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Suté Iwar
“Its about embracing the unknown and finding your path. It's about shining bright in adversity, even during difficult times. The lyrics encourage listeners to stretch out and explore while staying true to themselves"
Rising Afro-fusion singer and rapper Suté Iwar releases his third single, ‘STAR
PLAYER’ featuring UK rapper kadiata taken from his forthcoming debut album, ‘ULTRALIGHT’.
‘STAR PLAYER’ perfectly combines Suté Iwar’s afro-infused Funk-filled R&B paired with the laidback tone of Pimlico-hailing rapper kadiata. The bad entity production is cohesive, sleek, and lustrous, providing the perfect background for both artists to tell their stories.
Read on to learn more about Suté Iwar with Neo Music
NEO: Hi Suté Iwar. Thanks for featuring on Neo! Congratulations on the release of your newest single 'Star Player'. It’s such a good song. Could you tell us what inspired you to write it?
SUTÉ: Hey Neo! I got the instrumental for Star Player from an amazing producer friend called bad Entity and sat with it for a while figuring out what I wanted to say on it but I knew it was definitely going to be on the project I was working on. It was one of the last songs I recorded for the project. I was in London at the time and had this sudden feeling that the album I was working on was truly special and it got me thinking; what advice would I give myself if I was given everything I wanted? I’m a private person but I don’t mind being vulnerable in my music. The advice that ends up on the song is to stay soft, dangerous, and open to new experiences and I’m certain other people can relate to that.
NEO: How would you describe your music journey so far?
SUTÉ: It’s been scenic and satisfying. I’m lucky that I get to experience music in different ways. I play instruments and produce, which has always been a pure creative experience. I rap and sing, which means I get to communicate my ideas and experiences poetically and melodically. I try to focus on enjoying the music making process because completing a song and people connecting to it is the prize; every other thing is a bonus.
NEO: Who is your biggest inspiration?
SUTÉ: I grew up on jazz and soul music from my dad so that approach to music has always been my inspiration. With jazz, it’s about collaboration while having a individual musical vision. I’m generally attracted to and inspired by artists that have that spirit in them; and there’s a lot of them! I also really try to lean into my intuition and stay in touch with the world inside and around me so a lot of inspiration comes from my inner world and my perception of things.
NEO: What's your creative process and what gets you into a musical zone?
SUTÉ: I don’t have one process but I always need to feel like i’m playing not ‘working’. Sometimes I produce the music first before I think about words. Other times I have a poetic idea in my head that I flesh out into a song. It different everytime but I’m always working out new songs. I don’t need anything to get me in the zone because I’m constantly inspired. I could be walking past a tree in the park and something about it feels musical and i’ll record a voice note of the idea. Sometimes, I really enjoy songs about mundane things.
NEO: What are your passions outside of music?
SUTÉ: I love to bake. I love film a lot too. That’s my big passion after music and I hope I get to explore more of it soon. I’ve recently gotten into skating. I’m hoping to travel a lot more too. I love exploring new cultures and places.
NEO: What would you like to achieve before your next birthday?
SUTÉ: I’ll love to achieve maximum exposure for my music. If these songs are doing well everything else takes care of itself.
NEO: Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
SUTÉ: I’m from Nigeria. Raised in Lagos but I live in Abuja, the capital. The rhythm of Nigeria is always in my music in some way. It doesn’t matter if I’m making an afro-fusion or a hiphop/r&b song; my Nigerian identity will be in there somehow. Nigeria also teaches you how to problem solve at rapid speed and I think that has always helped me navigate music and the industry.
NEO: If you were a snack, what snack would you be?
SUTÉ: I’ll be a Kinder Bueno haha. It has layers.
NEO: Who would you most like to collaborate with?
SUTÉ: This is a very long list but right now i’ll love to make music with the Silk Sonic guys (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak). Fellow funk soldiers.
NEO: What is the best advice you’ve been given?
SUTÉ: Best advice I was given was to trust the process. What it actually means is to trust yourself.
NEO: Finally, let us know where to find you on social media!
SUTÉ: @suteiwar everywhere!
Don't forget to stream STAR PLAYER by Suté Iwar and follow him on socials to see what's coming next!