The Milton Keynes-raised London based indie rapper Niko B, also known as Tom Austin, has shared his latest playful dance/rap single ‘Hairclips’. The song was released alongside a summery, nostalgic music video directed by Broken Antenna in which the rapper performs in his classic dead-pan demeanour around a room of remote controlled cars.
The fresh new single showcases the artist’s change in direction to a dance-orientated beat with an incorporation of synth beats. Though, the song still features his quintessential laidback conversational rapping style alongside a new vocal flavour with singing that floats through the chorus.
The release of ‘Hairclips’ follows his debut album in 2024 ‘Dog Eat Dog Food World’, which reached Number 2 on the Independent Albums Chart. The project includes some of his most popular songs such as ‘Trespass Coat’ which has reached over 6m listens on Spotify.
Austin claimed his fast rise to fame after the release of his 2020 satirical British song ‘Who’s That What’s That’. The song quickly became a lockdown anthem with its massive popularity on TikTok. The rapper’s starkly humorous and relatable lyricism struck a chord with many listeners on social media, earning him a cult following.
After reaching such great heights with ‘Who’s That What’s That’, his following musical activity circulated social media, including a freestyle rap ‘Love Island’ which went viral on TikTok.
@songs4souls Niko B – Love Island Freestyle #loveisland #nikoB #ukrap #freestyle #newmusic #songsforsoul #music #songs #chillsounds #musictok #ukmusic #singers ♬ original sound – songsforsouls
When he released his debut album ‘Dog Eat Dog Food World’, he shared with Dazed Magazine that the project would be “happy songs for headfuck times”. The album is a reflective and humorous look on hopefulness and aging. He talks lyricism with Dazed, sharing his inspiration for using British references throughout his songs. He says, “I was the same as every other regular kid who grew up in the UK so if I mention these random niche things that people will recognise or remember again, it makes them feel more connected to my songs.”
In an interview last October with Victory Lap , he discussed his music favourites at the time including Madness’s hit single ‘It Must Be Love’ along with indie rock band Born At Midnite. Both artists gave a hint to some other musical directions he might cover as well as his bouncy disco influenced synth sound which can be heard in ‘Hairclips’.
Austin will be performing a sold out UK tour this December. Other upcoming performances can be found here.
