Ekoh - London O2 Academy2 Islington 20/03

Char
Mar 22
3 min read

"When the kids raised on Eminem and Linkin Park grew up and had something to say"

Ekoh is everything Turbulent Music stands for; not afraid to fit in a single genre box, passionately standing up for causes he believes in and producing music filled with heart. Leaving record labels behind, Ekoh is pushing his art independently and taking control of his narrative to speak freely about real life experiences on topics such as suicide, drug abuse, mental health and not forgetting superheroes. With his first run in the UK, it's clear Ekoh already has a strong following here that will continue to grow. With support from LA rapper Ryan Oakes, the night was fueled by raw passion, emotion, and some of the most impressive vocals on the scene right now!

Ryan Oakes - "trying to blend the genres so well to a point where you can’t label what we’re doing"

Before starting 'Better off dead', Oakes passionatly spoke to the crowd about the songs deep meaning, "What would it be like if I treated the people who abused me the same way?"

Oakes is a natural for working the crowd, interacting with fans between songs including splitting the room in half to see who can shout the loudest. "That may be the best crowd in the world!" he proclaims after the room arupts to his call and response. There are dedicated fans here to see Oakes, but even the people who have yet to hear his music before tonight the are fully invested in each word he has to say. Being another artist to bend genres and having struggled working alongside record labels with false promises, Oakes pours raw emotion into his entire performance, from his lyric delivery to stage presence

With exclaiming how 'Slow motion' reached half a million plays, its apparent that great things are to come in Oakes' future, hopefully with a return to the UK for a headline slot as this would be easily achievable for him.

Ekoh - "one fan at a time, one song at a time, one show at a time”

From the first vocal line of 'Pressure', Ekoh had the room buzzing with energy to match his own. The intimacy of Academy2 Islington made an electric night of raw emotion between artist and fans. With lyrics being chanted back, Ekoh's interactions with the crowd, and insights behind his personal struggles, you could feel the respect flow both ways and why 'Heart Hop' has become a movement, not just a sound.

'Heater 2' showcased Ekoh's incredible rap ability, not missing a single beat or lyric during its intricate verses, making it appear that rapping at high speeds is second nature to him. The chemistry between him and DJ Kode Break filled the stage with bouncing energy and friendly banter adding to the performance element of the show.

"You guys tell me what's good and what's not, fuck the labels!" Ekoh makes sure to let the fans know it's always their opinion that matters to him, he makes music for himself, not following the lead of music executives for the sake of money. His music is from the heart and truly personal, this is what gives him such a unique sound as well as performance style, making sure to sing to fans and give eye contact when he can see that a certain song is hitting someone on a deeper level.

Continuing the crowd interaction into the night, "Which side of the venue wants to put my life in their hands?" as he jumps amongst everyone before being lifted up. 'Villain' starts with the fast rap from on top of the crowd, the chorus chanted back from around the room creating a charged atmosphere before Ekoh lays down to crowd surf along to the next chorus.

The nights setlist was well planned, making the mix of heavier rock to primarily rap songs flow together as smoothly as his verses and including the fans favorites such as 'Pickle Rick', one of the biggest songs of the night.

Finishing the night with a cover of Linkin Park's 'In the end', Ekoh introduced it with an emotional speech, "I lost my brother the same way we lost Chester, talk to someone who cares. If they don't, get rid of them, if you have no one, DM me!", proof that he has a heart of gold and truly cares about his fans on a deeper level. With his ability to appeal to people of mixed music tastes and an unstoppable drive for his art, I truly see bigger venues and more tour dates being needed when he comes to the UK next!