Biography

Darq E Freaker is a British grime producer whose colorful, sometimes aggressive tracks draw from video game music, '90s rave culture, and American hip-hop. Born Jeremiah Valentino Ntéh in Peckham, London in 1987, he first became known as part of grime collective Nu Brand Flexxx, who released a full-length titled Rangoose, Vol. 1 in 2008. Ntéh produced the 2009 single "Next Hype" by MC Tempa T, and his debut EP, The Horus, appeared on Avalanche Music in 2010. Oil Gang released Darq E Freaker's Cherryade EP in 2011, and the title track became an underground hit, subsequently appearing on a few year-end singles polls. This led to numerous collaborations for the producer, most notably with Detroit MC Danny Brown, who guested on Darq E Freaker's 2012 single "Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine)." Freaker also produced "Handstand" on Brown's acclaimed 2013 full-length, Old. In addition to tracks with Brown, he also produced tracks for grime MCs Wiley and Rival, and remixed artists far outside the grime scene such as Scissor Sisters, Kelis, and Major Lazer. In 2014, Freaker released a limited single for Record Store Day titled "Ironside," which sampled Quincy Jones' theme song for the television series of the same name. Freaker's 2015 single "Minger" appeared on the Numbers label, and he moved to Big Dada for his 2016 EP ADHD. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi