ENNY is a soulful lyricist moving with a sense of purpose and integrity as she shares her truth with the world.
In 2020, ENNY released her first single “Peng Black Girls” and the world caught its first glimpse of a unique form of honest musical expression that's drawn attention from fans and critics around the world. With a hyperopic view, it’s easy to attribute the success of this debut song to the timing of its release (during the amplification of the Black Lives Matter movement) or the Jorja Smith effect. However, a closer look will reveal that the South-East Londoner is clearly a talented songwriter and singer with a sound that sets her apart from the rest.
So far this year, she's showcased her talent for penning introspective socio-political commentary with tracks such as, “Same Old” which sees her addressing gentrification in the UK, anxiety, and personal growth. Her sound is a cocktail of soulful R&B and witty rap lines. With her laidback flow, spoken word lyrics, and slick voice, she continues to attract more listeners whenever she releases new music. In an openly honest conversation with EARMILK, she talks about embracing her physical features, staying true to herself, and the music project she’s been working on.
Although 2020 was a busy one for the British rapper, she says the real work is just starting as she hints at the release of her EP which she’s been working hard on. Sharing details about the EP, she says, “I think the EP will give a perspective of what I’m about. It’s the soundtrack to a time of my life so you can expect to hear a lot of vibes, truths and hopefully all the love and hard work that’s gone into it.” Sonically, listeners can expect to hear her showcase her unique style of rap which she describes as “a combination of everything I’ve grown up listening to from Grime to Hip-Hop and Soul.”
The journey from releasing her debut single to getting a big break was a very short one for ENNY. While most artists with this level of attention at this early stage in their career would consider themselves “up there,” she believes she’s still a rising artist and attributes her success to God. “I definitely think I’m still up and coming (laughs) but when I look at the last 3 years and how a lot things lined up from leaving my job to meeting my current manager, I know it was God's plan.”
ENNY's tracks are brutally honest, and every line is an open expression of real-life events of emotions felt by the artist. The first few lines on “Peng Black Girls” focus on physical features that are peculiar to Black Girls. Like many other Black Women, at some point in life, she felt insecure about these features. “The first couple of lines of PBG were just me trying to gas myself back up and really embrace what I have," she shares. "The older you get the more perspective you get and the more you start to realise how backwards society is. It’s a constant journey but you have to start really loving yourself and not look for that validation the world isn’t set up to give you.”
ENNY isn’t the first artist to release a viral record but she’s moving with a sense of purpose. “I think in this music game you have to really know what kind of artist you want to be. What you’re doing it for, and once you know that…those anxieties cease to exist. It’s a marathon not a sprint.” Her purpose doesn’t align with catfights and crown fights either. Many people love to pit women in rap against each other in hopes of some drama and a good clash. As a British rapper, she has always loved the competitive nature of lyrics and the spiciness it brings to the culture. However, she believes there isn’t just one seat at the table. She also lauds the many women currently killing it in the rap game.
Lately, many British rappers have been collaborating with Nigerian artists. In fact, it’s starting to seem like a trend. Enitan is of Nigerian heritage and has lots of family in the motherland. Speaking on the possibility of such collaborations, she says: “For me personally I hate riding waves so I only want to do things that make sense and are natural to me so I’m open to it, and if —or when— it happens I hope its a flipping vibe.”
Not many people know this but ENNY studied filmmaking while in University. This is another career she plans to pursue and combine with her passion for music. In her words, “That (filmmaking) is definitely on the list of life plans. Music and Film are such powerful instruments to society but also just another great form of expression.” She’s also an introvert. Due to the lockdowns in the United Kingdom, most people only got to see her virtually. Now that things are slowly easing up, she’s been dealing with the reality of being a public figure. “It’s been jokes, being stopped in the street makes me squirm.”
ENNY is only just getting started. Watch her latest music video and connect with her below.
