Back in February, Nigerian selector DJ Spinall dropped a massive collab with Kojo Funds called "What Do You See?". The cut was silky smooth with its melodies but packed a big punch, with booming bass and crisp claps. Now, DJ Spinall is back to continue those vibes with an exclusive mix for the Complex Sessions series.
It's a solid cross-section of what Spinall's about, too, mixing straight bars, thumping beats and fluid melodies to maximum effect; Kanye and Skepta sit side-by-side with Koffee and even a few of Spinall's own productions to round out the mix. So it should come as no surprise then that three of his earliest favourites were Dr. Dre's Chronic and 2001, Fabulous' Sweet Dreams, and Craig David's Born To Do It.
Now that you're familiar with DJ Spinall, take a listen to his exclusive below and then catch him April 21 when he plays his first London headline show at XOYO. Tickets available here.
Tell us a bit about your selections in this mix.
I'm a fan of R&B, hip-hop and, above all, Afrobeats. Sometimes it's a struggle when you love everything and want to Spin-all! I enjoy mixing genres and introducing people to the sounds I love. I wouldn't want to be pigeonholed into just DJing one sound, but Afrobeats is at the heart of everything I do—this is a representation of my style.
What was the one track you absolutely had to include?
My new single, "What Do You See?" featuring Kojo Funds. I'm a big fan of Kojo Funds and it was an honour getting in the studio with him.
Any tracks that narrowly missed the cut?
"So Mi So" by Wande Coal.
What's the first single or album you ever bought?
I actually bought a few albums on same day. It was my first year in high school, which was a boarding house. I had an opportunity to go out of school all by myself, and I had the slick silver Sony Disc-man to boost my ego [laughs]. So I got me Dr. Dre's Chronic and 2001, Fabulous' Sweet Dreams, and Craig David's Born To Do It.
What's the last physical record you bought?
I think it was Avicii's True, only because I want to hear one song on vinyl: "Hey Brother". I also got Snoh Aalegra's Feels album because I wanted to enjoy the orgasms from "Sometimes" with Logic but, unfortunately, I only got to play it once because it's so convenient to just stream everything now.
What do you want to see happen musically over the next 12 months?
To see "Afrobeats" or "Afropop" listed amongst mainstream music genres, and given the international accreditation and respect it truly deserves, it's an innovative sound that's going nowhere. This is everything!
What trend or scene absolutely needs to die right now?
Disrespecting DJs!
Tracklist
1. Zoey Dollaz f/ Chris Brown - Post & Delete
2. Fantasia f/ Kelly Rowland, Missy Elliott - Without Me
3. Maleek Berry f/ Wizkid - New Bounce
4. Kanye West - Power
5. Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
6. Quavo - Working Me
7. 6ix9ine f/ Tory Lanez - Kika
8. AKA f/ Kiddominant - Fela In Versace
9. Wizkid - Lagos Vibes
10. Nicki Minaj - ChunLi
11. Cali Swag District - Teach Me How To Dougie
12. Stefflon Don f/ Tory Lanez - Senseless Remix f/ Tory Lanez
13. Kojo Funds - Aribba
14. Burna Boy - On The Low
15. Skepta f/ Wizkid - Bad Energy
16. NSG f/ Tion Wayne - Options
17. R2Beebs - We Dey Vibe
18. Chris Brown - In Love With The Bitches
19. Lil Pump f/ Kanye West - I Love It
20. DJ Spinall f/ Kojo Funds - What Do You See
21. Koffee - Toast
22. DJ Spinall f/ Wizkid - Nowo
23. Skibii - Sensima
24. DJ Spinall f/ Kizz Daniel - Baba
