Nelly Bando blends sounds from Nigeria, UK, Los Angeles into unique new sound

LOS ANGELES, CA – In November of 2016, Nelly Bando found himself in a rough situation.

The hip-hop artist from Los Angeles, California was in the United Kingdom at the time working on new music. In the middle of this tour he went through a terrible break-up with his girlfriend, finding out the hard way that she was a “gold digger” and merely wanted him for his success. It crushed him and threw him into a tailspin of depression for a full week until he decided to push his way out of his funk by finding the “baddest chick I could find at the time.”

When he pulled up to the club later that evening, he was pleased to find so many people giving him sidelong longs because of the girl he was with.

“One of my friends came up to me and said, ‘Damn bruh! You just upgraded!’” Nelly said. “And the word stuck. The next day I went into the studio and put all that into a song and came up with ‘Upgrade Season.’ That’s how the song came together. I eventually decided to name my new EP that because I feel like I’ve changed within the past few months – in other words upgraded. I’m driving these fast cars now and messing with the baddest broads now, so it’s only right that I titled my debut EP as ‘Upgrade Season.’”

That debut EP is currently available for download on all digital distribution sites. It’s a four-track project that features what Nelly says is “just a vibe.”

“From the first track – ‘Stay Jiggy’ – to the last track – ‘Curtain Call’ – every track just slaps hard,” Nelly said. “It’s something you can listen to on the way to work or when you’re trying to get turnt in the club. It really is just a vibe.”

The EP is also a great example of the unique sound and style that he brings to the hip-hop scene. Over the course of his life he’s lived in three different countries – the United Kingdom, Nigeria and the U.S. – and his music incorporates different ideas and sounds from those places.

The talented 21-year-old was born in Lagos, Nigeria to African parents and eventually moved to the U.S. at a young age, which is when he first started to fall in love with music. He moved to the UK at age 16 to attend the University of Essex, and began to explore music-making and the first building-blocks of his unique sound.

Since he’s moved back to the States – specifically to Los Angeles – he said his music has only improved and his specific sound has been more finely honed.

To listen to “Upgrade Season,” to check out more of Nelly Bando’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links: