The Face Mix 002: Kenny Allstar
The BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ has put together a mix which merges his usual genre favourites; afrobeats to dancehall, and hip-hop covering all angles.
It was a trip to a carnival with his father at the age of nine that inspired Kenny Allstar to get into music. Now a highly respected name, known for his mixes which merge afro beats with rap and drill with hip-hop, it’s Kenny’s ear for mixing that got him snapped up by BBC 1xtra, where he currently holds the Friday night slot as the radio station’s resident DJ.
As an advocate for supporting young talent, Allstar released his debut album, Block Diaries, in 2018 covering genres from hip-hop and afroswing, to drill and grime – the album being an ode to Allstar’s younger years growing up in tower blocks, and wanting to reach out to the kids living in council estates now, who are perhaps living in less fortunate situations.
This month, the London heavyweight has put together his “Kenny Allstar in the club” mix, merging his favourite genres and keeping it up-beat – perfect for the warmer weather.
Listen to Kenny Allstar’s mix in the player above.
What’s the vibe and direction of your The Face mix?
Kenny Allstar in the club; afrobeats to dancehall, and hip-hop covering all angles of what I do in the club.
What’s special about the era of UK rap that we’re in right now?
Anyone can go from being on the phone rapping to their camera to becoming a global star, young people having power in the palm of their hands, and obviously seeing so many rappers I’ve come up with getting chart success is special.
Which parts of your work as a DJ and host make you feel good inside?
Seeing guys blow straight off one of my platforms is what really makes my job amazing.
Which upcoming rappers should we keep an eye out for?
This is a hard one because there are so many, but I’d say anyone you see on one of my platforms (Mad About Bars or BBC 1xtra Freestyles) is definitely one to watch.
