Wavio Records – Year One Recap
- David West
- Dec 7, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
After forty years writing about music you grow used to scenes rising and falling in cycles. You learn the patterns. But every so often something reminds you why you ever started paying attention in the first place.
This year, Wavio Records did that for me.
What began as two friends in a garage has moved with such intention that you can feel the shift ripple through the city. Ambitious, stubborn, rough around the edges and unashamedly hungry. Leeds has reinvented itself countless times and Wavio feels like the start of another turning.
Zulu Abantu – Leeds By Choice, Leeds By Heart
November had Zulu Abantu performing at Mirror Mirror every weekend before stepping onto the stage at the 51st Anniversary of Hip Hop in the Leeds City Museum. A night honouring the architects of Leeds Hip Hop. A room heavy with legacy.
Zulu told me after the show:
“I wasn’t born here but this is the city I represent. When people ask where I’m from I say Leeds. I hope I did the people proud.”
Mission Abort is his next release, carrying an 1980s inspired sound he confidently calls “a hit”. RanguBown summed it up: “Zulu jumps from genre to genre.” Many claim versatility. Few embody it like he does.
Msiz’kay – When Two Worlds Meet
When Msiz’kay signed to Wavio, plenty were confused. A decorated Zimbabwean artist with national acclaim joining a small Leeds label still establishing itself? It didn’t follow the usual formula. But smart moves rarely do.
This partnership expanded Wavio into Africa and placed Msiz’Kay firmly in the UK landscape. Both sides gained ground. Both sides gained reach.
'Hello', his recent single, has dominated Zimbabwean radio and carries that unmistakable “moment” feeling. Mastered by Thomas Priestley, it already feels like the first step of a far bigger story. Some collaborations feel convenient. This one feels right.
Krids – A Song for the Leeds Ravers
Dance music sits deep in Leeds DNA. Speed garage shaped one generation but Organ Bassline carved out its own throne in the warehouses, backrooms and late nights that defined the last decade. Krids was central to that era.
During his peak years he shared stages with giants like Hot Since 82, Hannah Wants and Sonny Fodera. Nights where the city felt alive in a way only Leeds can manage.
His new track 'Can’t Stop' is Organ Bassline at full strength. Heavy. Rolling. Unapologetic. Featuring Blackson, Zulu Abantu and Hate-Rid, it captures the sound of a city waking up again. The video, shot and edited by Zulu and Hate-Rid, fully DIY, is one of the best I’ve seen this year. Honest, warm and raw in all the right ways.
Dwnldz – The Return of Krids the Showman
Krids once sold out 1000 capacity venues across Leeds. To see him choose to build again from the bottom says everything about who he is now. Dwnldz, launching December 6, marks his proper return to event management. The line up is stacked but the statement underneath is louder. This is a man reclaiming a city he once shook to the core.
Artists rarely climb the mountain twice. Krids is already on his way.
Wavio Presents: Kings vs Queens – December 27
Most events add a woman or two to tick a box. Wavio is doing the opposite. Putting female artists front and centre, not as decoration but as equals.
D3, with more than twenty years in the game, recently returned from performing in London and remains one of the most consistent and respected voices in Leeds.
JK Salama, originally from Manchester, has quickly established herself as one of Leeds finest rappers with her distinctive voice and contagious flows.
KC, known primarily as a DJ and having spun for the likes of Lady Leshurr, is stepping onto the mic to show another side of her craft. Her energy is explosive and impossible to contain.
Opposite them:
P Solja, one of the greatest artists Leeds has ever produced. A Don’t Flop titan with countless wins, European tours and more than three million YouTube views.
Blackson, with two decades behind him, merging Italian Hip Hop roots with UK grime in a way that feels both aggressive and effortless. His live presence carries the aura of someone owed his flowers.
Zulu Abantu, whose stage energy remains unmatched.
If you have plans on the 27th… cancel them. This will be a spectacle.
The Wavio Way – Season Two
The podcast returns with bigger guests and a wider scope, shifting toward mainstream music conversations rather than internal updates. There are whispers of a live format being tested.
But the biggest shift is an emotional one. Rangu, one of the founding forces behind the show and a major creative driving point, won’t be a weekly presence after relocating to London. His absence will be felt. You don’t replace someone like that. You adjust, rotate voices and move forward with his imprint baked into the foundation.
Before he left for London I asked Rangu what this next chapter meant for him and for Wavio. His answer was direct, ambitious and exactly what you’d expect from someone who helped build the foundation of this movement.
“I might be leaving Leeds but I’m not leaving Wavio. Our ambitions go way beyond one city. Thomas Priestley and I are the eyes and ears for Wavio in London and we’re pushing this movement toward world domination. This is only the beginning.”
New Signings – A Full Circle Moment
Blackson joining Wavio is monumental. Two decades deep. Italian Hip Hop roots welded seamlessly with UK grime. A high energy performer with an aggressive style and a presence that demands respect. He brings history, experience and authenticity which changes the weight of the roster.
When I spoke with Blackson in the Wavio studio, he didn’t talk about fame or accolades. He spoke about hunger. He spoke about the ones nobody bets on. His perspective summed up the spirit running through Wavio better than anything I could have written myself:
“If there’s one thing my career taught me it’s this. Beware the underdogs. We hit hardest when no one’s looking.”
Hate-Rid arrives with videography strength, design instinct and his legacy as one of the creative forces behind Shxtshow. He also gave Zulu his first real opportunity on a Leeds stage. Seeing them now stand as teammates is a full circle moment that says everything without needing to say much.
And as Krids said inside the Wavio studio:
“We’re not done. We want more talent. But only the ones who match our work rate and hunger. If you’re not built for this grind you won’t fit here.”
A clear mission. A clear standard.
Wavio Year One Recap
In their first year Wavio:
Founded the company
Hosted 5 events
Signed 7 artists
Released more than 35 tracks
Earned airplay in the US and Africa
Empowered African artists
Received 4 award nominations
Moved studios 3 times before settling in the Leeds Media Centre
Launched a podcast
Built 2 event series
Secured residencies in 2 Leeds venues
Surpassed 400k streams
Shot and edited 5 music videos
Performed at countless gigs
They entered the year overlooked. They leave it unavoidable. Every setback, every risk and every late night carved out a new lane for the city.
Wavio didn’t wait for permission.
They took their place.
This is Becoming Undeniable.
@wavio_records
@zuluabantu
@kridsproduction
@rangubown
@tom_prodx
@callmeblackson
@hate_rid23
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