RISING UK R&B STAR NIPPA LINKS WITH JORDAN WARD FOR YEARNING NEW SINGLE “KACEY”
One of the UK’s fastest rising voices deepens his cross-Atlantic connection as London-born singer-songwriter Nippa teams with St. Louis alt-R&B artist Jordan Ward for “Kacey”. The new single combines warm instrumentation with a yearning theme: a glamorous life filled with the finest things simply can’t compare with a hard-to-get hometown crush.
Featuring production from Gray Toomey (Gunna, Offset), Mike Baretz (Summer Walker, Tori Kelly), and KzDidIt (Amaarae, Stormzy), “Kacey” is gorgeously lush and fully alive. Glowing keys meet raw bass and guitar as Nippa shoots his shot: “So you found somebody that’s your favorite, I guess I can’t compete with that n— / But I’m probably still that n— on yo’ playlist, so come and be the shawty that I’m singing about.” His lithe vocals convey both swagger and vulnerability, while Jordan plays it cool (“Life goes on without you, babe”) to no avail.
“‘Kacey’ is inspired by a childhood love that knows me from before music,” says Nippa. “Now that I’m home, I’m trying to court her with my superficial assets — clout, music — but it’s not going as planned”.
The organically inventive “Kacey” video, directed by Edem Wornoo (Dave, Danny Brown), splits the screen into two locations. On the left side, Nippa is in Los Angeles living the dream — while daydreaming about the girl back home. On the right, we see “Kacey” back in London, but Nippa soon slides from one frame to the other to chat her up, before reaching back across to spark a joint for Jordan in L.A. The visual ends with the pair reconnecting at a backyard party.
Last month, Nippa dropped his first stateside link-up: “Homegrown” featuring acclaimed South Central L.A. rapper Blxst, a nostalgic record that bridges two cities, two cultures, and two artists whose stories are rooted in community, perseverance, and authenticity. EARMILK called the song an “irresistible track [about] carrying your roots wherever you go,” while The Fader noted that “they’re singing about their come-up in the way rappers do, but the smoothness makes it hit much harder.”
The song is already making waves. “Homegrown” is the official soundtrack of the 2026/27 uniforms for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., the Premier League football club that represents the neighborhood in North London where the singer hails from. “This is a song for the community,” he said in a celebratory article for the Spurs. “This feels like it was meant for Tottenham.”
Meanwhile, Nippa is making his U.S. impact in other ways, too. In June, for BET Awards Week, he delivered a standout performance at L.A.’s TheBasement Series to a room filled with artists, tastemakers, and industry leaders. And just last month, he was spotted at Nike and Drake’s headline-making NOCTA Manor retreat alongside other influential artists and athletes.
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