Fifteen years ago, Eddie Agyeman, Kwabz Oduro Ayim and Kingsley Okyere co-founded Mixtape Madness, with the idea of offering a platform for underground rap. What started on SoundCloud and YouTube has since evolved into a hugely successful, multi-faceted business. Here, Music Week meets the inspiring trio to mark their anniversary, talk evolution and reflect on the current state of their beloved genre…
WORDS: COLLEEN HARRIS PHOTOS: CHAUFFEUR B
efore the world tunes in, there are platforms built from the ground up – close to the culture they represent, nurturing talent from day one. Fifteen years ago, Mixtape Madness was founded on exactly those principles, dedicated to UK underground rap. What began as a bedroom idea – with co-founders Eddie Agyeman, Kwabz Oduro Ayim and Kingsley Okyere uploading tracks to SoundCloud and YouTube – has grown into a trusted platform that’s left its mark on the careers of many, including Headie One, M Huncho, Digga D and more.
Together, the friends balance each other naturally. Agyeman is the quiet, laid-back one, happy to let Okyere take the lead in conversation, while Oduro Ayim adds a level of industry experience (his artist management CV includes time co-managing Digga D and he is part of the team behind M Huncho).
Never ones to make much noise about themselves, humility has kept them grounded and focused on the work that really matters – supporting emerging talent. “Just understanding the journey that the platform has taken has been phenomenal to watch,” begins Agyeman. “I feel grateful and fortunate to have got to this point,” nods Oduro Ayim. “Understanding the importance of the responsibility that comes with the privilege to do this and the humility that comes with gratitude keeps you grounded.”
The trio are clear about what sparked it all. Mixtape Madness began with a simple ambition: to give UK underground rappers a place to upload music for free when the wider industry wasn’t built for them. “We come from a pirate radio era where underground
music was well and truly underground and only people from our backgrounds were invested in it,” says Okyere. While the likes of Dizzee Rascal had broken into the
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mainstream around the time they were getting going, they saw many more weren’t being given a platform. “We would upload free mixtapes or speak to artists and use it as a promotional tool to get people to buy into their live shows or potentially the release of an album,” explains Okyere.
From the start, the platform was audio-first. Tracks went up on SoundCloud and then later on YouTube, so artists could test the waters and build a following. “A lot of artists used it to test out early singles,” says Agyeman. “So the likes of J Hus and MoStack put their audio on our channel and if it got a lot of traction, then they’d go and make a video for that song.” Building on the early momentum, Mixtape Madness went on to launch Mic Merkers, a showcase putting a spotlight on MCs to watch. Soon after, a partnership with DJ Kenny Allstar (who would become a BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter) gave rise to the cult Mad About Bars freestyle brand. From there, the platform kept expanding – evolving into a record label, website and social platform that together form a home for the scene. By now, Mixtape Madness has 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, more than the founders ever imagined. “It’s surreal, but we put in the work,” says Okyere. “And we feel like we deserve to be in this race for as long as we can. So long may it continue.”
“It’s really important to celebrate your career milestones,” adds Oduro Ayim. With that, the trio settle into a conversation with Music Week to reflect on what they’ve learned, new partnerships and their thoughts on the music industry’s support for UK rap…
musicweek.com
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