The Abuja-born DJ, now based in Wales, has released Trip To Wales, Vol. 1, a 4-track EP that sits at the intersection of Afrobeats, Amapiano, Afrohouse and the new life he’s building in the UK. It’s part mixtape, part cultural bridge, and entirely personal.
The project opens with Croeso, the Welsh word for “welcome.” It’s an appropriate first impression. But this isn’t a tourist’s introduction to Wales. It’s DJ Timi opening the door to his own world and inviting listeners in.
Across four tracks, Trip To Wales, Vol. 1 pairs Nigerian musical energy with artists based in Wales. The EP features Culz Wave, Lucy Borja, Nelly Nonso, Big Clint, Anwar Siziba and Seraphyre. It was co-produced, mixed and mastered by Abuja-based producers Sickxonds and KG.
For DJ Timi, the goal was never just to release new music. He wanted to prove a point about collaboration.
I worked on this to show other artists that they can work with different sounds and cultures,” he says. “I had Welsh-based artists on each track, stepping out of their comfort zone to come and try something new.
The EP begins with optimism. Croeso sets the tone with Nigerian percussion and melodic elements layered over a UK-influenced vibe. Culz Wave joins DJ Timi on the track and even samples Ramz’s Barking, dropping the familiar line “I’ma link my thing from Barking.”
It’s a small detail, but it does a lot of work. In one record you hear where DJ Timi came from and where he is now. He describes the song as “me welcoming whoever is listening to my world,” and as an opener, it earns its place
This is where the DJ in DJ Timi takes over. Run is built for a crowd. The hook is simple and repetitive: “There is no need to run.” It sticks after one listen.Nigerian hype chants — “ololo,” “alala,” “can you feel itttt, yebooo” — run through the track, giving it verve and energy. Lucy Borja, a Welsh-based artist, delivers the vocals and steps into an Afro-inspired space she doesn’t usually occupy.
DJ Timi wanted the song to be “cool and easy to sing and vibe to.” The production carries most of the weight while the chorus stays light enough for a festival crowd to pick up instantly
By track three, the EP leans back into its Nigerian roots. Mamacita features two Nigerian artists living in Wales. DJ Timi says the beat “needed some Nigerian sauce and vibe on it,” and that’s exactly what Nelly Nonso and Big Clint provide.
The track adds texture and familiarity. It’s the point on the EP where the connection between the two scenes feels most direct — Nigerian artists, Welsh base, Afrobeat sound
The closer is exactly what the title promises. Fun is the summer track. The chorus is immediate: “I just wanna have fun tonight.” It’s made for singalongs, for late nights, for the end of a set when the energy needs to stay high but easy.
Born Timothy Adekunle in Abuja, he grew up around music. Drumming, singing, dancing — he was interested in all of it. His first real push into DJing came in secondary school after watching a senior student perform at school events. That student became a mentor. When he left, Timothy took over the decks.
His first paid gig was in 2019 in Garki, Abuja. A breakthrough moment came in 2022 at the Festival of Lights in Abuja. After performing on day one, he was called back on day two to DJ for Blaqbonez in front of an estimated 700 to 1,000 people.
Education eventually took him to Wales. After studying Building Technology at Covenant University, he enrolled for an MSc in Construction Project Management at the University of South Wales. Like many students, he worked at McDonald’s when he first arrived, and slowly built his DJ career on the side.
That grind has paid off. Since moving, he’s performed at the O2 Indigo Arena in London for the Black Welsh Music Awards and at Swansea Arena for about 2,000 people. He’s worked with Race Council Cymru, Black History Wales, the Black Welsh Music Awards and OTID Entertainments. He’s also appeared on ITV UK for the Black History Wales 365 Swansea launch. In 2025, he was nominated for DJ of the Year at the KLAT Awards.
Trip To Wales, Vol. 1 works because it doesn’t try to hide either side of DJ Timi’s identity. He’s Nigerian. He’s now based in Wales. And the EP is about what happens when those two things meet.
By bringing in producers from Abuja while recording with artists in Wales, he created the kind of cross-cultural synergy he wants to see more of. It’s not about fusion for the sake of it. It’s about showing that artists can work across borders without losing who they are.
Wales isn’t presented here as a distant or exotic place. It’s home. It’s where he lives, works, and performs. Nigeria isn’t left behind either. It’s in the drums, the chants, the collaborations, the producers.
DJ Timi says this is only the beginning. He plans to release more singles, collaborate with more international artists, and eventually set up a DJ academy in Wales.
For now, Trip To Wales, Vol. 1 does exactly what it set out to do. It introduces listeners to DJ Timi’s sound, his story, and his vision for what happens when Afrobeats meets a new audience.
