Flohio is a rapper from South East London with familial roots in Lagos, Nigeria. With her totally unconventional sound, Flohio uses witty lines and supernatural sounds that make it hard to put her into a genre box. Her image consists of fierce representation of South London with an intense energy that clearly stems from her Nigerian roots. Her recent single Roundtown (attached above) proves just that.
Musical Background
Flohio was born Funmi Ohiosumah in Lagos, Nigeria twenty-five years ago. Her family migrated from Lagos to Bermondsey, London when she was extremely young. With a father who was a pilot and a mother who constantly worked to provide for her and her sister, Flohio most likely fell into the world of music while she was home alone. Her idol became Lil Wayne and music seriously became an outlet for her at 13 years when she started writing her own music. Some of her most known songs include Simmer, Watchout, Pounce, and Wealth. Her debut EP album is titled Nowhere Near, released in 2016.
Diasporic Representation
Flohio has never neglected her roots even though she moved away from Lagos at a young age. In Roundtown and countless other songs, you can clearly hear her inner-city directness and her South London twang. Flohio intentionally finds inspiration in her African lineage and combines it with her South London identity. She can still speak Yoruba, finds comfort in her mother’s traditional dishes, and her stage name is a portmanteau of her Nigerian name. She tells DAZED that no one has to choose one of their identities but embrace all.
Twitter: @flohio16
Instagram: @flohio_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flohio