Kojo Funds

Kojo Funds
Birth nameErrol Kojo Bellot[1]
Born (1995-03-30) 30 March 1995 (age 29)
London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2015–present
Websiteearth-agency.com/artists/kojo-funds/

Errol Kojo Bellot, known professionally as Kojo Funds (/koʊdʒoʊ fʌndz/ KOH-joh FUNDZ; born 30 March 1995),[2] is an English singer, rapper and songwriter.[3][4] His music blends West African and Caribbean sounds with road rap, dancehall and pop.

Kojo Funds featured on Yxng Bane's single "Fine Wine" and on Mabel's "Finders Keepers". His own singles include "Check" with Raye.

Career

Kojo Funds was born Errol Kojo Bellot on 30 March 1995 in London. He is of mixed Ghanaian and Dominican heritage.[4][5] He grew up in Custom House in East London and was raised by his mother.[4]

A number of his songs have been produced by GA, including "Dun Talkin".[6] In early 2017, he had a feature on the Yxng Bane single "Fine Wine" which was certified silver by the BPI,[7] and on Mabel's "Finders Keepers" which reached number 8 in the UK Official Charts Company Singles chart.[8] On 9 February 2018 he released the single "Check" with English singer-songwriter Raye.

In 2017 Kojo Funds was nominated for Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards.[9][10] In 2018 he appeared at Bestival[11] and Wireless Festival.[12]

He calls his musical style afroswing.[13][14] It has also been called "afro-bashment".[15] The genre originated in London in late 2000s; it blends West African and Caribbean sounds with road rap, hip hop, dancehall and British pop music.[3][4][13][15]

Personal life

He is an avid supporter of Manchester United F.C.[16]

Discography

Albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[17]
Golden Boy 40

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[17]
"My 9lne" 2016 – Non-album single
"Dun Talkin'"
(featuring Abra Cadabra) 		– Golden Boy
"Robbery" – Non-album singles
"Arriba!" –
"Warning" 2017 — Golden Boy
"Fear No One" – Non-album single
"My Wish"
(featuring Kranium) 		— Golden Boy
"Check"
(featuring Raye) 		2018 26
"Stallin'" –
"Who Am I?"
(featuring Bugzy Malone) 		69
"Take Off"[18]
(with Stefflon Don) 		2019 — Non-album singles
"I Like"
(featuring Wizkid) 		74
"Vanessa" 2020 –
"Duppy" –
"Gimme a Time"
(with Don EE) 		2021 –
"Chit Chat"
(with Tranell) 		–
"Let Me Know" –
"So Nice" –
"Do You Mind" 2022 –
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[19] 		UK
R&B
[20] 		IRE
[21] 		SCO
[22] 		FRA
[23]
"Fantasy"
(Jamila Jones featuring Kojo Funds) 		2016 — — — — — Non-album single
"Loco (Remix)"
(86 featuring Chieffy and Kojo Funds) 		2017 — — — — — 86 Bangerz
"I'll Be Waiting"
(Redlight featuring Liv Dawson and Kojo Funds) 		— — — — — Non-album singles
"Bad"[24]
(Juls featuring Not3s, Kojo Funds and Eugy) 		— — — — —
"Fine Wine"[25]
(Yxng Bane featuring Kojo Funds) 		— — — — —
"Finders Keepers"
(Mabel featuring Kojo Funds) 		8 2 45 29 —
  • BPI: 2× Platinum[7]
 High Expectations
"Whistle"[26]
(Wretch 32 featuring Donae'o and Kojo Funds) 		— — — — — FR32
"Calling"[27][28]
(GRM Daily featuring Chip and Kojo Funds) 		— — — — — Non-album single
"Creepin Up (The Come Up)"
(Remedee featuring Yxng Bane, Masicka and Kojo Funds) 		2018 — — — — — Golden Boy
"Tout Va Bien (Remix)"
(Orelsan featuring Eugy and Kojo Funds) 		— — — — 53 La fête est finie
"Crew"
(Raye featuring Kojo Funds and Ray Blk) 		— — — — — Side Tape
"Traffic Jam"
(Banx & Ranx featuring Kojo Funds) 		2019 — — — — — Non-album single
"Pan-Fried"
(Kano featuring Kojo Funds) 		70 — — — — Hoodies All Summer
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

References

  1. ^ "Kojo Funds returns to Royal Docks - News - Royal Docks Academy". www.royaldocksacademy.org. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Kojo Funds - Earth Agency". Earth Agency. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b Renshaw, David (6 April 2018). "Kojo Funds review – champagne, confetti and raw street life". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "Kojo Funds Is the Afro-Swing King of the UK's Black Diaspora". Noisey. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Get to Know: Kojo Funds". MTV. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  6. ^ "GA on how he made Dun Talkin by Kojo Funds, Afrobeats, Afro Bashment or Afro Swing, so what do we call it?, Twin B - BBC Radio 1Xtra". BBC. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "British certifications – Kojo Funds". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 May 2023. Type Kojo Funds in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  8. ^ "Mabel ft Kojo Funds". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  9. ^ "This year's MOBO award nominations have been announced". The Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Here are all the nominations for the 2017 MOBO Awards". The Fader. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Grace Jones, Ghetts and a lot of glitter: the best of Bestival 2018 – in pictures". The Guardian. 6 August 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Wireless Festival 2018 announces bonkers lineup ft. J Cole and Stormzy". The Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  13. ^ a b "UK Afrobeats: The new sound reinventing British club music". Mixmag. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  14. ^ Simpson, Dave (26 March 2018). "Yxng Bane review – genre-hopping rapper relentlessly pleases the crowd". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  15. ^ a b Adegoke, Yomi (1 June 2018). "Grime, Afro bashment, drill ... how black British music became more fertile than ever". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  16. ^ Davey, Jacob (9 January 2019). "VERSUS Jerseys: Kojo Funds". versus.uk.com. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Kojo Funds | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Take Off - Single by Stefflon Don & Kojo Funds". iTunes (UK). 20 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Mabel | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  20. ^ Peak chart positions for albums on the UK R&B Singles Chart:
  21. ^ Peaks in Ireland:
  22. ^ Peak positions for Scottish Singles and Albums Charts:
  23. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles (téléchargement + streaming) – SNEP (Week 47, 2018)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  24. ^ "Bad (feat. Not3s, Kojo Funds & Eugy) - Single". iTunes. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Fine Wine (feat. Kojo Funds) - Single by Yxng Bane". iTunes. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Meet the 10 new artists changing the game for UK rap". Music Week. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  27. ^ "The NME 100: Essential new music for 2018 - Page 9 of 21 - NME". NME. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  28. ^ Abiade, Yemi (24 November 2017). "Grime watch: how SBTV, Link Up and GRM Daily propped up black British music". the Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2018.