Actor, musician and multidisciplinary artist Theo Ogundipe has spent years inhabiting other people’s stories. Whether on screen in Top Boy and Mickey 17 or on stage with some of the UK’s most revered theatre institutions, his work has been defined by transformation. But on his debut EP In Transit, the Nigerian-born, London-raised creative turns the spotlight inward, delivering his most personal performance yet: himself.
Written, produced and shaped almost entirely by Ogundipe, In Transit is an unfiltered reflection on identity, ambition, love, loss and perseverance. Across seven tracks, he blends rap, soul and electronic influences into a sound that feels as expansive as the experiences that inspired it. From the visceral social commentary of “Plato Freestyle” and the autobiographical mission statement of “I.T.” to the genre-defying experimentation of focus track “OFB”, the record captures an artist determined to follow instinct rather than convention.
What makes In Transit particularly striking is its honesty. Ogundipe strips away the characters and personas, offering listeners a diary-like account of his journey as a Black British artist navigating the intersections of creativity, culture and self-discovery. The result is a bold, deeply human debut that introduces a singular new voice while hinting at even greater things ahead.
In an exclusive for 1883 Magazine, Theo Ogundipe breaks down each track on In Transit, offering a deeper look into the stories, feelings and moments that shape his debut EP.
A note from Theo on the project
In Transit is my debut EP—a diary of my journey thus far as a man and a multidisciplinary artist. It is an open-hearted offering of my experiences, goals, wins, losses, joy, and pain.
It is a vow to everyone who truly invests in my artistry that I am dedicated to continually giving my purest art and soul.
‘Plato Freestyle’
This song was initially my response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the global outcry following George Floyd’s murder. It evolved into paint-splashed reasonings, inner thoughts, and counter-thoughts—a Black man in the Diaspora emotionally expressing his pain and confusion.
‘I.T.’
The title track of the project is a declaration of intent. It serves as an introduction to Theo Ogundipe the musical artist and his mission—a memoir of everything that came before this debut, and a vow of all I promise to deliver with everything I create from here on.
‘OFB’
An experimental, genre-bending electronic track simply stating, “I’m OPEN FOR BUSINESS.” I’m setting my stall musically as a producer, rapper, singer, and writer. It’s another declaration that I’m dead serious and here to stay.
‘L.A.’
I’ve stated before in the press that L.A. is an “ODE TO LOVE.” On the surface, it could be seen as just a romantic song—and that isn’t wrong. However, it is also about the unbridled euphoria of love in its entirety: the feeling, the experience, and the light.
‘AFY’
If L.A. is about the unbridled euphoria of love in its early stages, AFY is about what happens when love begins to corrupt and fade. The process, the feelings, the passion, the decline—it is a pure outpouring of the soul.
‘ROCA’
ROCA moves in two parts. Part one is a cosmic, Afrofuturistic kaleidoscope of sounds and bars reaffirming who I am and where I’m at through the voice of a modern Griot. Part two is a smooth reminder of my R&B chops over a sliding, bending flip of the track—dedicated to romance in the working world.
‘PIF’
A diary entry detailing my ambition and my belief in dreaming, no matter how outlandish or impossible those dreams may seem.
Keep up to date with Theo Ogundipe at theoogundipe.com/.
Photography Kiera Smith
