Five Months Later: Rapsody, RBE and a Rather Busy Silence
- David West
- Apr 24
- 6 min read
Five months without a Wavio blog is not ideal. Then again, neither is trying to document a group that seem intent on moving faster than anyone can comfortably keep up with.
So here we are. April 2026. A return to writing, prompted not by obligation, but by accumulation. Too much has happened to ignore.
Rapsody: A Statement, Not an Event
On March 7th, 2026, at Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, Wavio delivered something that felt less like a gig and more like a line in the sand.
A near sell out crowd filled the 200 capacity venue. Zulu Abantu, Taiwanese rapper Humble Lu and Chinese singer WakeUp515 performed alongside a 20 plus piece orchestra from the University of Leeds.
It was ambitious. It was polished. And more importantly, it was executed.
To understand why that matters, you have to go back a year. Wavio Presents: Episode 1 took place in Manchester at Fuel The Music. Their first ever event, in a city where they had no real presence. At the time, it felt bold to the point of reckless. A strong lineup featuring artists like Bastet and RTB helped carry it, but the overriding reaction was simple: Why Manchester?
The answer, it seems, was always the same. Why not?
A year later, that same ambition has not been scaled back. It has been refined. Rapsody did not feel like a gamble. It felt like the natural next step for a group that have quietly been building towards something larger.
The difference now is that people are paying attention. Coverage from the Yorkshire Evening Post, including a front page feature, made sure of that. Journalist Jennifer Cartwright has been keeping a close eye on proceedings. Close enough that I’ve been able to take something of a back seat.
She’s doing a fine job of it.
RBE Arrives in Leeds
Momentum tends to attract company. Following Zulu Abantu’s Album of the Year win with RBE, that relationship has developed into something more concrete. On May 1st, 2026, RBE lands in Leeds at Attic, formerly Sheaf St.
This is not just another stop on a tour. Wavio have handled the logistics to bring RBE to the city, effectively creating a pathway for local artists to be seen by industry figures who rarely venture beyond the usual circuits. RBE CEO Rudebone will be in attendance with his team, performing as well as observing.
The format is intentional. An open mic to begin, offering emerging artists a chance to step into the room, followed by performances from Zulu Abantu, Blackson, FIN E and Khayor. Krids takes control of the decks.
Again, a 200 capacity room. But this time, the weight of who is watching feels more significant than how many.
Leeds has long been described as a sleeping giant. A city that should be competing with Manchester as comfortably as Leeds United recently did at Old Trafford.
If nothing else, it suggests a shift in confidence.
A Global Play: Msiz’Kay’s Moment
While Leeds sharpens its local identity, Wavio’s ambitions stretch outward.
Msiz’Kay, already one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent artists, is preparing to release his EP Walk a Mile in My Shoe in early summer.
His four releases with Wavio have already accumulated tens of thousands of streams. The expectation now is that this project will push beyond that.
Rangu put it simply:
“This is our biggest release of the year. Everything we’ve done with Msiz’Kay has been building towards this.”
Thomas Priestley, known as Priest, added:
“When I first heard the demo, I knew straight away. It’s been a long wait, but it’ll be worth it.”
It is not a quiet rollout. Nor is it intended to be.
Rumours, Chips and Hyde Park
Not everything requires a stage.
Krids continues to operate somewhere between strategy and instinct. Hints of an album have circulated for some time, supported by his own comments about a substantial backlog of unreleased music. When asked directly, he offered little:
“I can’t give up too much. Just know it’s all guns blazing as always.”
What he has offered, however, is moments.
A recent DJ set in a Leeds chippy during the Otley Run could easily have gone the wrong way. Instead, it landed precisely as intended. A high footfall location, an unsuspecting audience and just enough chaos to make it memorable. People arrived for food and left with a story.
And just days later, on 4/20, he took things outdoors. At Hyde Park, where large groups naturally gather for a more relaxed atmosphere, Krids arrived with a speaker and debuted his upcoming single Underground. Again, the risk was obvious. Public stunts like this can easily tip into something uncomfortable to watch.
Instead, it worked.
The crowd leaned in, the energy carried, and what could have been written off as a gimmick became something far more effective. A raw, unfiltered showcase of what sounds like another electronic anthem in the making.
Two unconventional settings. Two successful outcomes.
This is where Wavio separate themselves. Not just in what they do, but where and how they choose to do it.
The Frequency: Blackson Cuts Through
If there were any doubts about Wavio’s eye for talent, they did not last long.
Recently, Blackson took to the stage at Steeze Factory’s first ever live event. A sold out, 600 capacity show. Not a small room, not a forgiving crowd. A real test. I was there.
I’ll admit, prior to his signing with Wavio, Blackson wasn’t on my radar. Zulu Abantu, however, was insistent. “We’ve signed one of Leeds’ top calibre artists,” he kept telling me. Repeatedly. With the sort of confidence that either means you’re right or you’re about to be proven very wrong.
So I went to see for myself. By the time I arrived, there were already 200 people waiting before doors had properly opened. This was a different kind of anticipation. Steeze Factory had built its reputation through exclusivity and online presence. This was the first time people were seeing it live. There was excitement, yes, but also a slight tension. The unknown tends to do that. Blackson removed it within seconds.
Within the first five seconds of his performance, the crowd erupted. Not politely, not cautiously. Instantly. He was one of the earlier acts on the lineup, but from that moment, the bar had been set.
The interesting part is this. Much of his music is delivered in Italian. On paper, that should create distance. A barrier between artist and audience. It didn’t. I couldn’t understand the words. Most people couldn’t. It didn’t matter. What came through was control, presence, and something far more important than language. Energy. The kind that doesn’t need translating.
Suddenly, Zulu’s confidence made sense. Not as hype, but as recognition.
If Wavio is building a sound, Blackson feels like a key part of it. Not the loudest voice in the room, but the one that cuts through when everything else fades. The frequency you don’t ignore.
Less Noise, More Control
Perhaps the most noticeable shift is the silence. Zulu Abantu, Wavio’s most active artist last year, has yet to release in 2026. A five month gap that would normally raise questions. Instead, it offers answers.
In that time, he co organised Rapsody alongside Dr Sally Yafei and played a central role in bringing RBE to Leeds. When asked why, his response was direct:
“Winning Album of the Year gave me recognition. But that was never the goal. A lot of people get that moment and stop. I’ve always said I want to elevate Leeds. That’s bigger than me.”
Less output, more infrastructure. Less visibility, more influence.
The Return
So yes, Wavio are back to writing blogs. Although the truth is, they never stopped moving.
Rapsody was the signal. RBE is the response. What follows will determine whether this is a moment or the beginning of something more sustained.
Either way, it would be unwise to ignore it now.
—
Follow the movement:
@wavio_records
@zulu_abantu
@msizkay
@kridsmusic
@callmeblackson
@officialkhayor
@rangubown
@Thomas_priestley
Next: RBE Leeds Showcase — May 1st, 2026
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