UK Rapper Nemzzz Is Heading To Australia & New Zealand This October

Fresh off the back of a successful release the Manchester emcee’s debut mixtape Do Not Disturb, independently released in March 2024, is a self-assured project which cements Nemzzz as a star in the UK Rap scene. The rapper is confident that Do Not Disturb is his best body of work yet.

“I want to feel relatable,” he explains of his approach to rapping. “I want people to listen to the music and feel like they know me already, always. I’m more like a best friend giving them a pep talk. I’ve always kept to myself; just sat in my room thinking and thinking. I have ADHD as well, so I tend to get a lot of thoughts all in my head at once. Rather than go to the club, I’ll be at home writing lyrics.”

Nemzzz will commence his headline tour dates in Auckland, New Zealand at Studio The Venue on October 2, followed by Australian shows in Sydney on October 8 at Liberty Hall and Melbourne on October 10 at 170 Russell.

Tickets for all shows go on sale at 1pm (local time), Monday June 24.

Mastercard cardholders have special access to pre-sale tickets starting from Thursday 20 June, 1pm until Monday 24 June, 12pm.  Preferred ticket access is available to Mastercard cardholders in Australia on Monday 24 June, 1pm.  Visit www.priceless.com/music to find out more.

My Live Nation members may also secure tickets during the pre-sale beginning Friday June 21 at 1pm, for more information head to livenation.com.au & livenation.co.nz.

NEMZZZ

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2024

STUDIO THE VENUE, AUCKLAND
WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 

LIBERTY HALL, SYDNEY
TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER

170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE
THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER

TICKETS ON SALE 1PM MONDAY, JUNE 24
Live Nation pre-sale: Fri Jun 21, 1pm – Mon Jun 24, 12pm (local)

For complete tour & ticket information, visit: livenation.com.au & livenation.co.nz

FOLLOW NEMZZZ

INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE

ABOUT NEMZZZ:

“I would rather grind and stay on the low” spits Nemzzz on “Money and Vibes”, which is one of the obvious highlights from his debut mixtape, Do Not Disturb. The song has a bassline that creeps forward with malevolent dread and there’s a sample of “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake that’s flipped so the previously giddy vocals sound more like a poltergeist singing the blues.

“Half these man got a lot to post but ain’t got nothing to show,” the emcee from Gorton, Manchester continues in a carefree, conversational flow. His warm vocals come across more like a late-night chat with a best friend, who is desperate to get something off their chest, than just your typical club banger.

These lyrical sentiments are the perfect crystallization of why Nemzzz feels like the next chosen one for Manchester’s burgeoning rap scene. This artist has risen up from the underground to co-signs from Drake, Lil Yachty, Skepta and Clint (Cortiez), earning over three million monthly listeners via catchy breakout singles like “2MS” and “Elevate” (which both have combined streams of 162 million on Spotify).

In his bars, he’s very much an old head on young shoulders and would rather be at home philosophizing about life and death than out popping bottles behind red ropes. Therefore, Nemzzz is relatable in a different way than a lot of his rap peers; driven less by punchlines about Birkin bags and more by the challenge of helping his young fans navigate their way through growing pains (including heartbreak, fake friends, financial literacy, finding your own path, and managing mental health amid social media addiction).

Nemzzz has referenced his childhood on a council estate in Gorton before (see “Deep End“) and how he was surrounded by “broken families”. However, with two naturally musical parents (who tended to play lots of Michael Jackson’s Thriller around the house), he says writing song lyrics became escapist therapy from an early age and a way to resist the temptation of joining a gang. “Not many people make it out of my estate,” Nemzzz reflects. “They end up selling drugs as there isn’t a lot of inspiration around. You might be a footballer if you’re lucky. I’ve always had to motivate myself.”

This self-motivation is a big reason why Nemzzz has risen so fast through the competitive ranks of UK Rap. A laidback cadence and frank observations give his music a relatable core, sure, but any emotional heaviness is avoided by Nemzzz’ wicked sense of humor. Amid the electric relaxation of “Elevate”, for example, he jokes, “Don’t ask about my ex that’s long like some Limo”, while the warped drill bassline of “ABC” and a guttural beat that uses a muffled silenced pistol for percussion, sees Nemzzz spit an even more hilarious bar: “I would slap man up, but that’s animal cruelty.”

With these withering punchlines, he has a habit of making his enemies feel three feet tall, but it’s fair to say the message that tends to prevail is one of going down the righteous path (“I don’t do roads / I ain’t trying to be in jail” is the inspiring mission statement of “Pull Up”) and hustling creatively to better your situation. The Manchester rapper hopes to lead a sea change in what topics emcees are talking about. “I feel like what’s happening on social media is becoming very bad for people’s mental health,” he explains.

“If a rapper only talks about Birkin bags for TikTok, then that makes their listeners feel pressured to find the money to get one themselves. Yes, you might hear me spit about spending 100 grand, but that’s to show the people at the bottom that it’s possible. I got offered £2m by a label, but I turned it down as I knew my worth. I’m very big on leverage and showing people that there’s never a rush to say yes to anything.”

To paraphrase a line on “FYP” (the crown jewel of his 2023 EP, NEMZZZ TYPE BEAT), the artist likes the ones who don’t brag when they get a bag. “That’s it exactly,” he agrees. “Flexing is cool, but you’ve got to realize that young people right now are struggling. They need rappers who are in their corner, who can rap about being on top while also understanding what it’s like to have their credit cards declined.”

Nemzzz is confident that Do Not Disturb is his best body of work yet; an expectation that doesn’t feel misplaced. This new record - with all its earworm hooks, raw, soulful trap production, and blunt bars - is more than capable of cementing Nemzzz as a mainstream star. Whether this music propels him into the upper echelon of mainstream UK Rap or not, Nemzz just hopes: “When people hear these songs I want them to be able to vibe, get lit, dance, be happy, but also know that there's things that they can wind down, too. There’s even songs that can be cried to, if you ever want to.”

It’s crazy to think this rags-to-riches story almost never happened, with Nemzz almost losing his life in a near car accident a few years back. But having avoided so many pitfalls to get here, Nemzzz says his focused hustle (on “Therapy”, he once rapped: “Every day for me is the start of the week”) and ability to switch off (by keeping a small circle and logging off social media) from the superficial politics of fame are all things that will ensure he enjoys a long career.

“To other people it might seem like I got a certain amount of streams and I might be putting my feet up right now,” he concludes, “but in my heart I’m not satisfied yet. I’m only focused on getting better and better. So many working class people don’t get to travel, so I want my music to take me across the planet. I don’t really get to show my personality too much socially, so I like to do that in the music instead. By getting to understand me, people can understand themselves better.” Buckle up, because Nemzzz is only just getting started. Bio written by Thomas Hobbs.