Meet The SNIPES-Backed European Acts Primed For Music Stardom

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and this is equally applicable to music. Collaboration is key in this milieu, the sharing and distillation of multiple creative minds crafting moments to last a lifetime. From jazz’s gilded bebop era to the heights of Beatlemania to the present day of pop, musicians of all disciplines have thrived when joining forces, often reimagining how far music can reach.

Concurrently, across the world over the last decade, collaboration has—in many ways—aided the rise of multiple music scenes, crafting the present day of what is new and fresh. Think of Africa, where Afrobeats, Amapiano, gqom and other local sounds have captured the imagination, now blazed out of speakers in raves from London to Tokyo, or the proliferation of drill into spaces such as Australia and Ireland. In recent years, we’ve seen grime icon Skepta work with everyone from A$AP Rocky to Nigerian alté sensation Teezee; Stormzy hopped on Ghanaian drill star Yaw Tog’s explosive “Sore”, while Central Cee recently enlisted a host of rappers from Spain, Italy and France for his “Eurovision” track—a sign as clear as any that international music is having its moment in the sun in front of audiences of millions.

This spirit has been recognised by the good people over at SNIPES—one of Europe’s biggest sneaker and streetwear retailers—and its Soundbooth division, a hub for the development of artists across the continent, who have teamed up with three rising musicians in a new campaign centred around collaboration. The new summer-long campaign involves France’s Vicky R, Spain’s DEVA and Italy’s Axell—up and coming, but respected artists in their respective territories—which aims to shine a light on their journeys, while mentoring them as they connect with their wider communities and crafting a collaborative track with a world-renowned musician. Throughout the process, these artists—still at early stages in their musical journeys—will gain the keys of wisdom to take their careers to the next level, developing their overall sound and style while learning valuable lessons about themselves and collecting weighty co-signs along the way.

Get the lowdown on our protagonists Axell, DEVA and Vicky R below.