UD Talent House: 11 Open Mic Acts Making Their Presence Known

Words by Kat Friar

UD’s Open Mic, which takes place on the first Thursday of every month, has become one of the go-to destinations to see rising stars in the world of Black British music. 

In celebration of UD’s annual Industry Takeover—which, this year, boasted a week full of events aimed to give young people knowledge about the music industry from those who work in the thick of it—Complex UK teamed up for a special Open Mic event. 

Hosted at UD’s Talent House in East London, the space—sleek and polished, with state-of-the-art equipment and resources, including affordable studio time, artist development programs and masterclasses—is the new spot to be for anyone looking to hone their creative craft. 

Having launched last September, UD’s Open Mic is a great place for up-and-coming artists to perform their music. A great trial run for unreleased tracks or upcoming releases, artists can put themselves in front of a new audience who will always keep it real. Promoted as a safe space for anyone creating music of Black origin, UD’s Open Mic allows artists to get comfortable performing in a room full of like-minded individuals, with opportunities for networking in the break and a jam at the end for anyone who feels like freestyling. 

Hosted by Nayana AB, an artist in her own right who also works on community-building at UD, the room is always made to feel warm and cosy—and the Complex UK collab was no exception. Here are 11 Open Mic regulars that you should know about.

Just one listen of Chrissy Day’s voice and you’ll find it’s hard to forget. Her airy, silky-soft vocals and gorgeous harmonies glide over neo-soul productions with ease, and whenever she hits the stage, the crowd are so receptive, impressed by the riffs and runs, that they always encourage a wheel-up! Chrissy performed two tracks at the UD x Complex UK Open Mic, but it was her second cut, the summer killer “Outside”, that really hit the spot. Her star is only going to get brighter, so tap in now and don’t be late to the party.

Zuko Rosemeid is known for jumping on experimental beats and not being boxed in to the typical rapper bracket. His bars are delivered dynamically with sharp wordplay, with his cadence and inflections cutting through like samurai swords. Performing “Dreaming Of You”—taken from his new EP, Light Blue—his energy lights up the UD Talent House and keeps the crowd on their toes. The UK music scene won’t know what’s hit it when Zuko gets ready to fully shake the room. 

Allyson is UK soul’s best-kept secret. At the Open Mic, her sweet tone melted the hearts of us all as we swayed along to the neo-soul of “My Dear”. Her impeccable vocal range shone through on her next track, too, where the acoustic guitar on the instrumental allowed her from-the-heart songwriting to take centre stage. More of this, please!

Mar!k is more than just a triple threat—he’s a producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, bassist and guitarist. His music is a cross between the smoothest R&B to grace your ears and the wickedest rap freestyles, full of bars that pack a punch. For UD x Complex UK’s Open Mic, Mar!k performed a sultry rendition of Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff”, showing off his vocals and his ability to put his own spin on a classic, even adding in his own rap verse. What he did next was unexpected, but incredibly impressive: taking words from the audience, including “bombastic side eye” and “jollof rice”, Mar!k turned them into a cohesive freestyle for the win. It wasn’t just the fact that he could incorporate the words but that he actually turned them into clever punchlines that made this one of the highlights of the night. 

An Open Mic regular, David GotSound’s high energy on-stage, combined with his undefeated style and flow---always make him an unforgettable act. He’s got this ability to grip an audience with his expressive bars and jump on a range of instrumentals. He performed a song called “Calm Before The Storm” with menacing conviction. Part of UD’s current Incubator Programme, which develops creative and business skills for emerging musicians over the course of six months, David will soon be up next.

Malaika is a neo-soul/indie singer with ethereal vocals to die for. Maniko is a singer/producer who incorporates bounce and fluidity in her beats, with honeyed vocals to complement them. Maniko produced Malaika’s upcoming project, and also sings on the track they performed together called “Daydreaming”. Their voices melt into each other and the echoing ad-libs Maniko supplies while Malaika’s harmonious voice takes the forefront is nothing short of stellar. 

The sound of newcomer D Wills is energetic and gritty, full of steez and greaze. Performing his forthcoming single, “Bang Da Dang”, the rapper navigated the smoky production with his slick flow and confident stage presence. His energy never faltered; a hard-hitting spitter with bags of braggadocio, he showed all in attendance that he has what it takes to succeed. 

Esther Durin grew up on a diet of R&B, gospel and Afrobeats, which has clearly influenced her versatile sound that’s tied together by her divine vocals. Stepping to the UD x Complex UK stage, Esther performed a stripped-back track about being grateful to God; belting her praise to him, the projection of her voice fills the room. Dressed in blue from head to toe, she sounded—and looked—like a star. 

Inspired by early grime, J2 is the perfect mix of the genre’s brazen confidence and heartfelt lyricism. On the UD x Complex UK night, over lush piano keys, J2 opened with the introspective number, “Same Shit Different Toilet”, before hitting us with jazz-tinged drill offering, “24/7”—which proved to be a hit with the crowd. I, for one, cannot wait to see what he has in store next.

NAYANA AB’s deep and rich vocal tone never fails to pull the spotlight onto her. She’s combined the art of storytelling with raw emotion that her lower register allows to shine through. As well as being an artist, NAYANA works for UD and is the Open Mic host, so you can find her leading the jam when all the acts have performed. On the night of the UD x Complex UK Open Mic, her voice bellowed throughout the Talent House as she encouraged members of the audience to catch a vibe with her, even singing instructions of where to find the afterparty. Having just released a two-track EP called Intrusive Thoughts (listening to it feels like basking in the moonlight), NAYANA can also be seen performing weekly at Orii Jam.

During the UD x Complex UK jam, venuswithoutlove made sure that she left an imprint on all that were in the room. On the night, she gave us a rendition of her debut single, “Just Wan F**k”, a song about having a good heart and being used. While the subject matter is one for deep thought, the PlaygroundTalk production she rhymes over is dreamy, upbeat and fun, showcasing her ability to keep us entertained no matter how hard the topic may be. New to the open mic circuit, we look forward to hearing more from venuswithlove.

Honourable mentions must also go to the other performers, too: Humble Shaun, Jebonair, Tumi, Valerie, Yesha, Zoka The Author, Saint CJ, BsmntJ, Ashley Tragic and Hillarynx. With such a diverse array of talent in one room, and not one dud note, we give thanks! Remember, if you want to perform at a future UD Open Mic, simply sign up for free via UDtickets.com.