Queen of the South

“I’m devoted to letting my voice be heard,” Shaybo tells Apple Music. “I’ll always tell it how it is. I’m not tolerating any rubbish or submitting to no one—and my music represents that.” On her debut mixtape, Queen of the South, the South London MC presents an unapologetic ode to Black womanhood and self-discovery. In her early teens, she connected with rap crews around London, which brought her into contact with Brixton MC Sneakbo, from whom she derived her stage name. She then followed her own path, underscored by releases including “Anger” and “Dobale”—a track celebrating her Nigerian roots—while confirming her pen game and earning co-signs from industry tastemakers.
Queen of the South reflects both her hard exterior and a more sensitive side. “I’m speaking about everything women go through,” she says. “From domestic violence and abuse to heartbreak.” Written and recorded during lockdown, the collection chronicles Shaybo’s experiences during a time of transition—in the world and her personal life. “Making this music was about me understanding my journey and understanding me as a person,” she explains. “That’s why this tape is very raw. It’s very Shaybo from back in the day, before I got into the music industry and got a deal. It’s me before I changed and transitioned my life. I think that’s why it means so much.” Here, she guides us through her debut release, track by track.
“Real One” “This track is all about the idea that guys need to be in charge, and they always have to run the show. I’m saying, ‘You guys are little boys to me.’ I’m all about female dominance and I wanted to start the project off with that message.”
“Friendly” (feat. Haile) “I wrote this last year during lockdown with [UK singer-songwriter] Haile, about how I’m in the club. I’m not friendly. I see guys as temporary—unless you’re trying to be my husband and put a ring on it. Until then, there’s no point for me. That’s just my personality. I’m friendly to the right person, but until then, I’m fine standing alone. Society expects women to be quiet, submissive, and in the house. But you don’t have to. I’m trying to break society’s expectations and rules.”
“Bad Gyal” “I can’t be tamed, so I want someone who understands that and can handle me. I only want real people around. I want people that will understand I can’t be silenced. You’re not going to teach me how to behave. I’m a bad girl, for real. This song is something girls can dance to in the club also. Lockdown is over now, and we’re out here. There’s going to be festivals, so I wanted a track that people can vibe to and feel the music.”
“Broke Boyz” (feat. DreamDoll) “I’m a feminist, so this is another song on women empowerment. DreamDoll and I didn’t get the chance to meet as we made this song during lockdown. Shout-out to her, though—she’s definitely a real one and we bonded on that. It was also a pleasure to have an American feature because, I think, sometimes when we [UK artists] make music with Americans, they don’t share it, so I was just happy to see that my art was embraced from her end as well. She did the most for me, so I really appreciate that.”
“Dem Blues” “This track is just me rapping and being cocky about it. I’m believing in my own sauce. I believe I’m the Queen of the South, I believe I’m hard, so it’s just me telling everyone, ‘Look at me now!’ I feel proud to have been able to change my situation. I’m such a workaholic and where I’m trying to take [my music] is bigger than just the UK, so I still have a lot more work to do. But I haven’t had time to just sit back and reflect on my journey and think, ‘Wow, look how much I’ve accomplished’ because I’ve been so busy trying to get this tape out.”
“Mud” “I’m speaking about my pain on this song. I’m going through a transition period right now, and I’m not used to certain things that I’m dealing with. I’m not in the same environment that I used to be in, but that’s still where I come from. I made this to say, ‘I used to be a certain way, but I’m changing, I’m evolving, and I have to focus.’ My reasons for doing music are much bigger than myself. I’m trying to change my life and a lot of other people’s lives in the process.”
“My Sister” (feat. Jorja Smith) “Jorja is my twin. We naturally get along and understand each other, so making this song was such a vibe. It wasn’t a difficult process whatsoever. I feel like every woman can relate to the things that I’m saying on this song, because women don’t speak about domestic violence, abuse, and the pain they've gone through. We don’t explain why we have trust issues or why we’re traumatized, especially in the Black community. It’s not something that is spoken about enough, so I wanted to use my voice to put that out there.”
“No Worries” (feat. Wale) “You know when you get to meet the people you look up to? This was that for me. Wale is an amazing person. He’s been so supportive of me throughout my journey. We met through my A&R, DJ Semtex, who he knows very well. So, we all sat in the studio and he loved ‘No Worries’ when he heard it, so it happened naturally. In the song, I’m reflecting on how much life has changed. I’m at peace now, and that’s something that he could relate to.”
“Carry & Go” “I embrace my Nigerian culture, so I wanted to make a song that spoke to that. I’m speaking Yoruba in the song and experimenting with different things for a pop and Afrobeat sound. Again, I’m speaking on my heartbreak in a long-term relationship, where I went through so much disrespect and abuse, and then changing it and turning all of that into something happy. Women going through a breakup can just listen to this track and be reminded of their strength and be able to move on and do your own thing.”
“Good Time” “I’m such a workaholic, and in lockdown I had to work ten times harder. I had to keep going through all of the restrictions. So, I wanted to make a song about the way I was feeling. I just want to live my life and be able to let go and be me. It’s crazy because, as I’m going through these songs, I’m realizing how much I’ve been writing about my experiences and what I’ve gone through in the past year.”