LA Salami’s journey of self-discovery is one that extends far beyond music. Born Lookman Adekunle Salami in Peckham, to a Nigerian mother and absent father, various circumstances meant he spent the first few years of his childhood in a foster home. This feeling of being an outsider permeates his creative output, whether that’s music or the prints he produces alongside. Working with a vastly expanded sonic palette, Ottoline finds Lookman looking to some of the modern titans of rap for inspiration, Kanye West, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Whereas previous releases have leant towards a more folk-lead sound, Ottoline is brimming with boundless creativity and experimentation and is certain to cement L.A Salami as one of the UK’s most fascinating independent artists. An inquisitive, intellectual approach is evident throughout Ottoline, an album that finds an artist at the top of his game, forgoing all genre-based boundaries whilst looking at, documenting and evaluating the world around him from a truly unique creative perspective.
