Complex has linked up with Kojo Funds and Timberland to explore the city that raised him: London. Kojo's music is, of course, eclectic above all. His fusion of Caribbean, African and UK sounds doesn't just tap into Britain's current love of those sounds, it's the sum total of his roots and the music that he heard growing up in East London. "My parents were musical," he explained to Complex. "In our household, when I was growing up, my mum would play African music and my dad would play reggae music—as he was a Rastafarian—so there was always that interesting fusion of music in my life."
Growing up at the height of P. Diddy and Bad Boy's supremacy, like many kids his age, Kojo found it profoundly inspiring. He says "it made me realise I wanted to be like them. That was really the starting point for me creating music." Funds' sound is thoroughly UK, though—if anything, he's often credited with bringing the Afrowave/Afroswing movement(s) to wider audiences than anyone could have. Again, he keeps it all the way London, often throwing in elements of UK garage or UK rap into the mixing pot. "Coming from East London, I think my cockney sound merged with my African and Caribbean influences helps me to have a unique voice," he says.
Just like his music, Kojo has a finely-tuned sense of style with a focus on individuality. "I like my footwear to be unique," he explains, "and it's definitely the most important part of my outfit." As always, Timberland's boots are geared for the outdoors whilst retaining all that has made them so iconic for so many years, but the new Cityroam Alpine boot taps further into what's made them so popular. Injecting an even stronger focus on style and comfort, the Cityroam recognises that it's not just mountain climbers that adore their boots. Bringing those elements together—city streets and the outdoors—it's not surprising they were keen to work with Kojo Funds.
Though primarily known for his brand of Afroswing, recent tracks like the Bugzy Malone collab, "Who Am I", saw him combine that with UK garage and rap—further underlining his versatility. The video for that track—shot in Japan in all its cinematic glory—is more than worth your time, but make sure you also keep an eye out for Kojo's debut mixtape Golden Boy, which features the track, dropping Sept. 28.
