N'fa Explained

N'fa
Birth Name:N'fa Deynde Jo Jo Forster-Jones
Alias:N'fa Jones
Birth Date:1979 3, df=y
Birth Place:London, England
Origin:Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation:Rapper
Years Active:1997-current
Label:Inertia Recordings, Rubber Records, The Ayems, House of Beige
Associated Acts:Roots Manuva, Drapht

N'fa (born N'fa Deynde Jo Jo Forster-Jones;[1] also known as N'fa Jones, 21 March 1979) is a British-born African Australian hip hop recording artist. He was born in London, but raised in Perth, Western Australia, and is best known as the frontman for 1200 Techniques. Forster-Jones was a nationally ranked 110m hurdler and placed third at the 2001 and 2002 Australian Championships, and fourth in the 2000 Olympic trials. His personal best recorded time was 14.08s (wind: +1.8) set in Brisbane on 25 March 2001, though clocked 13.91 "unofficial" in Auckland's trans-Tasman test meet in 2001.

Early life

N'fa was born in London to mother Michela Johnson, from Western Australia, and father, Quashie Forster-Jones, a Sierra Leone Creole.[2] [3] Brought up in suburban Perth, he met Heath Ledger at Guildford Grammar School and remained friends until the actor's death in 2008.[4] At a young age, Forster-Jones also dabbled in acting and appeared as a genie in a Tim Tam commercial and played a small role in the film Queen of the Damned – a 2002 film adaptation of the third novel of Anne Rice's, starring Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend.[5]

Musical career

1997–2005: 1200 Techniques

See main article: 1200 Techniques. 1200 Techniques were formed in 1997—the band originally included N'fa and his brother Kabba.[6] Kabba left the band in 1998, when he moved to the United Kingdom. As of 2006, Forster-Jones has shipped over 50,000 albums with 1200 Techniques alone.

2006–present: Solo work

In 2006, N'fa signed with Inertia Recordings and released his debut album Cause an Effect. Heath Ledger conceived and directed two video clips for single "Seduction Is Evil", and the title track, with the latter being edited by Matt Amato from Amato and Ledger's production company, The Masses.[7] [8]

In 2011, N'fa became known as N'fa Jones with the release of the collaborative single "Wayooy" featuring Roots Manuva and M-Phazes, the lead single from his EP "Babylondon" on Australian Independent Label Rubber Records, who he originally signed to with Hip Hop act 1200 Techniques.

In 2018, he founded a new afro-future-hip hop group called Cool Out Sun with producer Sensible J.

Discography

Albums

TitleDetails
Cause an Effect
  • Released: July 2006
  • Label: Inertia Recordings (IR5215CD)
Black + White Noise
  • Released: 2014
  • Label: The Ayems (88843048222)

Extended plays

TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[9]
First Step
  • Released: May 2006
  • Label: Inertia Recordings (IR2507CD)
70
Brain Wash EP
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Rubber Records (RUB247)

See also

Collaborations

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ACE Repertory – Title 'Feel the Music' . American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) . 29 September 2020 . Note: user may have to enter the title/performer for other tracks to access further information.
  2. Web site: Heath Ledger Produced N'FA Video Released – Undercover.fm News . Undercover.fm . 30 October 2009 . 19 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140819235107/http://www.undercover.fm/news/9265-heath-ledger-produced-n-fa-video-released . 19 August 2014 . dead .
  3. News: N'fa Jones Interview. 21 April 2013. Janine. Cushnie. 16 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160816132413/http://grindin.net/news/nfa-jones-interview/. Grindin.
  4. Web site: N'fa – Gig previews & reviews – Music – Entertainment . The Age . 21 August 2006 . 19 August 2014.
  5. News: Don't fence me in. https://web.archive.org/web/20150823120534/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/06/28/1023864654112.html. 23 August 2015. Andrew. Drever. 28 July 2002. The Age.
  6. News: Hip-hop's indefinables also like to rub a little funk in. https://web.archive.org/web/20090710223905/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/03/1031037088896.html. 10 July 2009. Alexa. Moses. 4 September 2002.
  7. News: Rapper N'FA to Release Heath Ledger-Directed Video. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206063552/http://www.spin.com/2010/07/rapper-nfa-release-heath-ledger-directed-video/. 6 February 2016. 12 July 2010. Peter. Gaston. Spin.
  8. News: Cause and Effect. N'fa . Jones . NFAMUSIC. 28 September 2009 . 23 June 2018 .
  9. 202.