Maleek Berry

Born in South London and enrolled in a path between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, Maleek Berry, real name Maleek Shoyebi, first made his mark as a producer before developing a personal project at the crossroads of afropop, afrobeats, R&B and melodic pop with smooth rhythms. Active since the late 2000s, Maleek Berry emerged more clearly in the early 2010s thanks to his productions for the Nigerian scene, notably alongside Wizkid, Davido, Wande Coal, Iyanya or Runtown, in a register that blends sung vocal lines, light percussion and urban textures. This trajectory as a producer then extended into a solo career with a more intimate writing and tracks where the influence of British R&B meets the codes of contemporary afropop. Among his most identified outputs are the EP Last Daze of Summer in 2016 and then First Daze of Winter in 2017, which accompany his transition to a full artist format, singer, author and composer. Tracks like "Kontrol", "Been Calling", "Pon My Mind" or "Sisi Maria" then establish a style based on smooth refrains, mid-tempo tempos and a clean production, thought as much for clubs as for daily listening. Maleek Berry has since moved between African, British and diasporic scenes, in a musical space where Lagos and London constantly respond to each other.