‘Growing Pains’ EP by Brian Nasty - the London-based rapper, producer, model, illustrator, photographer, skater and amateur chess player - is out on Big Dada on Friday 5th May.

“Learning about where you come from isn’t always painless or easy. “‘Growing Pains’  is an all encompassing look at who I am, where I'm coming from, and where I want to be. Going down the path yourself can be scary, but It’s important to be doing what I care about most” - Brian Nasty

Across its five-tracks, the EP features contributions from Goya Gumbani, Klien, Natanya, Joviale and Jkarri, taking in various elements of Highlife, classic Soul, Blues, Rock, Indie, Electronic and more, all filtered through Brian’s unique prism of production and storytelling. Lyrically, Brian paints a typically candid picture of his life over the past few years as he navigated personal and professional upheaval, family trauma and all of  life’s growing pains.

Single “Loso Na Madesu” — which means “Rice and Beans” in Lingala, a nod to his Congolese heritage —  features UK vocalist Natanya and is both a take on a call and response song,  but also an ode to the Highlife music coming out of Africa in the 1970’s & 80’s. The kind of track he could (and did) feel confident enough to play to his aunties at a family wedding.

On “Time I Leave”, he chronicles the aftermath of his decision to drop out of university. That period of uncertainty and worry about the course he was choosing to take, having no full-time job, and struggling with the expectations placed on him by friends and family. 

“Blind” features respected London-based, New York lyricist Goya Gumbani, over a track which started life as an experimental drumless loop before being remade with EP co-producer Jkarri into its current form, complete with a recording of his aunt over the closing bars. 

“Teething”, a song that was made in response to the jarring pain of his wisdom teeth coming through, is inspired by Blues, Rock and in particular the kind of Indie music that Brian grew up listening — and drumming in school bands — to, like Metronomy, Foals and Arctic Monkeys, “I’m very much an indie kid and always have been,” he adds. The skit-like EP closer 

“Willing and Able” — which features additional production from Klein and Joviale — features excerpts from a conversation ​​Brian had with his mum, discussing family trauma, relationships, and about growing as a person.

The EP cover art — created by Brian himself — features a collection of family portraits, an acknowledgment of the important role they have played, and will continue to play in his journey. 

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