Straight out Newark NJ, with roots in Ghana, DJ Flex (Felix Erwiah) returns with a delectable slice of melodic feelgood Afropop. A playful, sweetly romantic and universally appealing song inspired by Flex’s African heritage, ‘Odo’ (slang for Odoyewu, from the West African Twi dialect) encapsulates the Ghanaian concept of love for life in all its varieties.
One of the hottest producer/artists on the scene today, DJ Flex has crossed many genres and collaborated with such luminaries as Megan The Stallion, Shenseea, Mya, Nija and Nigerian superstar Minz. He has garnered huge Spotify editorial playlisting (resulting in over 30 million streams), performed a Boiler Room set and been featured on BBC Radio and OVO Sound Radio. His unique background has fostered a globe-trotting sound that incorporates elements of Afrobeats, Jersey Club and Baile Funk. Now signed to Virgin Music Distribution / Ingrooves, ‘Odo’ is the first track off of an album project out 2024.
Growing up in working class Newark, DJ Flex was introduced to dance music and club life by his father, who, in addition to working two jobs as a cab driver and Fedex employee, also made some extra cash as a videographer for big weekend gatherings among the Ghanaian diasporic community. As a small boy, the wide-eyed DJ Flex was able to experience the rhythm of these parties firsthand. Fascinated by the DJ’s ability to take the crowd on a journey through the night, Flex started tinkering with rudimentary equipment on his own as a teenager, eventually getting paid gigs throughout the Northeast, and as far-flung as Atlanta and Germany, all the while going to college and working odd jobs to get by.
Life became more difficult when his father succumbed to a stroke and DJ Flex had to stay home and care for him, all the while completing his degree and hustling to earn as much as could with his (now viral) productions and DJ gigs. After his father died in the Covid epidemic in 2020, DJ Flex decided to fully embrace music as his career and destiny, inspired by the struggles and sacrifices that his father made to raise little Felix into DJ Flex.
About ‘Odo’, DJ Flex says ‘When I am creating, I love the feeling of merging different cultures and allowing the sound of the song to speak with people on a deeper connection. My goal when I was creating this song was to bring elevation to the current sound of afrobeats and adding a message everyone in the world can relate to, which is love.’
