YOUNG JONN INTERVIEW [DIGITAL COVER]
YOUNG JONN INTERVIEW [DIGITAL COVER] – From producing hits for Olamide and Kizz Daniel to selling out OVO Arena Wembley, this digital cover feature finds Young Jonn stepping fully into the spotlight.
On the same day he took the Wembley stage, he released Dear London, a seven-track EP with no features, written as a letter to the fans who held it down for him before he could be here.
In this conversation, he reflects on the moment “Xtra Cool” changed everything, bringing Zlatan and Blaqbonez out as family, his style, and where he takes it after Wembley.
Before most people knew your face, they knew “Young Jonn the Wicked Producer!” When did you decide, right, it’s my turn now?
I was in rooms with Olamide, Kesh, Kizz Daniel and so many others, working on melodies that became hits. After a while I thought, maybe I can do this myself. Eventually I built up the courage, and I also had some instrumental people who supported me in that transition. The rest is history, as they say.
Be honest. Does the producer in you ever get on the artist’s nerves in the studio?
In the studio, Producer usually wins. Then the artist sneaks back at 4am and changes it anyway
“Xtra Cool” was the one that flipped it in 2022. Did you feel it straight away, or did it creep up on you?
It crept up. We dropped it and moved on. Then the videos started coming in: weddings, clubs, people I’d never met singing it back to me. That’s when I knew.
Loads of Afrobeats artists call London their second home now. What’s London to you, though?
London is near and dear to me. London was that city that was within reach but was not accessible because of visa setbacks. My music traveled without me being here all this time. Now that I’m finally here and people know every word to songs I made … I’m truly grateful for all the love, Feels like a full circle moment.
The UK love has grown fast. Why do you reckon your music hits the diaspora over here so hard?
Because it sounds like home but it moves like London. The diaspora live in two worlds at once, and that’s exactly where my music sits.
The UK hasn’t always been easy for you to get to. What did it feel like landing here for this?
Grateful, man. Some things take longer than you want, but they come at the right time. Landing here for Wembley? No be small thing.
You named a whole project after the city. Who’s the letter really to?
To everybody here who held it down for me when I couldn’t be here. And small part to myself, as a reminder of how far we’ve come.
Seven tracks and not one feature. You know everybody would’ve jumped on it. Why keep this one to yourself?
Features are a party. This one is a letter, and you write a letter by yourself. It’s a conversation between me and all my fans in London. But wherever you’re reading this from, Lagos, Dar es Salaam, Toronto, wherever, the letter is to you too.
The chase and the bag come up a lot in your music. Has what “winning” means to you changed since Blue Disco?
Back then winning was the bag, full stop. Now it’s the bag, peace of mind, and my people eating too.
Jiggy Forever, Blue Disco, now Dear London. If someone’s never heard you, how would you sum up your sound right now?
Jiggy music. Afrobeats you can dance to and still feel something. Producer’s ears, lover boy’s heart.
September 25th. Sold-out OVO Arena Wembley, and the EP drops the same day. Talk me through it, from waking up to coming off stage.
Woke up before the alarm. Prayed, ate small, checked the EP was live about ten times. Soundcheck, then the quiet bit with just me and the team. Then the lights hit and the whole thing is a blur.
Zlatan on “Nakupenda,” Blaqbonez on “Chanel.” How did those two end up on the night?
Zlatan and Blaq aren’t guests, they’re family. Me and Zlatan go back from Astalavista to 50 Billion, and Blaq is my g, from Showcase to No Sleep. Wembley had to feel like home, so I brought those closest to me with me.
People used to say producers can make the hits but can’t hold a crowd. Was Wembley you settling that?
I didn’t come to settle anything. I came to enjoy myself. But if anybody still dey talk that one, the video dey. You can’t fake a sold-out room.
VIPER’s all about where music, fashion and lifestyle meet. How would you describe your style right now? Who’s dressing you?
Clean, comfortable, a little bit flashy when the moment calls for it. I work with a handful of stylists, but the important thing for me is that the stylist understands my energy and creates an elevated version of me that’s still authentic.
Any brands or worlds you’d love to work with outside music?
Streetwear, definitely. I like to keep it relaxed but fresh. I’m also getting into more elevated streetwear brands like Kenzo, ERL, Our Legacy, Willy Chavarria and so many more.
Film, fashion, your own label. Is there something else you’ve got your eye on?
I’m super ambitious and bullish… in a weird way, I still think the world is my oyster. The next year is definitely going to mean expansion for me… nothing is out of scope. Film, fashion, I’m looking at all of it.
Perfect day off?
Sleep, good food, phone off, night time soccer/tennis.
Where are you eating in London?
Nando’s 👀
Last song you played that wasn’t yours?
Eminem, “Lose Yourself”.
One thing fans would never guess about you?
People see the Jiggy side, the party, the vibes. But I’m quite cerebral. I read a lot when I have the time. My mind never really switches off.
Who keeps you grounded?
My family and my team.
Favourite mixtape of all time?
Love Is Not Enough, Vol. 2.
Wembley’s done. Where do you take it next in the UK?
Bigger, and wider. The UK is bigger than London, and I want to see more of it.
Bigger arena, festival headline, or something nobody’s expecting?
Yes. Everything is on the table. What I can tell you is the next show will be the best version of me yet: new energy, bigger sound.
What should UK fans be looking out for before the year’s out?
More from Dear London: more moments, more visuals. And if you missed Wembley, keep your eyes open.
If you could add one more line to Dear London right now, what would it say?
Dear London, you kept my seat warm all these years. Next time, I’ll stay a little longer.
Talent: @youngjonn
Photographer: @golld.au
Stylist: @j_kogzy
Creative Director: @eddiecheaba
Styling Assistant: @michaelfolorunsoo
Studio: @stu22.io
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This interview is part of our long-form content series, now hosted exclusively on our Substack. To gain access to our archive of deep-dives into the architects of Hip Hop and global culture, head over to the Viper Substack.
