Navid Izadi is a young man who possesses wisdom and natural flair beyond his years. The funk is embedded in this performer’s DNA; he commands the stage with charisma, contagious energy and overwhelming presence, channelling the spirits of his idols while presenting a contemporary take on forms of music that speak to your very soul. We’re talking true funk, soul, disco, hip-hop, music from the heart, from the streets, from real people with real emotions – intertwined with the analogue power of synthesizers and modern-day software, which take the sound into the future… 

As a member of the Crew Love entourage, this former San Francisco club kid has flourished, taking full charge of his dynamic live show and presenting it to audiences all over the world, from Tokyo to Colombia, to London, San Francisco, Milan, Montreal, and everywhere in between. His touring has been extensive to say the least, and each experience has fed back into both his live set - which improves and evolves with every new performance - and his studio experimentations. Together with this, the visual aspect of his performances is also crucial to Navid’s output; exotic headdresses, flamboyant outfits, crowd interaction, rigorous dance moves, infectious energy and rousing vocals delivered in tandem with the dopest rhythms. 

Rolling as a DJ, singer, rapper, and producer of music that effortlessly weaves between influences, you’re never quite sure what to expect from Navid. Aside from collaborations with the likes of Psychemagik, Deniz Kurtel, Soul Clap and PillowTalk, Navid has also handled remix duties for artists like Miguel Migs, Midnight Magic, Pezzner, No Regular Play, Wolf + Lamb and more. Last year also saw the artist pick up the coveted Essential New Tune award on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show, when Heidi selected ‘Feelin' Purple (Soul Clap Remix)’ as her choice during a cover show. 

The future holds much more in store with more EPs lined up for the Crew Love family of labels (W+L, Soul Clap Records, W+L Black, and Double Standard) as well as a full-length album that will see the young Renaissance man stretching his musical legs far and wide. If you think you’ve heard it all, think again, Navid’s musical locker is brimming with influences and inspirations – from the psychedelic funk of the great George Clinton, through to rugged rap legends like Rakim. The album promises to be a compendium of everything that makes Navid what he is and more, as he retraces the steps he’s taken to reach the point he’s at now while keeping a firm focus on where he’s headed. Expanding beyond genres, his opus will be closely aligned with the unifying element between all of his influences; black music with soul, which permeates into so many different styles of music today. 

In the meantime expect an eclectic slew of new music flowing out of the Izadi laboratory; a collaborative EP with Deniz Kurtel, contributions to the Crew Love compilation, some undercover hip-hop productions, Turkish funk edits, a dark wave-inspired soundtrack LP, P-funk and much more. There’s no stopping this whirlwind of creativity now he’s started.

With just the right balance of confidence, determination, skill, musical knowledge and intellect Navid, is carving out his own niche and an artist who will leave you with indelible memories of each scintillating performance…

kidscotty is following