Sneakbo's Wave Never Stopped, It Just Evolved

Sneakbo is more than a South London rapper. He is one of the few artists who shaped the city’s sound and still stands tall in the same wave he started over a decade ago. From Brixton to global stages, his story is one of legacy, energy and evolution. Long before the term 'Afrobashment' existed, Sneakbo was living it, blending African melody, British street rap and global rhythm into a sound that became a blueprint for a generation.

At City Splash Winter Edition, inside North London’s Drumsheds, that legacy felt alive. The night pulsed with dancehall, reggae and grime. Flags waved, basslines shook concrete walls, and the crowd moved as one. It was more than a festival; it was culture in motion.

“City Splash means everything,” Sneakbo says backstage to New Wave magazine, relaxed but glowing with pride. “Coming from Brixton, growing up, all my friends went to City Splash. I’ve got a lot of memories from here. This is for the culture, where everyone comes together. No bad vibes, just good energy.”

That spirit runs through his music, and it is why his sound still feels like London.

Sneakbo’s rise is one of the defining stories of modern UK rap. His 2011 breakout hit, 'The Wave', was more than a song. It was a declaration, a South London anthem that carried the energy of the streets, the rhythm of the diaspora, and the global pulse of the city.

He laughs when asked how far he has come since then. “My sound just keeps evolving,” he tells us. “The more I grow, the more I go through life. I’m a father now, so my lyrics have matured. It’s still Sneakbo, just a more evolved version.”

He has spent over ten years in the music industry, and in that time has built a lane that others could ride in. A space that didn't really exist when he was coming out.

Speaking with the quiet confidence of an artist who has seen trends come and go yet remains himself, when the topic of his legacy comes up, and also how His impact stretches beyond music. He adds: “One of my favourite things is seeing the new generation turn into millionaires from what we struggled to create. We worked hard to build this. A lot of people who could’ve been stuck in the streets are now changing their lives through music. I respect that heavy.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDANf6libd07o&v=ANf6libd07o

City Splash is more than a booking for Sneakbo; it is a homecoming. The festival, rooted in Caribbean and African heritage, celebrates the culture that shaped him. The smell of jerk chicken in the air, the pulse of bass through the ground, all feels like Brixton brought north for one night.

He grins when asked about his comfort dish. “Pepper steak and white rice,” he says instantly. “Make sure you go to Black and White in Brixton; they’ve got the best pepper steak. Shout out to Axe, my broski", he says with warmth in his voice. “Coming from Brixton, that’s all part of the journey,” he says. “It’s culture. It’s community.”

Across his career, Sneakbo has worked with legends from Giggs to Vybz Kartel on his biggest single, 'Touch Ah Button', but his approach to collaboration has always been about connection, not status.

“It’s chemistry,” he says. “If you check my career, I don’t have loads of massive features. Everyone I work with has been my people, my brothers, my friends. My biggest features are Giggs and Vybz Kartel. That’s real. That’s family.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDIgO9tem1ObY&v=IgO9tem1ObY

With Spotify partnering with City Splash this year, Sneakbo reflects on how streaming changed the way his music connects with the world.

He credits platforms like Spotify for expanding his reach beyond the UK and allowing new listeners to discover his sound. “A hundred per cent, I’ve got loads of new fans from Spotify,” he says. “It’s helped me connect with people who might’ve never heard me before. Big up Spotify, all my bangers are there.”

In a sense, streaming has become the new sound system. Just as Brixton’s blocks once echoed with dancehall, now playlists carry that same rhythm across continents. The culture travels further, but the heartbeat remains the same.

As 2026 approaches, Sneakbo is gearing up for another chapter. His upcoming single, Where They At, is set to lead the new year’s energy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKj2Y6WgKe0

The conversation turns to creativity beyond music. New Wave Magazine covers everything from art and culture to fashion, and Sneakbo explains that he enjoys expressing himself in other ways too. He shares that he paints graffiti style and likes swimming, hobbies that provide quiet space away from the stage and studio.

It is a small exchange that reveals a lot. Behind the energy and hits is an artist who finds peace in quiet creativity. Growth, he says, is not just about sound but self.

When asked what the term 'New Wave' means to him, a fitting question given the night’s collaboration between Spotify and New Wave Magazine, he says that it's "the new generation."

Explaining further, he said: "I’m Jet Ski Wave, in the wave, with the wave, but it’s also about everyone coming through, the new generation. That’s the new wave.”

When Sneakbo stepped on the stage at Drumsheds, the lights dimmed and the air shifted. The crowd roared. Phones lift. The flags, the rhythm, the pride, it all moves as one.

It was a celebration of everything London’s Black music culture has built and everything it continues to become. And by the time Sneakbo left the stage, the feeling in the air was one of connection, not nostalgia, but renewal. Proof that the wave he started is still part of the generation carrying the city forward.

From his earliest days rapping over bashment beats to becoming a blueprint for Afro bashment and UK fusion, Sneakbo’s influence is undeniable. Yet he continues to carry it with ease, like a man who understands that legacy is not just about holding the mic but also passing it on.

He might be a pioneer, but he is also a bridge linking the old school to what is next. As he prepares for next year, he exclaims, "Everything I do next year is going to be the new wave; I’m back!”

Sneakbo has never needed to shout to be heard. The music speaks, and the wave, still rolling after all these years, speaks louder.

City Splash Winter Edition was more than a performance. It was a full circle moment, the sound of a community coming together to celebrate where it all began. The wave never stopped. It just evolved.

Stream Sneakbo’s latest single, Where They At, out now on Spotify. Listen here