OneDa - Interview

Manchester rapper and poet OneDa recently released her debut album Formula OneDa via Heavenly Recordings, and is available on vinyl (cop it here) and all major digital platforms.

Building on the success of tracks like Major Pay, Set It Off, Superwoman, and The Western Way, this 12-track LP sees OneDa collaborating with artists such as Renee Stormz, PRIDO,Princethekid, Ace Clvrk, Superlative, and Miss Stylie. Spanning hip-hop, drum and bass, reggae, and electronic, Formula OneDa highlights her versatility and bold artistic vision.

On the announcement of her debut album, OneDa adds: “Formula OneDa is the product of my whole journey in music up until this point. It marks the start for me, this is the foundation for me to now build upon. Choosing the collaborators on the album was a journey in itself, not every collaboration is going to be the right collaboration and that is what this journey has taught me.

The collaborators I have chosen for the album all were chosen because of the need of the particular track. For example Prido was chosen because of his AfroSwing/Grime element to his sound which complimented ‘Over My Dead Body’ so well. I’m excited for the drop, and just to see how the world takes my body of work in, there’s a lot of emotions flowing through me right now, it’s crazy. I’m just here enjoying the journey.”

OneDa won the AIM Independent Music Awards ‘One to Watch’ category, cementing her status as a rising star in UK music. She performed at the event on October 17th, and was announced as one of the first performers alongside Sampha. The album title, drawn from a lyric in her track “Off My Light”—“Had to step away, get the levels up fast, Formula OneDa never come last”—parallels her journey from underdog to leader. This theme resonates with the F1 Academy’s mission to uplift women in the male-dominated world of Formula 1 racing, a movement she champions as part of her “Pussy Power” message.

Known for her poetic wordplay and dexterous flow, OneDa has already supported artists like Kneecap and Baxter Dury and performed at major festivals including Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Boomtown, and We Out Here. Her dynamic live shows, which feature regular collaborators Miss Stylie and Superlative, are a testament to her powerful stage presence. She also headlined with Angélique Kidjo at the launch of Aviva Studios in Manchester, further showcasing her talents.

OneDa’s sound is a reflection of her Nigerian heritage and Manchester roots, blending afro-trap, afrobeats, hip-hop, and drum and bass into a distinct sonic identity. Named by The Face as a key MC in the drum ‘n’ bass renaissance, her expertise goes beyond lyrics, seamlessly weaving poetic verses with shifting beats to create something truly unique. She has also ventured into production in the past two years, driven by a desire to honor her late father and take control of her career. The first single to drop from the album, Set It Off, co-produced with Fat Budha, embodies the album’s defiant energy, combining bombastic drum and bass with sharp, self-assured lyricism. Whilst tracks like Superwoman, Leader, and Over My Dead Body emphasise themes of empowerment and self-acceptance, calling listeners to embrace their own power and authenticity.

OneDa took time out to chat with Wordplay Magazine’s; Adam Mir, about manifestation, identity and producing her debut album Formula OneDa.

OneDa is a rapper, MC and Producer from Manchester. Her explosive energy on the mic has been kicking around the music industry for the last decade but in the last year she’s seen her career soar to new heights with the release of her debut, Formula OneDa. I had the pleasure of speaking with OneDa about music, manifestation and much more.

You’ve had a huge year in 2024, winning ‘One to Watch’ at the AIM awards and releasing your much-awaited debut album ‘Formula OneDa’. How are you feeling about your career right now?

I’m feeling good, I’m riding the wave. I’ve built a foundation this year. That’s what I wanted to do; build a foundation I can start springing off and now I’ve got people watching so I can really have fun with it.

It’s been a long journey for you and it’s really nice to see the culmination of that.

Yeah it’s nice, cos you know there are a lot of people that have been in my situation that give up or stop doing music because it is a hard road, but this shows and proves that consistency is key. You have to keep going, you have to smash through, that’s a rule of the universe. It’s one of those magical rules of the earth and it’s like I’ve finally got that key. Now I’ve got in the door I can put a chair up, put my feet up, put the fire on and start claiming my spot and push with the music and really push with the sound cos before it was fighting for people to actually hear your music and spending money on the studio and you’re only getting a few streams, it’s disheartening cos you feel like you’re not really doing anything but now I know that people are really listening.

Why do you think the world makes it so hard to be a creative, particularly in the music industry?

If you were rich you could do music. That’s the limit cos people then have to sacrifice sitting at home writing music because they have to go work to pay the bills. They can’t afford studio time cos it costs a lot and how are you going to afford studio time if you’re not working. Then you’re tired after work so you haven’t got the oomph to write a track and then you’ve got to wake up to go to work. So it’s that whole sort of trap of society when you’re at the bottom rung, when you haven’t got the P’s to make it work. It’s not a cheap career to get into so it’s the love that keeps you going otherwise it’ll crush you.

Is that where you get your drive from? Love?

I get my drive from love and the belief that I know I’m a mill. I know what’s coming. I know I’m a millionaire. I know I’m touring around the world. I picture myself doing things like this, I lie down in my bed and just picture my future while still being happy with what I have now. I’ve had to train myself to have so much belief in myself that I can’t let that shit worry me bro. Money flows into my life unexpectedly all the time because that’s how the universe is set and that’s how I’ve set it because I constantly set my intentions daily, multiple times a day- I don’t let it slip.

Is it difficult balancing future-facing manifestation and being present?

Yeah, yeah it is hard, it’s having a balance of the two. It’s an eagerness but not sitting in that future bit too much, I just know it’s coming. So I can sit there and fantasise about it cos I know it’s coming but also sitting in the present and loving what I’m doing now. I’m in the studio now and I can just create, create, create and when I’m in that creative zone that’s when I’m present and I don’t always care about what comes out of it just making the music is fun, making the music is good for my soul.

What fulfils you more, is it creating the music or performing?

Performing is my favourite thing to do. That’s my favourite thing ever cos I feel like I’m floating every time I’m on stage. I can’t dance but I still dance. I feel like I’m free when I’m on stage. I do like locking myself in the studio but that gets mad though when I’ve been here for like 10 hours and I’ve needed the toilet for the last 5 hours but I’m still like “nah just let me do this”. But performing is definitely my favourite thing that’s when I’m floating.

The album itself is diverse in many ways, in its genre and cultural identity and that’s obviously very personal to you. How does your identity affect your music and its message?

At the end of the day I’m an African girl, I’m a Nigerian girl even though I haven’t been brought up in Nigeria, I was born and bred here. My music is a way I can connect and also it’s an ode to my dad who died two years ago, and I think that’s when I started putting more afro and Nigerian influence in my music as a salute to him and nod to my ancestors. I have to show every part of me and it’s about accepting every part of me and music reflects myself, so I have to try and reflect every aspect of myself.

The album covers many genres from grime and hip-hop to jungle and drum ‘n’ bass, where does this collaboration come from?

That’s just all the music that I love. As an artist I’m influenced by all genres, and I used to be a rapper who only did hip-hop but then I realized “no I’m an artist”. It’d be like if I was a painter and just stuck to red and painted all the trees red and didn’t utilize every other colour that was there. So I thought “yeah I’m an artist, I can flow through genres instead of being constricted to any one”. I may even do more genre’s in future. But it’s about not being scared to just create, I wanted to show my versatility on the album, I didn’t want to be boxed in. It’s my debut album and it’s just a little flavour of what I can do. I flow like energy, and you can’t box down energy.

Your name has become synonymous with a drum ‘n’ bass renaissance that we’re seeing today- how does that make you feel?

I don’t mind me being linked. People can link me to whatever it’s just like people can say whatever they want to say. It’s a good thing, they’re not saying anything bad, I’ll always make drum ‘n’ bass, I love that genre.

What was it like moving into producing this album?

It was exciting but it was a high price to pay brother. Cos I used to spend a few hours a day writing but now being a producer, it’s your whole life, and I mean for 8 hours straight, and I want to produce all the time, probably like 55% more than I like rapping now. It’s mad, it’s taken over me but its cos I can now manipulate everything, it’s exciting and I’m just getting started.

A theme that’s common across your work is empowerment- does that come from the music itself, or does it come from somewhere else?

No that just comes from me. I empower myself. People need to learn to empower themselves because if it comes from somewhere else, if that somewhere else goes what are you gonna do then? I empower myself, I tell myself I’m sick, I tell myself I can do anything- you get me. If there’s any thoughts in my head that tell me “OneDa you can’t do this” I tell it to shut the fuck up. I’m a queen! You have to care enough about yourself to care about yourself. People believe their thoughts in their head and people become their thoughts when thoughts are not reality- you can be the observer of your thoughts without being your thoughts, if you’re the observer you’re in control of it. Observe it and you’ll be over that fear of it. Your mind can be your greatest power or your greatest enemy. We’re all kings and queens in this world and you have to spend time working on yourself and just spend time being with yourself and spend time loving yourself and telling yourself you’re the shit. And everyone goes through it, your brain tells you things you can’t do all the time but if you tell yourself you can you’re hearing that more and that’s how I work.

I know you’ve done a lot of work to push women and young people towards music- does the work you’ve done on yourself push you to empower other people?

Yeah it’s like 60% working with their mental and then I work with the music cos that’s the most important thing, so it always intertwines. When I’m mentoring people that’s the main thing I focus on. You have to be confident and believe in your own shit. Your head will carry you more than the music will.

Two phrases come to mind when I think of you and that’s “Manny on the rise” and “Pussy Power”- what do these phrases mean to you?

Manny on the rise! That’s my hometown I’ve been saying “Manny on the rise” for the longest and that’s sort of like my own manifestation because that’s my city and I am my city as well so as well as rising my city up- it’s me rising. So that’s there as a daily affirmation and it’s a good one because people say it back to me. And “Pussy Power” is my whole encapsulation of my way of life, when you believe in yourself and all your imperfections, that’s where your power is and as a female that’s my encapsulation of it-  I put it out as “Pussy Power”.

What is it about Manchester that is able to nurture such amazing art?

I think Manchester has a grit about the city. We’ve always been outsiders- you get me- we’ve had a hard life, it’s cold and rainy and we’ve got an extra hardened spirit. We’re fighters and we keep going. Londoners shut us out in a way that we had to carve our own path. We’re one of those cities that have decided to hold our own up and that’s why Manchester has always produced artists that stand out and go against the grain. I believe we will keep producing artists like that cos that’s just the city.

As an independent artist where do you think the music industry is in terms of progression and inclusion?

It seems like there has been progression and regression because the whole streaming debacle seems like regression for artists themselves and a lot of grassroots venues have shut down and the cost of touring- Ok I’m talking a lot of regression here but at the same time there is a lot of space- Fuck the regression! There is a lot of space and there is a lot of opportunity if you show willing I believe. There’s more space for up-and-coming artists to do things. As well I’m talking about grassroots venues shutting down but at the same time, especially in Manchester there’s so many promotors putting on different open mic nights and unsigned nights. The scene’s just buzzing and there’s a lot of battle scenes popping up. Coming into the industry industry things like the AIM awards which helps artists of the future cos it gives them hope and it helps them see a path-way.

Are there any artists of the future on your radar at the moment?

I would say IzzyOT he’s a young guy from Manchester and I’ve worked with him in the past. I see he’s doing bits, and he keeps pushing.

Are there any collaborations we can expect from you in the future?

Plenty of collaborations! I can’t say any names but plenty!

Finally, when can we expect to see you on stage?

This weekend I’ll be performing at Kneecap’s after-show at Manchester’s Band on the Wall so that should be sick, and I’ll be at Live at Leeds on Friday (16th) and then I’ll be in Manchester doing my headline gig of the year at Stage & Radio which is my last show in Manchester for the next 5 months.

Thank you OneDa, it’s been an absolute pleasure.

Thank you.