juls & baby s.o.n

Biography

Julian Nii Ayitey Adjin Nicco-Annan, known professionally as Juls or Juls Baby, was born on October 25, 1985, in Hackney, East London, to musically inclined Ghanaian parents who immigrated to Britain in the late 1970s. Raised between England and Accra, Ghana, he later moved to Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and pursued higher education in London, earning a bachelor's degree and a Master of Finance from the University of Surrey. His early interest in music manifested in beatboxing during secondary school, but it wasn't until his final year at university in Ghana that he began producing beats using Fruity Loops software, initially emulating artists like Kanye West and J Dilla.[1][2][4][6]

Juls entered the music scene in the early 2010s, producing tracks like 'Feel Alright' for Show Dem Camp in 2012 and starting to DJ in 2013 while completing his studies. A pivotal collaboration came in 2013 with Mr Eazi on 'Bankulize,' which became a cult hit and marked his rise in Afrobeats. He released singles such as 'Teef Teef,' 'With You,' and 'Give You Love' in 2016, followed by his debut album Leap of Faith and EP Ojekoo in 2017, both amassing over 30 million streams. Juls expanded into Amapiano after a 2020 trip to South Africa, releasing the EP Happy Place featuring artists from multiple countries, and continued innovating with projects like Soweto Blues blending house, soul, and Amapiano elements. His style fuses Afrobeats, highlife, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, and baile funk, pioneering African music in the diaspora.[1][2][4][5]

Renowned for hit productions like Mr Eazi's 'Skin Tight,' Stonebwoy's 'Rudebwoi Love,' and Burna Boy's 'Gwarn,' Juls has earned Ghana Music Awards, AFRIMA honors, Grammy voting membership, and recognition as a Kiss FM DJ. His work with labels like BBnz Live and A&R for Mr Eazi's Life is Eazi underscores his influence in reshaping Afropop tempos and introducing Amapiano globally outside South Africa.[1][3][4][5]

Fun Facts

• Juls broadcasted a message to 11-12 girls asking them to say his name 'in the sexiest way possible' for his track 'Juls Baby,' with vocals provided by then-emerging Ghanaian artist Amaarae who was still in school and new to music.[2]
• He was introduced to Amapiano during a 2020 Empawa camp in South Africa organized by Mr Eazi, where rapper Kwesta discussed the genre, sparking his interest despite initial skepticism.[2]
• Juls holds a Master of Finance from the University of Surrey and began serious production only after university while copying beats from idols like J Dilla.[1][4]
• One of the first non-South African producers to explore Amapiano, he traveled to South Africa in February 2020 specifically to immerse himself in its culture.[1][5]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• J Dilla - major stylistic influence in beat-making and hip-hop production (early beats copied in Fruity Loops) [early 2010s]
• Swizz Beatz - personal inspiration for production style (influenced hybrid Afrobeats development) [early career]
• Kanye West - early production emulation (initial Fruity Loops experiments) [university years]

Key Collaborators

• Mr Eazi - frequent production and A&R partner ('Bankulize', 'Skin Tight', Life is Eazi album) [2013-present]
• Show Dem Camp - early production support ('Feel Alright') [2012]
• Kojey Radical - featured artist on albums (Ojekoo, 'Temperature Rising') [2017]
• Maleek Berry - EP collaborator (Ojekoo, 'Early' with Nonso Amadi) [2017]
• Busiswa - Amapiano EP and single features (Happy Place, 'Soweto Blues') [2020]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia