing! I wanted to get to the stage in my career where I could throw a carnival that represents me, I couldn’t do that live and physically this year but there was no way I couldn’t not do it! My manager and I were speaking to Island, they loved the idea, but I really wanted to go big with it to make sure the full experience was there!We had some big headliners like Tiwa Savage, Skip Marley, House Gospel Choir, Afro B and Kenny Allstar – it was a real opportunity for people to enjoy carnival within their own homes! It was amazing, we have over 50,000 viewers in the space of a day! We created a happy space for people to enjoy!

Did you have a lot of creative control then?

Yeah, 100%! Island obviously helped getting a hold of Tiwa Savage and Sean Paul etc, there was no point in partnering up with such an incredible label if I didn’t have my own influence on it. For me, it’s all about keeping true to yourself, no matter how great the opportunity is to have people see your face and have your name all over it – if people tune in and it doesn’t represent you then you’ve taken the L! I made sure that we represented what I was about as well as what carnival is about, that’s why everyone on the line-up, when I introduced them it was nothing but love! That was the most fun thing about it, was having the creative control! From the stage design, to how I wanted it to look, how I wanted it to flow and how I wanted it to be promoted – it was sick!

You have released two tracks so far this year, with both “Get Down” and “Back It Up” – could you tell us a bit more about these releases?

It’s so fun! I’ve always enjoyed playing other peoples records but sometimes I’ve wondered ‘What if it sounded like this?!’ – you know what I’m saying? I don’t really hear a lot of people that can blend my representation of Africa and the Caribbean into a dance record that actually sounds good! Sometimes they either go too dancey or afrobeat’s, so I wanted to find a way to meet them in the middle. It’s been amazing, I’ve worked with some amazing people on the records! Even with my third release, Spotify put me as the face of the ‘UK House’ music playlist! It’s crazy how life works if you just work hard and trust God!

What made you decide that now is the right time to be releasing your own material?

I was throwing parties a lot last summer, it was all about bringing Bashment, House and Garage together! Those parties were great, but people kept questioning what it was really about, some people just wanted to come to listen to either of those genres, so I went away and re-branded. Something was missing, how was I going to build a name for myself outside of radio and be booked to DJ without being relied on to play other peoples records. I don’t want to be playing alongside Calvin Harris or Diplo and my set is full of songs that they might include, I want to do a set that is full of my records.

What’s been your favorite show yet that you have performed at?

In terms of music or experience? Because I can give you two crazy answers!

Go on then, give us both!

My craziest experience was when I was 19 playing at Disturbing Ibiza for Tinie Tempah, I messaged him asking when he was going to be playing ‘Drinking From The Bottle’ because I wanted to come out and perform it. I came out on stage whilst he was performing, I had a 1L bottle of Vodka and drank the whole bottle on stage…

What?! No way! *laughs*

*laughs* The aftermath was a deathly experience…! The other experience would be when I played Glastonbury at 18, I got booked last minute for Toddla T’s stage and I was on at 3am. I did 10-11pm, Diplo was meant to be a special guest, but he dropped out last minute, everyone was waiting for a special guest and I was thinking ‘Rah?! I’m the special guest?!’, I hadn’t planned my set because I was only planning to do one, however, I always have a playlist just in case that’s called ‘Main Set’. In life you never know what can come your way, so I played that from my USB – I was so nervous, but I smashed it! Calvin Harris mentioned to someone that he loved my set, all the people I looked up to were there and were appreciating what I did, it was amazing!

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to go down the presenting route and would like a residency slot on such a big station?

In terms of going down the radio route, a lot of people now want things so quickly, but it took me 6-7 years just to get my full-time show on the BBC and 5 years just to get a residency, but during those years I put in a lot of hours! I risked failing school to do radio, not that I want anyone else to do that, but as soon as you get home from school and you have smashed out your schoolwork, practice DJ’ing! When you research it, do it properly! The same way you would prepare for an exam at school, you need to represent that same energy into the field you want to go into! When you get there, no one can undermine your talent because you have studied your craft so well.

I used to listen to the radio and make notes about how a certain DJ would present and almost re-enact how they would do it. In terms of the DJ aspect, trust the process but you will always succeed if you are genuine, humble and really hard-working –  I know it’s cliché, but when I mean hardworking I mean hardworking in capital letters! There have been so many times in my career that I have wanted to give up, I literally put myself through DJ camp – I made my own bootcamp! *laughs* When I look back now, all of those late hours where I was practicing what I wanted to do it’s all paid off!

This industry is not an easy one to get into, what are your thoughts on working for free at the very first stages of your career? Our generation isn’t always the most driven when it comes to things like that…

Yeah! I don’t believe in getting exploited. There is a difference between knowing your worth and making effort! Very early on for me, I was always doing DJ sets for free – I went to Brighton to DJ for 7 hours and only got paid £50 and I paid for my own ticket! It wasn’t about the money for me, it was about the experience and to grow from it. Money always comes and goes, if you go into a room and your first initiative isn’t going to get money, then you are more likely to get seen. If money is your main focus you will never last long – that’s my mindset!  

What are your plans for 2021? Anything we can look out for?

Taking a vaccine! Nah I’m joking! *laughs* For me, it’s more about working on music, working on a podcast and giving back to the community! Continue to grow as a broadcaster, a DJ and a producer but most importantly helping people that are struggling – that’s pretty much me man!

Keep up to date with all things Jeremiah Asiamah via his Instagram here!