East London rapper Ghetts creates a chill vibe for his afrobeats and amapiano-influenced tune Tumbi.

I have to admit when afrobeats became a thing a few years back I had no idea it was a different thing from Afrobeat. They’re very different genres that both originated in Nigeria and Ghanam albeit decades apart.

I’m not even sure Afrobeats plural can even be considered a musical style rather than a catch-all term for West African digital pop, but it certainly has a toe, if not an entire foot, in its predecessor.

I confess I’m much more a fan of the politicaly charged hybrid of jazz, funk and highlife of Fela Kuti and his son Seun than the frenetic fusions with elements of Burna Boy and Davido, with their elements of dancehall and RnB.

This tune, from grime MC Ghetts, adopts Afrobeats influences and blends them with South American amapiano; another hybrid genre with which I admit I’m entirely unfamiliar.

But it’s his smooth flow, and his storytelling lyrical style, that I love as much as the chill percussive backing that just makes you want to kick back with a cool drink.

I’ve seen his musical style described as a mixture of “a slithering vocal presence and shadowy flows,” which sounds about right, though he has not always been as laid back as this.

An East London boy from Plaistow, Justin Clarke started out in a grime collective called NASTY Crew before teaming up with fellow MCs like Devlin and Wretch 32 in ‘The Movement.’

His first solo mixtape (as Ghetto) followed a spell in prison at the age of 18 followed by a more laid-back release called Ghetto Gospel. Changing his name to Ghetts in 2010, he had a mainstream moment with a dance remix of his single Sing 4 Me.

As his style became increasingly aggressive, he had huge crossover success with the Stormzy collab, Skengman, and has also collaborated with Skepta and multiple others, including Ed Sheeran.

This thankfully Sheeran-free effort has a more restrained vibe again, perfect for summer listening.

* I feel obliged to mention that Ghetts won’t be making any more music for a long time, having been sentenced to 12 years in March 2026 for causing death by dangerous driving in a hit-and-run incident in Ilford.