BANJI
cjr.

I'm a 26-year-old multifaceted creative and athlete — content creator, rapper, music producer, and semi-professional footballer. My story runs on resilience, passion and self-expression.

Born in Blythe, California and raised in Vienna, Austria, I moved to London in 2005. Before the move I was diagnosed with autism — something that has deeply shaped my journey. Growing up I struggled with impulsive behaviour and school life, often feeling misunderstood. Music became my anchor — from primary school through to sixth form it was the one thing that let me channel my energy and emotions into something powerful.

In 2018 I chased that further and enrolled at Staffordshire University to study Music Production. Over four years I earned a Bachelor's and a Master's, and started producing and releasing beats online for artists and collaborators. But I always wanted more than just producing — I wanted to write, produce and perform, like Kanye and J. Cole.

In 2023 I finally took that leap and stepped out as a recording artist. Since then I've dropped three EPs and had my music played on radio, earning recognition for raw lyricism and an innovative sound.

My creative work is deeply personal — hard-hitting lyrics, next-level production, and relatable content mixing skits, vlogs, autism awareness and spirituality. I invite people into my world and push them to explore their own. Big Sonic the Hedgehog and WWE fan too — those passions leak into the content in fun ways.

On the pitch I'm just as driven. 6'3", explosive, strong, left-footed right winger / inside forward — also comfortable at striker, centre forward or no.10. Football has been more than sport; it's an outlet for the struggles and triumphs of living with autism. Sunday league, U21 Saturday league, university football and development programmes — I've done the miles.

Now I'm competing at semi-professional level (Step 4–5) in the UK and balancing that with creative projects and youth work. Plans to move abroad and play professionally are on the horizon. Living proof it's never too late to chase your dream.