Rap manager puts local Swindon talent on the map

An urban music manager is linking rappers with the London music scene and setting them up for success.

Raphael Adekunle, 23, founder of Rax Productions, grew up in Swindon and became involved in its music scene.

He now manages successful rappers from the area and puts them on the national map.

"My area is covered in talent, it's just a lot of them don't have the access to help turn it into more," he said.

He said growing up in Swindon was "very lonely".

"There was not a lot going on," he said. "You went to school, came back home and that was it.

"There was nothing to do, nothing much happened, nothing changed."

He said outside of college and playing football with his friends, he did not have much going on - until he started using the music facilities at the New College.

The artist S1MBA and Adekunle started booking studio time regularly, and "created a local buzz" in Swindon.

"We were blessed with new college studios back in 2018, which allowed S1MBA to take his craft seriously," Mr Adekunle said.

"And even though I wasn't a music production student, I soon spent most of my days in the studio - plotting, planning and learning about the music business."

Eventually, the two of them got recording sessions in London and produced the track Rover, which went viral on TikTok in 2019.

The track received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 2021 Brit Awards, and has now accrued Platinum status.

From there, Mr Adekunle "took the story out of Swindon" and built a network of local artists.

"We were blessed with local support, they appreciated what we were doing for the area," he said.

"Nowadays I find artists through social media, such as TikTok and Instagram. However, I still find artists from my area through word of mouth.

"It's a small place, so when someone is making noise in the area everybody notices - and as the community is small, it's usually somebody that's already within the circle or a friend of a friend."

Then, in late 2022, Mr Adekunle was in a serious car accident.

"I still feel very young, but the accident made me mature," he said.

"I felt that there wasn't much I was leaving behind, I want to make more of a positive impact on people's lives and for the area."

He said the accident made him focus on his goals. He wants to set up events in the Swindon area.

"Swindon is stagnated, there is not much here for the youth," he said.

"I want to start a movement."

Artists currently releasing music under Rax include S1MBA, Kawali and ZT.SWITCH, while the company also works with a range of producers.

As a collective, Mr Adekunle's goal is for Rax and its artists to surpass a billion streams within the next year.

"Due to my recovery I'm taking some things slower than others. However, in time, I hope to achieve all the things I've set my mind on completing."

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