U.K. Hip-Hop Tastemaker Is Back With A Massive Afro-Trap Banger
DJ Semtex releases a new single, “Floor Shake” featuring British-Congolese rap star BackRoad Gee alongside Ghana’s Kwesi Arthur, out now on all digital streaming platforms.
A veritable radio legend, Manchester, England native DJ Semtex is diving deeper into his production bag this year, pushing the envelope with thick and moody tracks that mine grade-A material from an eclectic, international cast of guest rappers.
“Floor Shake” is Exhibit A, boldly announcing itself with ominous, horror-movie chords before dropping into some seriously thick and syrupy synths. Kwesi Arthur glides over the beat with an infectious hook, while BackRoad Gee attacks the track with his unrivaled energetic flow. The result is a colossal, drill-inspired banger that more than lives up to its name.
“Last autumn while touring with Lil Tecca, and doing shows with Joey Badass and Black Sherif, I played this instrumental each night, and it went off every time,” DJ Semtex says. “‘Floor Shake’ shakes the room, building, and everything else.
“Floor Shake” is the latest in a run of genre-defying singles from DJ Semtex connecting Africa-based talent with top rappers from the U.S. and U.K, following October’s “Scary” featuring Dreamville’s Cozz alongside Ghana’s Twitch4EVA. No stranger to Ghana’s music scene, Semtex has been pivotal in introducing Ghana’s current wave of music stars in the U.K., holding down acts like Sarkodie, Black Sherif, and Kwesi Arthur on the airwaves and deejaying for them live at their London shows.
The author of the acclaimed book Hip Hop Raised Me and the host of the Hip Hop Raised Me podcast, DJ Semtex is known for iconic runs at radio stations BBC 1Xtra and his current home, Capital XTRA, where he holds down Friday nights from 9 to 11pm.
Having toured, opened, and performed onstage with the likes of Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Rick Ross, Travis Scott, Skepta, Migos, Dave and Dizzee Rascal, DJ Semtex has earned the right to be called one of hip-hop’s most meaningful tastemakers. Since 2019, Semtex has been releasing his own music through his label, Seminal Sound, working with artists such as Afro B and Boy Nash.
ABOUT DJ SEMTEX
World-class DJ, radio titan, celebrated author, and producer — DJ Semtex wears many hats. None of these titles are complex enough to describe what he means to the music that raised him – hip hop. When the genre urgently needed an advocate in the UK, he stepped up to the plate as its leading voice. On-air, he made his mark as a thought-provoking interviewer, turning his 15-year-strong slot on BBC 1Xtra into a must-visit for artists. As a radio personality, he’s known to coax unusual realness out of closed-off megastars like Kanye West, Drake, Jay-Z, and Eminem, and for using his platform to provide mainstream showcases for emerging acts like UK rapper Dave, who made his radio debut on Semtex’s show and who, years later, brought Semtex out on his sold-out, 2022 European tour. The author of 2016’s critically-lauded memoir Hip Hop Raised Me, Semtex expanded his broadcast portfolio with the Hip Hop Raised Me Podcast, which has hosted far-ranging guests from Chuck D to Pop Smoke. DJ Semtex feels a kinship with artists because he is one, producing and releasing music under his label, Seminal Sound. In 2022, he took his hard-hitting sound into the future with his debut NFT collection, RIOT. With more international collaborations and creative moments in the pipeline, DJ Semtex will continue to push the culture.
