Mansur Brown

Mansur Brown emerges as a phenomenal musician, a guitar virtuoso, curator and multidisciplinary artist with classical training. Hailing from Brixton and still based in south London, his distinctive compositional approach is defined by fusing his intricate, flamenco-influenced guitar work with his own original production. This is shaped by Timbaland’s distinctive early-2000s rhythms, the balance of Afrobeats and Burial’s evocative sound design. He explains: «My music can have club moments and also be more introspective. But throughout it all, there are feelings of happiness and gratitude. I want it to feel renewing».

Although the guitar remains the epicentre of his music, it’s not the only element. Developing roles as composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, albums such as «Heiwa» from 2021 show him turning to keyboards, flute and saxophone, and he even explores his voice, adjusting his tone as a tribute to his favourite R&B artists. This self-sufficient spirit runs through everything Mansur does. This is how his own label, AMAI («sweet» in Japanese), was born, a business venture spanning music, film, artwork, and even technology and code. «In the music industry, people like to put labels and definitions on things», he says. «Creating my own label within this context of categories gives me the freedom to innovate and explore concepts. I do it my own way».

«NAQI Vol.1», a collection of club hits that fuses Brown’s melodic guitar with rich, full dancefloor productions, finds him exploring the influence of 2000s hip-hop pioneers such as Timbaland, as well as Afrobeats artists like Burna Boy and Wizkid. «I like my music to have a club essence while keeping that sense of musicality», he explains. «Getting that feeling of movement, but with guitar melodies, keyboards and strings in the mix, has always been one of my dreams».