Biography
OneDa, a rapper of Nigerian-British heritage, moves fluidly between empowering verses and the pulses of drum'n'bass, Afrobeats, and trap. Treating hip-hop as a means of emotional recovery, she established the Manchester rap collective HERchester to champion female and non-binary artists. Early notice arrived through her own 2020 OneDa Land EP and partnerships with drum'n'bass figures such as Sam Binga, Dub Phizix, and Vibe Chemistry. Eventually taking production duties herself, she delivered her first full-length project, Formula OneDa, in 2024.
Raised in Manchester, she studied trumpet within a local brass ensemble before shifting focus toward hip-hop and, later, bass-driven sounds, ultimately prioritizing rap over instrumental performance. At seventeen she claimed victory in the Urban Superstars contest and formed the duo Batz Inda Belfry alongside fellow Manchester MC Envy. The pair earned BBC Radio 1 rotation, endorsement from Tinie Tempah, and the City Life Best Breakthrough Act prize in 2015. After the duo disbanded, OneDa turned to social work and independent releases. Around 2018, shortly after the birth of her daughter, she publicly identified as gay and endured a short stretch living in her vehicle until professional opportunities stabilized. She issued the Freestyle Fridays EP, joined the Mouse Outfit hip-hop crew, and continued issuing singles and the 2020 OneDa Land project while linking with garage and drum'n'bass producers including Zed Bias and Sam Binga.
In 2023 she joined the roster of the respected indie imprint Heavenly, featured on audiobooks’ “Burnt Pictures,” and released the paired tracks “Warriors Daughter” and “Rollin’,” enlisting Mr. Scruff and Factory Floor’s Gabe Gurnsey respectively. Additional 2023 activity included the Pussy Power EP, a guest spot on Steve Mason’s (formerly of the Beta Band) “Moss Side Fish Fry,” and dates supporting Irish rap outfit Kneecap. Having launched HERchester three years prior, she topped the bill at Manchester Pride that same year. Her self-produced debut album, Formula OneDa, appeared in 2024 and spanned Afro-trap to drum'n'bass.
Raised in Manchester, she studied trumpet within a local brass ensemble before shifting focus toward hip-hop and, later, bass-driven sounds, ultimately prioritizing rap over instrumental performance. At seventeen she claimed victory in the Urban Superstars contest and formed the duo Batz Inda Belfry alongside fellow Manchester MC Envy. The pair earned BBC Radio 1 rotation, endorsement from Tinie Tempah, and the City Life Best Breakthrough Act prize in 2015. After the duo disbanded, OneDa turned to social work and independent releases. Around 2018, shortly after the birth of her daughter, she publicly identified as gay and endured a short stretch living in her vehicle until professional opportunities stabilized. She issued the Freestyle Fridays EP, joined the Mouse Outfit hip-hop crew, and continued issuing singles and the 2020 OneDa Land project while linking with garage and drum'n'bass producers including Zed Bias and Sam Binga.
In 2023 she joined the roster of the respected indie imprint Heavenly, featured on audiobooks’ “Burnt Pictures,” and released the paired tracks “Warriors Daughter” and “Rollin’,” enlisting Mr. Scruff and Factory Floor’s Gabe Gurnsey respectively. Additional 2023 activity included the Pussy Power EP, a guest spot on Steve Mason’s (formerly of the Beta Band) “Moss Side Fish Fry,” and dates supporting Irish rap outfit Kneecap. Having launched HERchester three years prior, she topped the bill at Manchester Pride that same year. Her self-produced debut album, Formula OneDa, appeared in 2024 and spanned Afro-trap to drum'n'bass.
Albums
Singles
