With new single “No Pressure”, NSJ reflects on resilience and his journey so far as he talks about his musical firsts.

Re-defining the London music scene, south London-based NSJ Mali has already taken the underground scene by storm. Despite being only 20, his music is defined by its lyrical maturity, drawing on his experiences with London life and the ambitions of young people. This lyrical talent goes one step further across his Instagram and TikTok accounts with his rap freestyles.

 

It’s this intricate wordplay and fast-paced rap that has made NSJ Mali such a stand out among the highly talented rap scene, marking him as a trailblazer who continues to push the boundaries of music. Born in Kennington to Jamaican-Nigerian heritage, NSJ Mali raps in “Origins” that he was ‘made in the Hill’, moving between Streatham Hill and Brixton.

 

This south London sound can be heard across his musical catalogue, including in his new single “No Pressure”. Using dramatic bass and percussion to accompany his fast rap flow, NSJ Mali manages to produce a track that defines him as a new voice in the genre with huge potential. The collaboration with Mugzz shows the best of their talents, adding range to the song and producing a music video which shows that music is at its core fun.

 

The standout lyric from “No Pressure” captures NSJ’s outlook on his career as he raps: ‘I’ve always been known as a go-getter’. It’s this ambition that stands out as he describes his musical firsts.

First song you ever made?

One of the first songs I ever made was called ‘Reality’ in late 2019, which I ended using as my debut single back in 2020.

First time you fell in love with music?

I’ve always loved music growing up, but I think I would say when I heard ‘Time’ by Hanz Zimmer from the Inception soundtrack was when I truly fell in love with music.

First CD or record you owned?

I never personally owned a CD or record, which is actually crazy thinking about it, but I remember using my mums CD collection to listen to Tupac.

First time you realized you wanted to be an artist?

Late 2019 in college when I was bored out of my mind I realised I had a story to tell and decided it was going to be through music.

First gig you went to?

None yet, I’ve always said to myself the first show I go to will be my own, but I do wanna see Frank Ocean live.

First time you faced an obstacle in your career?

Copyright issues, had to learn the hard way but eventually, we sorted everything out.

First instrument you owned?

I got a piano during the first lockdown to practice, but had a pretty bad accident that damaged my hands for a while so haven’t had chance to practice much.

First time you felt like giving up?

I never give up. Fortunately, that’s what makes NSJ Mali NSJ Mali.

First time you felt starstruck?

Nothing has made me quite starstruck yet, but I think if I was to bump into one of my favourite artists I most definitely would be.

First time you ticked off a bucket list goal?

When I got my first million streams with my song ‘Ether’. I actually ticked two boxes cause I had five million streams in that list which I eventually passed also.

Listen to NSJ Mali below: