Darq E Freaker

Jeremiah Valentino Ntéh came into the world in Peckham, London, in 1987 and later established himself as the British grime producer Darq E Freaker, whose bright yet occasionally abrasive beats pull from video game soundtracks, ’90s rave culture, and American hip-hop. Early notice arrived through his role in the collective Nu Brand Flexxx, which issued the album Rangoose, Vol. 1 in 2008. He also supplied the beat for MC Tempa T’s 2009 single “Next Hype,” then delivered his own debut EP, The Horus, on Avalanche Music in 2010. Oil Gang followed with the Cherryade EP in 2011; its title cut quickly turned into an underground favorite and landed on multiple year-end polls. The resulting visibility opened doors to further work, most prominently a 2012 collaboration with Detroit MC Danny Brown on the single “Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine).” Freaker additionally produced “Handstand” for Brown’s widely praised 2013 album Old. Outside those sessions he created material for Wiley and Rival while remixing Scissor Sisters, Kelis, and Major Lazer. In 2014 a limited Record Store Day single titled “Ironside” appeared, built around Quincy Jones’ theme for the television series of the same name. The Numbers label then released the 2015 single “Minger,” and Big Dada issued the EP ADHD the following year.