KWAYE

Drawing from his Zimbabwean roots alongside the neo-soul and funk stylings of figures such as D'Angelo and Thundercat, Kwaye shapes an R&B approach marked by ease and vitality. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in London, he launched into performance as a youngster and spent his formative years on viola, sax, and guitar. During his time studying African-American studies and the music industry at UCLA, Kwaye handed a demo of one of his tracks to an Uber driver who turned out to be a former A&R executive. The driver forwarded the recording to Mind of a Genius, and within weeks Kwaye had become the label’s first U.K. signing. His debut single, “Cool Kids,” appeared in early 2017. The EP Love & Affliction followed in 2018 and featured the singles “Paralyzed” and “Keep on Loving You.”