British Rapper Tkandz Goes Global with Viral Hit “NOW OR NEVER”

A Self-Taught Artist Making Waves
BandLab is celebrating a new era where artists can achieve global reach from the very start of their careers. British rapper Tkandz, born Ayotomiwa Akande, is a prime example of this shift. The 19-year-old self-taught artist from Essex has leveraged BandLab’s free music-making platform to experiment, share his music, and connect directly with fans.

Breakout Single Rockets to International Fame
Tkandz’s breakout single, NOW OR NEVER, featuring producer CXSPER, has catapulted him to international recognition. The track has earned him roughly 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and has racked up over 40 million streams worldwide. Its success is reflected on charts as well, debuting at No.136 on Billboard’s Global 200 Excl. US chart for the week of October 11 and entering Spotify’s Top 50 daily charts in the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, and several other countries.

Global Recognition from Day One
“Tkandz didn’t have to break out of the UK first; he was global from day one,” said BandLab CEO and co-founder Meng Ru Kuok. “A self-taught producer who started making music at 15, he’s an example of how creativity empowered by technology can reach the world instantly.”

Going Viral on TikTok and Radio
In a recent Capital Xtra interview with DJ Semtex, Tkandz described recording NOW OR NEVER as “my moment to really shine for myself.” The song also gained viral attention after Barcelona soccer star Lamine Yamal featured it in a TikTok video, further amplifying its global footprint.

BandLab Expands Tools for Creators
BandLab, which now hosts over 100 million creators, has expanded its music licensing services, allowing artists, labels, and publishers to signal interest in licensing tracks for AI training. Songs can be marked as “Open to AI licensing,” creating new opportunities for creators to benefit from emerging technologies.

Additionally, BandLab partnered with Sony Corporation earlier this year to integrate 360 Reality Audio technology into the platform. Users can now access spatial-enabled beats in BandLab’s Sounds marketplace, enabling a richer, more immersive music production experience.

Breaking Barriers for Modern Musicians
Tkandz’s meteoric rise underscores a major shift in the music industry: artists today can connect with listeners worldwide without being confined to local markets, proving that with the right tools, talent truly knows no borders.