Interview BY amrit kambo

From buzzing underground clubs of London to the global stage, Larizzle has spent nearly two decades shaping and championing the sounds of afrobeats and African electronic music. His journey, marked by personal loss and unwavering passion, has led to the creation of Larah Records a label centered around love, legacy, and community. Fresh off the release of the label’s heartfelt debut album, Love Always Resides Around Here (L.A.R.A.H.), and an electrifying performance at the GUAP Gala, we caught up with Larizzle to reflect on his journey so far, his vision, and the music that moves him.

Hi Larizzle, how are you? What’s new?

I’m fresh from the GUAP Gala - it was a really, really good evening. Shoutout to LABRUM, who kitted me out insanely well, and at the very last minute! I wasn’t confirmed to perform until two days before, so I had to rally the troops quickly to get everything ready. Thankfully, everyone was available, and we managed to pull it all together.

The theme was ‘Everything is a Remix,’ and everybody showed out - people were so creative with their outfits. It’s such a great space for people with all manners of roles within the creative industry to be recognised. Big shoutout to Ibrahim and Jide for building such a special platform for us to come together and celebrate one another.

I saw so many videos of your crew on-stage; it was so lovely to see. You and your community move through the industry with so much light; how did it feel to be up there basking in the energy and love of the room?

It still hasn’t sunk in! I need to take some time to relive, and reflect on what it meant to close the show. I'm so thankful for the opportunity and the trust that Ibrahim and Jide put in me to put on a show - especially since they had never seen me live with a full band. I’m so lucky to have a creative family that bent over backwards to make it all possible.

Let’s take it back to the early days. With the UK’s music landscape shifting through so many phases, it feels important to celebrate stories like yours - stories that have truly stood the test of time. How did it all begin?

2006 is really where it all started - almost 20 years ago! I was at university, and it was the first time I was allowed to go out in a proper club environment. My typically strict African parents never let me go clubbing, so seeing DJs up close and personal was a whole experience. Watching how they controlled the crowd and took listeners on a journey through sound instantly resonated with me. At that time, they were playing a lot of hip-hop, R&B, garage, and dancehall, creating these beautiful sonic environments - and I immediately wanted to do what they were doing.

So I started practising on my friends’ decks in the university halls, playing quite open-format at first. Then I got my own set of decks and began opening for other DJs. 

All of this stemmed from my love for music and performance, which I’ve had since childhood. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents in Ghana - my grandad was the chief of his village, so he would dress me up as his mini-me, and I’d impersonate Michael Jackson for everyone in the village! I grew up on a lot of highlife and soul; this beautiful melting pot of sounds that really became the genesis of my love for music - a career in music never felt like a viable path, but through DJing at university, it really organically morphed into something exciting.

A career in music seems so inaccessible for people who don’t have the same connections or understanding of the industry. How do you think growing up in London shaped your exposure to music and opportunities?

We are so lucky to be from London! The access to music here - this beautiful, bubbling underground electronic culture: UK Garage, Jungle, Grime with acts like So Solid Crew and Mis-Teeq - enjoying dancehall, while also embracing my own African culture with highlife at hall parties, surrounded by all the aunties and uncles, while also receiving all the music coming from America mixed with American exports. It’s the perfect place to explore sound.

When did the switch come to focusing on African electronic music?

I’d say 2009. I was starting to rise a bit more within the DJ scene, predominantly playing UK funky. At that point, DJs were mixing elements of soulful house into their sets - and that’s when I found African electronic music. Black Coffee’s Turn Me On with Bucie was what started it for me. A lot of DJs began incorporating that track into their funky sets, and then I dug deeper and realised Black Coffee was a South African DJ. I thought that was so cool. I started exploring more and found so many gems - afrohouse, kwaito - it was addictive.

I was still quite open-format at the time, trying to push afrobeats. Actually, one of the earliest highlights of my career was being one of the first DJs to bring afrobeats into Ayia Napa’s clubbing scene. Out there, they were very heavy on UK garage and funky, and there was no afrobeats playing. I went in, played afrobeats, and it landed really well; it was different and fresh.

From Black Coffee to now amapiano and 3-step, it’s such an exciting time for music. Whatever I can do to get more ears listening to this beautiful music from my continent - that’s the goal.

How do we get from there, to Larah Records?

So, I continued DJing, met Jarah, got a job within Science as that’s what I studied, got engaged, bought a home, got married. In 2017, our first daughter, Larah, was born. Sadly, she passed in 2020, and that’s when Larah Records emerged. She passed on February 29th - a day we only get once every four years. It was an incredibly difficult period - a lot of introspection and grief. I was still working at the time, but I knew I wanted to build something in her honour. She loved music as much as we did, so I knew a label was the right way to go. It was a wake-up call - life’s too short not to go all in. At that point, I had nothing to lose.

Alongside creating the label, I started learning how to produce during lockdown. It wasn’t until last year that I decided to go full-time with music. As soon as I went all in, things took off in ways that only God could orchestrate. Now, we’ve been able to put out a body of work, and the support has been incredible.

Having a renewed sense of purpose is so powerful - the universe really does put wheels in motion. A testament not only to your work in the industry, but also yours and Jarah’s immense strength and faith! When did you realise you were on the right path, and that it was time to put out a body of work?

At the end of 2024, I made a promise to myself that I’d put more music out. I knew I wanted to hold a writing camp, so I locked it in with Nando’s through a mutual connection. I reached out to Meron T first - I’d wanted to work with her for a while - then Nqobilé, then Ella Eyre. I knew she had an album coming out, so I shot my shot, and she said yes! I was gobsmacked. At that point, I had no beats, nothing. I was so nervous because I hadn’t produced in a while and wasn’t sure if I was creatively ready. I worried the women wouldn’t like any of the songs - so many spiralling thoughts.

Two weeks before the camp, I locked myself in the studio and put my trust and faith in God. As soon as the camp started, I had all these beats to share. There was a beat that resonated with each of them, and it was so special. Before I knew it, we had an EP! It was beautifully organic; we were all aligned, and it bonded us so much. Sonically, it’s a combination of afrohouse, gqom, amapiano, and all the genres from the world of African Electronic Music that I love, mixed with elements of the sounds I listened to growing up.

I really wanted it to be female-led. I had a strong vision for the EP, which started with the name. When Larah passed, one of our close friends gave us a portrait, which had the words “Love Always Resides Around Here” and the letters LARAH alongside. That stuck with us, and gave us the name of the project “Love Always Resides Around Here (L.A.R.A.H.)”. It’s a female-led project that’s heart-centered - about love, about Larah.

The album is a beautiful display of love and strength, and the release celebration at Jazz Cafe was incredible! How did it feel for you?

It was such a thrill to be on that stage playing my own music with my family. It’s been such a special year - I need a few months off to really soak in all that has happened! 

You also had SXSW this year too! 

And my first Glastonbury too, what the heck!

What a year. How can we, as your community, show up for you as Larah Records grows?

Keep showing up for us, bringing your best selves forward, moving forward with love and light. There’s so much more to look forward to!