Tion Wayne is continuing to lead the UK rap scene with his latest single "Body" currently ramping up the charts. It's been a long road to success for the drill rapper as his career already spans a decade, but with his recent success it seems like all his hard work and struggles are about to pay off.
Drill is a darker, slower style of trap rap that became prominent in Chicago in the early 2010's. Lately it has seen a resurgence around the world with artists Tion Wayne, CJ and the late Pop Smoke showcasing their skills.
"Body" finds Tion Wayne linking up with Russ Millions for a second time. The pair seem to be striking gold once again after the success of their first song together "Keisha & Becky." In it's first month "Body" has been streamed over 29 million times on Spotify and 23 million views have been given to the video on YouTube.
We did some digging to help you get to know this rising rapper.
1. His real name is Dennis Junior Odunwo
He was born and raised in Edmonton, UK. The middle child of Nigerian parents. His mom is a nurse and his dad a computer engineer.
2. He originally was studying to become an accountant
His music career began to gain traction while he was in school earning a degree in Accountancy.
"I was good at maths, and I love money, so i did think accounting could be my dream," he says in a interview with the Evening Standard. "But I fell in love with music, man. You can't really plan it."
3. Served 16 months in prison.
Tion was involved in a massive brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in March 2017. He would end up pleading guilty to charges and a judge sentenced him to 16 months in prison. It wasn't his first bid, he's done a total of four.
"There were times when I thought, this music ting is done. But I'd be on a jail phone with my manager and he's telling me what the fans are saying on Twitter and Instagram." says the rapper.
It is his music that has helped Tion put a new focus on life. He tells the Evening Standard, "I'd worked so hard to get to the stage I was. But a lot of my past experiences clouded my judgement and I wasn't really thinking the way I should have. But when I got out, everything took off, and it's the music that has taken me away from everything, made me reflect, and live the right life."
4. Been working on debut album for three years
Since his release in 2018 he has been hard at work. He dropped the third part in his Wayne's World mixtape series and has been featured on three tracks that had chart impact in the UK. He also had his own Top 10 single in "I Dunno" which featured another UK rapper Stormzy.
"For everything I've been working for, this is the moment where I get to probe my hard work and show what I've been going hard for," he says. "People don't know what I'm really capable of, I still feel like I've given myself a lot of space to showcase talent that I haven't shown before."
5. He listens to Harry Styles, Sam Smith and Adele.
The three artists top his list of dream collaborations. "I like all these big people. I want one of these big pop stars because I know I'll bring something to the table for them, and they'll bring something to the table for me," he states in an interview with Wonderland Magazine.
His collab list also includes Anne-Marie, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Rich and 50 Cent. He wants to be anything but predictable. It is this openness and ability to change with the times that has seen him be able to move with changing music scene.
"As long as they're someone that I'm a fan of, and that I listen to their music... I just need to branch out so people can see how wide my reach is."
With this kind of attitude and openness we are certainly on watch here at The Rhythm to see how hot he gets.
Listen on Spotify
