DJ AG has given his take on the viral success of his TikTok livestream, breaking acts and the current state of UK rap in an interview with Music Week.
Joined by his manager Zeon Richards, AG – real name Ashley Gordon – discussed the growth of his platform, which streams live from the streets of London, showcasing emerging talent as well as established names including Central Cee, Skepta, JME, Jorja Smith, Lady Leshurr and Krept & Konan.
So far, AG has built up more than 533,000 followers and 3.8 million likes on TikTok.
“The key thing is giving people hope," offered AG. "Whether that is on the street with artists, going to a care home, or going to a school. We need more influencers giving hope and showcasing positivity. The more hope you give to people, the greater we can be as a people.”
AG has teamed up with music industry veteran Richards, who also manages Wretch 32 and heads up Renowned Group, having previously held A&R roles at Polydor and Ministry Of Sound, as he bids to take his idea to the next level.
“I realised that people really want to see artists on my platform,” he said. “So I thought, ‘How am I going to be able to serve that but also get that infrastructure in place, to try and be creative and then build a million other connections?’ That’s when I realised I needed help.
“I just loved Zeon’s energy and enthusiasm. It wasn’t about numbers or finances, more about joining forces to see what we can do to help communities. It’s about amplifying my idea, making it bigger and better, and just getting in the right spaces around the right people.”
If you can consistently defeat the TikTok algorithm, that puts you in a very prominent position
DJ AG
Speaking in the March edition of Music Week, AG described TikTok as "fundamental" to the music business at the moment.
"If you can consistently defeat the TikTok algorithm, that puts you in a very prominent position," he argued. "It gives you visibility that other platforms don’t and your growth can be instant. I’m definitely grateful for TikTok and being able to use it to platform artists and change lives.”
While AG said it was "interesting times" for UK rap, he admitted to feeling uninspired by what 2024 had to offer.
"If you asked me to name you 10 breaking acts, I’d struggle," he said. "Maybe three or four. The hype of grime coming back has been great. This could be a big year, but it depends on a few things. There’s been a lot of talk about whether the scene needs gatekeepers, but the only gatekeeper for artists these days is the algorithm. If you can bust that, then that will give you all the opportunities you need.
"Ragga Ruggie is a perfect example, I didn’t know who he was, but the guy goes viral every single week. He comes on the stream and he hits 100,000 views and now everyone knows who he is. I can ring off so many of his lines now! I think by the end of this year I’ll be able to name 10 breaking acts minimum, if not 20.”
When artists come on my streams, they should think, ‘If I was doing a music video, what would that look like?’ That will make what you offer more exciting and entertaining
DJ AG
Richards, who disclosed that plans for the platform in 2025 included Red Bull Culture Clash, UK festivals and live events, pondered whether widespread success had been a curse as well as a blessing for the genre.
"It’s amazing that anyone could hop on a beat, say whatever they want, and it can fly up the charts," he said. "But with that, and because the level of entry for artists is so low, you see a dip in quality. We have artists like Dave, but then there are others we probably don’t speak about enough because maybe the quality of their music isn’t strong enough.
"But I’m looking forward to seeing the next generation of artists coming through that everyone will scream about and maybe that will mark a shift in quality.”
On that subject, AG said it was "inevitable" his platform would unearth fresh mainstream talent.
"We see about 20 artists a day and we’re out four to five times a week," he said. "Everything is timing. It could be anywhere around the world or the country, but it’s bound to happen.
"What people want to watch right now online is the weird and the wonderful, because that’s what’s basically going viral... When artists come on my streams, they should think, ‘If I was doing a music video, what would that look like?’ That will make what you offer more exciting and entertaining.”
Urging label executives to "go back to the graft of developing an artist”, he added: “We pump out eight to 10 videos a day, so A&Rs have quite an easy job. All you need to do is scroll and keep scrolling to find artists with talent but who need a bit of help to position themselves and how to be a bit more creative.
"But generally, labels and A&Rs need to stop looking at numbers. We’re not posting just looking for every single viral moment, we’re posting to showcase talent, people who need feedback, whether it be good or bad."
Music Week subscribers can read the full interview with DJ AG and Zeon Richards here.
