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Born in London, UK on April 13, 1967.

As the owner of four independent dance labels, ([l840043] , I[l2724], [l9254] and [l5889]) Toyin Agbetu has produced several soul / dance classics since 1985.

Originally signed as a member of the group KEW-T (Keith Sealy and Eddie With T), he was elevated to the position of producer / writer for the small but then successful [l21651] independent dance label. There he produced and mixed the first ever street soul classics for Artists Rosaline Joyce (who had a hit with No questions, No answers , and her landmark debut Lovers Soul LP), and Birmingham based Projection (whose [m187836] single which he mixed remained a club hit for many years).

It wasn't until he severed links with ELITE and left to form his own label (UNYQUE ARTISTS), that his profile started to increase. As member producer of the group DELUXE, he masterminded the release of the biggest ever streetsoul record of it's time Your Loving Drives Me Crazy, which remained in the national charts for almost 50 weeks (topped only by Soul II Soul'sKeep On Moving). The follow up singles (I've Got A Feeling, and the timeless Just A Little More) became instant hits and paved the way for DELUXE's top selling debut LP.

Hit after hit followed for the now undisputed king of Streetsoul with tracks being produced for artists, RICK CLARKE, SOUL CONNECTION, THOMAS ESTERINE and THE PROJECT.
A brief excursion into soul flavoured HipHop, helped by a young Starpoint FM DJ named (Mixmaster) MAC resulted in his first ever HipHop record Together, Forever released on the DTI label. Later on, again with rapper MC IB (Iain Burton), the debut 2TUFF track 90% Funk was created, and when unleashed was an instant hit.

It was through his acquaintance with a then up and coming young producer named Dave Lee (aka JOEY NEGRO), he was introduced to the world of garage and house music, and with a big dose of encouragement from a female DJ friend COLETTE) he decided to form the now cult INTRIGUE label where Toyin (under the guise of NEMESIS) released the legendary house cut After the Storm inspired by Detroit's DERRICK MAY.

INTRIGUE grew from release to release into an international success story, licensing its tracks all over the world and building the NEMESIS name Into a cult figure.

Toyin produced many successful spin offs from the NEMESIS name such as SHADES OF BLACK (who signed to POLYDOR) , The DARK KNIGHTS (another pseudonym for Toyin), and the infamous ANDROMEDA (who had a massive rave hits with Control and Gazza).

It was the success of ANDROMEDA's Gazza that convinced him that he needed yet another musical identity for his work, hence together with ace engineer Sean RUDEBOY Fraser he formed rave label MUTANT records and based the labels most successful premiere artist on the name of one of his favourite comics THE X-MEN.

MUTANT released tracks by the WITCHDOCTOR, MATRIX (Marvin Beaver) RISE, and The AFRICAN, and as with INTRIGUE every release became a classic. The only drawback was that Toyin now missed writing songs, and his strong desire to go back to working with quality vocals encouraged him to create his last and final label, EP RECORDS.

The first RAPHEL release did well. The second ATTITUDE release was a number 1 club hit in New York.

Time for a change.

While messing in the studio with Delores DELUXE Springer, the 2TUFF single Jazz Thang was created, the last 2TUFF single Slow Down was so popular it had been picked up by Warner Bros, JAZZ THANG was an overnight smash.

The list of hits continue with productions for artists such as MARY PEARCE, ZUSHII, JENNY BELLE, and rappers U DON'T KNOW ME. His music is also present in Nintendo video games (World Cup Striker, Dr Franken, etc.), and on TV programmes such as Dance NRG and GAMESMASTER.

He is now a Pan African human rights activist-artist and founder of the Ligali Organisation. He is an educator and published author, with books and thousands of articles to his name.

Toyin is also an independent film director and has made several films and documentaries.

ALBUMS


Toyin Agbetu Presents Nemesis
The Transgressive Storms EP
2019
Toyin Agbetu Presents Shades Of Black
Deepest Shades E.P.
2017
Deluke* Featuring Toyin*
(You Can Always) Keep On Ringin'
1989, 12", Groove Experience
Deluke* Featuring Toyin*
Ring My Bell
1989
Soul Connection
Street Soul
2020
Deluxe
Show Me
1996, LP, S/Edition, Leap Of Faith Records, ,
RnB/Swing/UK Street Soul
Deluxe
Dream Or Reality?
1994, CD, Album, Heaven Sent
Various
Inside! 3 - Funk, Soul & Jazzy Vibes From The Streets Of The UK
1994
Robyn
Searching
1994
Dark Knights Feat. Mary Pearce
2 Be A Friend
1993, 12", E-Zee, ,
UK Street Soul
Dark Knight* Featuring Jen-E
The Way I Feel
1993, 12", Heaven Sent
Mary Pearce
Legacy
1993
Various
Inside! 2 - Celebrating The Best In British Soul
1993, ,
Acid Jazz/Soul/UK Street Soul
Various
Inside! - Celebrating The Best In British Soul
1993, 2x Vinyl, ,
Soul/UK Street Soul
Various
Movin' On 4
1993, ,
Downtempo/Acid Jazz/Deep House/Jazzdance/UK Street Soul/Contemporary R&B
Mary Pearce
Love Away / Over
1992, 12", Baseline Records, ,
UK Street Soul
Deluxe
Just A Little More
1989
De Luxe*
Love Forever
12", Heaven Sent, ,
UK Street Soul
Attitude
2-B-Conscious
Vinyl, ,
House
The Project
Soul
1991
Deluxe
2 Hot 2 Handle
1989, Vinyl, ,
UK Street Soul
Deluxe
So Good / Do You Really Love Me
1989, ,
House/Downtempo/UK Street Soul
Soul Connection
Got To Find A Way
1988, 12", Intrigue Records
Soul Connection
Oh Ivy! / In (And Out Of ) Love
1988, 12", Intrigue Records
Deluxe
Your Loving Drives Me Crazy
1988, ,
UK Street Soul
Soul Connection
Rough & Ready
1988
Deluxe
(I've Got A) Feeling
1988, Vinyl, ,
UK Street Soul
Deluxe
Just A Little More
1988, Vinyl, ,
Downtempo/Soul/UK Street Soul

APPEARANCES +


Sharon Benson
Rock Me Down
1995, 12", Leap Of Faith Records
The Brkn Record
The Architecture Of Oppression Part 2
2024, 2xLP, Album, BBE
Joy Orbison
Selectors 004
2017
G-Incarna
G-Incarna
1996
Various
Dark Knights - Classic Cuts Volume 1
1995, CD, Comp, Intrigue Records
Sharon Benson
Sharon Benson
1995
ZUSHii
There Ain't Enough Love ('94 Remix) / Surprise Surprise
1994, 12", E-Zee
Various
Super Club Groovin 1991 The Best Of House Trax
1991, 2xCD, Comp, Avex Trax
Rosaline Joyce
Waiting So Long
1991
2 Tuff
Slow Down
1990
The Project (6) Featuring Jasmin
Don't Be So Cruel / Understanding
1990
Various
Deep Heat 9 (Ninth Life - Kiss The Bliss)
1990, 2x CD Disctronics S Pressing, ,
House/Euro House/Hip-House/Synth-pop/Downtempo/Breakbeat/Pop Rap/Hip Hop/Techno
Nemisis* Feat. Rosaline Joyce
Heartbreaker
1989, 12", Intrigue Records
Rosaline Joyce
True 2 U
1989, 12", Unyque Artists
Various
Deep Heat 3 (The Third Degree)
1989, 2x CD, ,
Acid House/Techno/Deep House/Garage House/House/Freestyle
Mykrophone
Rapswing
1989, ,
RnB/Swing
Rosaline Joyce Featuring Mykrophone
U Can Be (Anything U Want 2 Be)
1989
The Rebel
The Return Of The Funky Dreads
1988, 12", Intrigue Records
Payback (6) V Atmosfear / Atmosfear V Payback
Kickin' It / Cuts Like A Knife
1988, 12", Jam Today
Rosaline Joyce
No Questions, No Answers
1988, 12", Jam Today
Rosaline Joyce
This Time (I Feel Love)
1988, 12", Intrigue Records
Marcia Johnson
Moonlight
1988
Thomas Esterine Featuring Delores 'Deluxe' Springer*
Hello
1988
Rosaline Joyce
Falling In Love Again
1988
Too Tuff*
Is This Hard Enuf?
1988
Various
Hip Hop 20
1988
Rosaline Joyce
Lovers Soul
1987, LP, Album, Jam Today, ,
Soul/UK Street Soul
Eunice Mokus Arimoku
I Am Glad You Are Mine
1987, LP, Unimokus Records
Various
Street Sounds 87-2
1987, ,
House/Soul/Funk/Disco
Rosaline Joyce
Friends Not Lovers
1986, Vinyl, ,
House
Various
Charme Total Vol. I
LP, Comp, Fat Records, ,
Rhythm & Blues/Downtempo/Contemporary R&B/New Jack Swing/Disco/Soul/UK Street Soul
Klaus Stockhausen & Boris Dlugosch
Running Back Mastermix: Front
2018, 2x CD, ,
Disco/Boogie/Hi NRG/House/Deep House/Garage House
Various
Hot Tracks Series 9, Issue 4
1990, ,
House/Hi NRG/Hip Hop