LA AfroBeats Group, YDN, have been crowned “Best Afrobeat Group Independent” this past weekend in Pasadena, Los Angeles. Speaking on their victory at HAPAwards 2022 YDN said: “It’s a great honor & privilege to be doing what we love and to be recognized for an award like this, all while representing our country in the US. It means alot to us and is definitely more motivation for us to go even harder.” They continued by saying, “We want to say thank you to all the fans and supporters who have been supporting us from the very beginning through everything. Plenty more from YDN is coming very soon! Keep supporting us as we represent Lagos, Nigeria and all Africans in the diaspora as we take it to the moon! One love.”
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles-born Nigerian trio YDN which includes Alex Akingbulu (KingBulu), Ayodeji Emmanuel Shodiya (Emsho), & Jamiu Akinbile (Muski) put out their first EP Time Will Tell showcasing their vast range of sounds with genre-bending Alté, Afrobeats, R&B, Pop, and Rap. With their Los Angeles influence and their Nigerian heritage, YDN is giving a new sound to the world. From the intro song IF I to YDN Riddim you are taken through a timeline of emotions and progressions each member has gone through during the roller coaster of life. From love to hate, to classical sounds, one thing is certain; time will truly tell whether something lasts forever.
YDN takes each member’s completely different personalities and experiences, and ties them all into a world of love, pain, enjoyment, and good vibes.
With their daring edge and full of hope and reflective of their experiences, thought and ambitions, turning their vision into purpose and lessons into studio sessions. Many milestones include opening performances for Davido, Burna Boy, Olamide, Mayorkun, Dj Tunez, Kizz Daniel, Teni, Flavour, and D’banj. They’ve also worked with grammy-nominated producers like Medua and Atlanta-based musician Toyé. “This is the music that will push the boundaries of our perception as well as inspire and drive us to introspective conversations. It’s the music that may not change the world, but can change the people in the world.”