Since bursting onto the scene in 2017, English R&B supergroup Rak-Su have gone onto conquer the world of music with their own unique blend of soulful, R&B/pop.
Famous for chart hits including Dimelo, I Want You To Freak and Girls Like You, the supremely talented quartet – made up of Ashley Fongho, Jamaal Shurland, Myles Stephenson and Mustafa Rahimtulla – are childhood friends who first began collaborating with one another on various musical projects, as teenagers growing up in Watford, north London.
Rak-Su featuring Donel – Left Right (Official Music Video)
Having made their triumphant return to the charts at the end of 2020, following a brief stint out of the spotlight which saw them bunker down in the studio, Rak-Su kicked off the new year in serious style with the unveiling of their latest release, Left Right – an infectious, classic 90s R&B inspired banger, that looks set to go down a storm at post-lockdown parties up and down the country this summer.
Explaining the inspiration behind the track, the boys say: “If anyone’s ever been around us there’s always good energy and a lot of fun, so we wanted to make a song that felt like that and share it with the world.”
We caught up with Rak-Su for the latest in our ‘My London’ interview series.
Favourite Neighbourhood:
Shoreditch! From the shops, to BOXPARK, to the bars, there’s just a real feel good vibe to Shoreditch that we all love.
Favourite place for brunch:
There’s a food stall called Mother Clucker in Brick Lane – Myles is obsessed with the buffalo wings so I’d say that!
Best coffee in London:
Hmm.. honestly, none of us are coffee drinkers, so we can’t really answer that one!
Favourite gallery or museum:
The Natural History Museum. There’s always an exhibition there that will teach you some stuff you that have never even thought of before!
Tell us a secret:
If you ever have a night out in Central London and you’re feeling hungry afterwards, head to Wok to Walk because it BANGS! Going there is like a sort of ritual for us now. There’s one just by Oxford Circus Station, so check it out!
Favourite place to shop:
Carnaby Street always has some really cool shops where you can often find some hidden gems, and Nike Town is just around the corner which is a bit of a bonus! I kind of want to say Oxford Street though, I feel hella basic saying that!
Favourite place to find inspiration:
Primrose Hill is a beautiful place to visit if we’re ever lacking in feeling creative – going there at night somehow helps it all come flooding back.
Best London destination for a date:
Myles: Gotta be Nobu.
Jamaal: I would say Everyman Cinema in Barnet.
Ashley: For me it would be a night out at Swingers… it’s a crazy golf place I promise!
Favourite park:
Hyde Park! There’s something for every season, you’ve got Winter Wonderland, massive open air concerts in the summer… it’s slap bang in the middle of the city, and we love it.
Favourite food market:
We haven’t been to that many, but Camden is always been a good place to walk through and try new foods!
Your sanctuary in the city:
Anywhere where there’s a music studio! And luckily for us there are loads all over the place.
What inspires you?
The knowledge that we get to live a dream together as friends, and share experiences on stage with our fans, and creating continuously allows us to do that.
This season we’re loving:
Although we’re now just creeping into spring, we’ve gotta say we loved all of the snow we had a few weeks ago! It feels like we had more than ever this year, and we love it because when it settles the way it did, it’s beautiful!
