Hip-hop opera: Nigerian street food inspires genre mash-up

A hip-hop artist who sold vegan Nigerian street food during the pandemic to make ends meet has written an opera about his experience.

Tumi Williams, from Cardiff, wrote the semi-autobiographical House of Jollof after making Nigerian dish jollof rice for people during Covid.

It mixes hip-hop, jazz-funk and opera to tell the story of a new restaurant owner’s first encounter with an opera singing food inspector.

“I’d never seen an opera before," the artist said.

"We’re taking this to community spaces which I think is important because people like me will feel more inclined to have a little gander and see what we’re doing."