"Blue Dandyism": Blue Lab Beats Is in Full Swing
Blue Lab Beats have spent the last 10 years building a genre-fluid sonic world with jazz at its core. Now, in the wake of their fifth studio album, the London duo are suiting up to celebrate their journey. Theirs is a story of liberation, collaboration and dandyism in all of its glory.
Blue Lab Beats in 2026. Image property of Peter O'Sullivan.
Pride channelled through the thread of a sharp tailored suit. Sophistication mounting the brim of the braggadocious top hat. Elegance bouncing off the leather of the polished monk strap shoe. This was dandyism—an 18th-century-born movement, boldly embraced by Black trailblazers big and small.
Black dandyism arose in Georgian London and gained traction amidst the cultural explosion of the Harlem Renaissance. In the face of deeply entrenched racism and relentless denigration, Black dandies expressed dignity through fashion as an art form; refinement in rebellion, poise in Black power.
The Black dandy then evolved through time, reimagined by the likes of Grace Jones, Andre Leon Talley and André 3000. The movement was honoured in 2025's Met Gala and lives on today through art, style and music.
Fittingly, if Blue Lab Beats threw a party to celebrate their 10th anniversary, "there would have to be an element of dandyism" in its theme. That's what David "Mr DM" Mrakapor—one half of the London jazz duo—tells us. "Blue dandyism. Absolutely." Chimes his counterpart, Namali "NK-OK" Kwaten. The phrase rolls off his tongue like it was meant to be.
The spirit of dandyism comes alive in this monumental season of Blue Lab Beats' career. The essence of the dandy has been omnipresent in their swooping soundscapes and bold aesthetics (in fact, NK-OK used to sport a signature blue-tipped afro), but their fifth studio album, The Blue Lab Beats Show, may be a cut above the rest.
Take the record's cover art: in front of a vividly painted backdrop, NK stands tall in a floral three-piece suit whilst David fashions a deep pink number, accessorised flamboyantly with a top hat and cane. If "blue dandyism" was defined visually, it could be nothing other than this. Reflecting on the artwork, NK shares, "We're just taking influence from that generation—we're just bringing it to the now."
Despite Black dandyism often being solely tied to its American roots, NK is keen to highlight its wider reverberations in the UK and beyond. "When we think of dandyism, we think Stateside." He muses, setting his sights closer to home. "But the Windrush generation is a pure example of dandyism. The Nigerian uncles around the same time, the Congolese uncles and Ghanaians—that was pure dandyism. We wanted to give that representation."
“There’s such beauty within dandyism. It’s really about finding and making something from nothing. It’s about thriving on that.”
Thus, The Blue Lab Beats Show is both a history lesson and a celebration—of Black culture, artistic defiance and 10 years since the GRAMMY-winning duo released their debut EP, Blue Skies. "Looking back, I definitely see the growth." David shares, whilst NK reminisces about early days of "improv sessions" and low-budget music videos as their career came to life.
Blue Lab Beats played a key role in the resurgence of modern British jazz as we know it today. They emerged in the 2010s, flanked by the likes of Kokoroko and Ezra Collective who flourished in the same jam sessions and musical spaces. Mr DM's multi-instrumentalism and NK-OK's production prowess combined to spark a musical electricity that couldn’t be ignored.
With roots in hip-hop, jazz and soul, the pair fell into their own rhythm, spurred on by an eclectic mosaic of inspiration from their favourite artists and music-makers. These inspirations would extend from J Dilla, Madlib and Pete Rock to Herbie Hancock and Patrice Rushen. It’s no wonder, then, that Blue Lab Beats music has never conformed to the limits of any singular genre.
Aptly, The Blue Lab Beats Show is an unapologetic display of sonic rebellion. The album takes us on a journey across the world, embracing a wide range of soundscapes woven together with showman-style interludes.
"This is the 10 year anniversary." NK affirms. "We could've gone back to our old sound and just recreated from there 'cause that's what would feel safe. But I want our fans to hear that we're pushing ourselves." David reinforces this notion, reflecting: "It's like every moment has led to this. I think fans will know what to expect, but they also won't know what to expect."
The bold album-opener, "North London Pace", is immediately arresting in its rich neo-jazz symphony. As the project progresses, we're accompanied across the globe: to the islands in exhilarating dancehall track "Fire Up", to the US through hip-hop hitter "Hear It Pop", and to both South America and West Africa by way of the baile funk and Afrobeats genre-fusion track "Sao Paulo to the Motherland". A major creative drive was, in the words of NK, to simply be "explicitly and expressively Black on this record".
The features on the album also contribute to its mastery. An array of artists grace the project, including UK stars, Essosa, Lizzie Berchie and FourNine alongside hit-makers from across the pond like Jamila Woods, MC Igu and Blackout JA. Each feature fits onto the album like a perfect puzzle piece—and that's by design.
According to NK, the key to a perfect collaboration is "knowing the person before they enter the room, because you're now building a piece knowing the person and the person's intentions."
“It’s like every moment has led to this. I think fans will know what to expect, but they also won’t know what to expect.”
Blue Lab Beats has "always had the collaborative spirit", as David puts it—and the memories run deep. In the budding London music scene of the mid-to-late 2010's, they were working with the likes of Ashley Henry, Sheila Grey from Kokoroko, Sheldon Agu and Daniel Casimir.
"We did Tiana Major9's third ever studio session," NK shares, whilst David recalls meeting Kojey Radical and Miraa May for the first time, when they asked him to play trumpet at their university showcase.
Whilst warmly reminiscing on their artistic journey and all the people they've met along the way, it's clear to see that the duo sit snugly within a precious ecosystem of modern British music—from jazz to hip-hop to soul, and the genre-bending sounds that swirl around them.
But the true beauty of Blue Lab Beats' artistry is that it has always been about more than them. In The Blue Lab Beats Show's outro, the duo declare that the album is dedicated to the "London and UK communities that make sure good music keeps on thriving". They give special shout-outs to a selection of UK music initiatives and charities—the kind of communities that they wouldn't be here without.
10 years in, the suits may be sharper but the core of the art is the same. In his closing remarks on the album, David says it himself: "From Weekend Arts College to winning a GRAMMY, it's been an amazing decade."
In Blue Lab Beats' journey we see a kaleidoscopic trajectory from improv sessions through endless collaborative efforts to a fifth studio album soaked in sonic and visual pageantry. Two London boys inspired by the artistic rebellion of their forebears, adorned with their blue dandyism in its purest form.
Stream The Blue Beats Show below: