STEFFLON DON
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. Thurs 18 Apr
She may shrug off comparisons to her peers, but Birmingham born starlet Stefflon Don may just be Britain’s answer to Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, sharing their raucous energy and bold stage performances. Most fans will know Stephanie Allen for her calypso-soaked singing, but she also has a strong talent for rapping, never keeping her relentless machine gun flow holstered for long.
It’s this flexibility that allows Steff to transcend genres, cherrypicking the very best elements from dancehall, r’n’b, trap and drill to create a sound distinctly her own. Her music manages to incorporate both her Jamaican heritage and British home, while infusing the sense of freedom she adopted growing up in the Netherlands. Steff’s notoriety may stem from her collaborations and remixes with some of grime and drill’s top artists, like Section Boyz and Lethal Bizzle, but she has managed to avoid becoming just another feature with her penchant for no-holds-barred lyricism and tongue-in cheek put downs.
Her music may be raw with a bold, independent sound, but it hasn’t stopped her from receiving a wealth of critical acclaim such as being chosen as one of MTV’s ‘Brand New’ artists for 2017, and being featured on the front page of the Guardian’s G2 magazine ‘Up Next!’ list the same year.
Now signed to Quality Control Music alongside American trap artists Migos, Lil Yachty and Lil Baby, it’s not the first time Stefflon Don’s represented the UK on the international stage. As the first British artist on XXL magazine’s Freshman List, she has served as a trailblazer despite her very recent rise, bringing the best elements of the UK’s distinctive sound to the rest of the world. With a plethora of singles and two well-received mixtapes under her belt, both of which boast impressive features from industry veterans such as Future, Sean Paul and Popcaan, her setlist seems set to be full of some of her freshest hits.
words Alex Payne
Tickets: £16. Info 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com