Biography
Julian Nicco-Annan, known professionally as Juls, was born on October 25, 1985, in Hackney, East London, to Ghanaian parents. He spent part of his childhood in Ghana during his school years, where he was deeply immersed in African music, particularly Ghanaian highlife, sparked by artists like Kojo Antwi. Initially pursuing a career in finance with a degree and master's, Juls discovered music production accidentally through FruityLoops software during university, transitioning from sampling soul influenced by Kanye West and J Dilla to creating live instrumentation with keys and VST plugins. His sound fuses African highlife drums with afrobeats, afroswing, and diaspora genres, pioneering a minimalistic, mellow Afrobeats style.
Juls rose to prominence around 2013 with his signature 'Juls baby' tag, producing hits for major artists and releasing acclaimed EPs like 'Leap of Faith' (2017), 'Ojekoo', 'Colour', 'Happy Place', and 'Fufu and Grits' with Sango. 'Leap of Faith' marked his full-time commitment to music, resigning from corporate work on the same day he dropped 'Ojekoo'. His debut album 'Sounds of My World' arrived in October 2021, with a deluxe in August 2022, featuring soulful reggae, highlife, and collaborations blending African and diaspora sounds. Recognized as a key architect of contemporary Afrobeats, he has earned MOBO nominations, Grammy nods via Wizkid's 'Made in Lagos', UK #1 on Stormzy's 'This is What I Mean', and multiple Ghana Music Awards for Producer of the Year.
Juls' legacy lies in elevating Afrobeats globally, producing for icons while championing Ghanaian highlife's influence on modern tracks like Wizkid's 'Gbese'. As a DJ and songwriter, he hosts shows on KISS XTRA and continues shaping African music in the diaspora through meticulous production emphasizing spiritual, rhythmic authenticity.
Fun Facts
- Juls holds degrees in finance and a master's, stumbling into production via pre-installed FruityLoops software on his laptop.
- He resigned from his corporate finance job on the exact day he released his EP 'Ojekoo', meaning 'Good morning' in Ghanaian, as a bold 'wake up' call to the industry.
- A vivid childhood memory involves being forced to dance at a party to KK Fosu's 'Rakia' by an 'Aunty with a moustache', which he recalls with horror.
- Juls is particular about drums, spending entire weeks perfecting patterns to capture the spiritual essence of highlife.
Associated Acts
- BeCool (2008–present)
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Kojo Antwi - Primary early musical inspiration introduced during time in Ghana (Ghanaian highlife music) [teenage years]
- J Dilla - Production influence on early sampling techniques (old-school soul sampling) [early production career]
- Kanye West - Production influence on beat-making (sampling approaches) [early production career]
Key Collaborators
- Stormzy - Produced tracks for UK #1 album ('This is What I Mean')
- Wizkid - Produced multiple tracks including Grammy-nominated album ('Made in Lagos', 'Close to Me' on 'Sounds of My World') [2010s-2020s]
- Burna Boy - Produced records (various singles) [2010s]
- Lauryn Hill - Produced records (various tracks) [2010s]
- Mr Eazi - Produced hits (various singles) [2010s]
- Sango - Joint EP ('Fufu and Grits') [late 2010s]
Artists Influenced
- Wizkid - Tracks inspired by Juls' championed Ghanaian highlife ('Gbese' with DJ Tunez) [2010s]
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #afrobeats
References
Heard on WWOZ
juls has been played 8 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.