Niko B, an aspiring rapper from Milton Keynes is doing his first UK tour. The sentence might sound far fetched to those oblivious to the name but with an ever-expanding following and footprint on the culture who hasn’t heard of Niko B?
The Made In A Bedroom Tour begins tomorrow in Sheffield where his cult-like audience will gather to hear old, new and unreleased music, little do they know his backstage rider consists exclusively of Gary Barlow images. With a natural knack for having a microphone in his hand and hours of rehearsals under his belt, the nerves are standard for all live-performers, whereas a mid-performance hiccup at a Niko B show would be another wonderful element of the experience.
The 11-leg tour spans over two weeks, including a Glasgow show which excites him alot, not only because of the fact that Irn-Bru is one of Scotland’s national drinks, but also the idea of the unknown with it being his first time visiting, let alone performing. If he wears a kilt on stage, that was not my idea! For the closest thing to a homecoming, the London Show at Village Underground will be special for Niko, with friends and more importantly family in the crowd, I’m sure he’ll be on his best behaviour.
Recent single “I Just Had A Fight With An Emo Outside Subway” marks Niko’s signature style accompanied by an incredible marketing ploy, one harder to miss on socials. Unafraid to lean on many ideas “If I like it, that’s the main thing” is his approach. Ultimately, his debut project will solidify his name even further beyond the UK and without any features to date. It’s something he plans on exploring in the future “my music has it’s own lane so it’s hard to hear other artists on the same songs, I love that because in the future I’d love to bring other rappers or female vocalists on a Niko B track.“ The narrative would be amazing if his dream collaboration with Lily Allen came to fruition, he also discussed his desire to work with singer, songwriter Katy B. Niko B, Katy B, it does have a ring to it!
Best known for its roundabouts and concrete cows, Milton Keynes aka Milk and Beans is Niko’s hometown. For someone so creative and expressive through his art forms I wondered how back home has influenced him throughout his years leading up to here, “There’s f*ck all to do there which makes you look for things to do which stemmed my creative ability to make something out of nothing.”. Of course his lifestyle now is packed out with everything from recording, modeling, touring, attending fashion shows and more “making your own fun in a field with a bunch of friends was all there was to do in Milton Keynes”.
Ahead of the tour, Niko will be hosting a meet and feast with Nandos where he will get a chance to chat to some of his fans in person before the gig at the local restaurant. Fortunately for all parties, Niko is a huge Nandos fan, dining out at least 3-4 times a week, I don’t blame him. His love for Nandos is true, “it’s a staple of being a teenager in the UK, it’s consistent and you know what you’re going to get every time”, to further highlight Nandos’ importance in British culture amongst teens and young adults he said, “whether that’s a twelve year old going after the cinema or even when you get older and go their for food after the gym.”.
The staple lunch order consists of double wrap, chips and rice, with an evening preference of thighs or sunset burger with additional broccoli. Yes, 3 sides, legend. His preferred medium spice is accompanied with his own (not so) secret sauce hack mixing hot with lemon to create a sour fusion. Niko’s devoured love for Nandos will hopefully one day crack the black card myth, one which he deserves.
Be sure to grab a ticket for Niko’s tour here and keep your eyes peeled for new music.