Urban Magazine’s October issue puts the spotlight on Norwegian-Nigerian recording artist Tolou, whose music blends Scandinavian pop, Afrobeats, introspective songwriting, and influences drawn from cultures around the world. Calling her sound “Afro-Scandi-Pop,” Tolou discusses building an artistic identity that refuses to fit into a single country, genre, or category.
The conversation with Urban Magazine’s publisher Be’n Original explores how her album “Energy” helped Tolou connect more deeply with her Nigerian heritage following her first trip to the country and meeting members of her Nigerian family. She also reflects on performing at Lollapalooza Mumbai, her desire to create music for an international audience, and why she sees the world as one market rather than a collection of separate territories.
Tolou also opens up about her growing relationship with fashion, including her partnership with H&M and her experience at New York Fashion Week. Looking ahead, she says her next musical chapter will be more collaborative, with projects involving artists from the United States, Latin music, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and France.
The October issue also features DJ Era, who discusses connecting the hip-hop scenes of South Los Angeles and Atlanta, working with Nipsey Hussle, touring with Lil Jon, and the changing role of DJs in music and culture. Era reflects on the responsibility of preserving hip-hop’s history while helping introduce new artists, sounds, and experiences to audiences.
Ni’Cola Mitchell shares the story behind Girls Who Brunch, the organization she built to provide girls with support, resources, mentorship, and access to opportunities. Mitchell, whose life was portrayed in the Lifetime film “Giving Hope: The Ni’Cola Mitchell Story,” discusses turning her own experiences into advocacy and creating spaces where young women can feel seen and heard.
Reality television personality Bri of WeTV’s “This Is Poly” talks with Lís Bryant about polyamory, her relationship with Marley, life in front of the cameras, the evolution of Royal’s Poly Life, and what viewers may see from her next. She also reflects on more than a decade of creating content and working as an entrepreneur across entertainment.
Actor Joshua Suiter looks back on discovering performing through musical theater as a child, overcoming stage fright, and attending North Carolina A&T State University. Suiter discusses how his HBCU experience helped shape his outlook, leadership, creativity, and approach to his acting career.
Elsewhere in the issue, Ari Lennox expands the story of her third studio album with “Vacancy: Late Checkout,” adding nine tracks, including “Hookah Baby” and a reworked “Mobbin in DC” featuring Foggieraw. Readers will also find a preview of writer-director Bassam Tariq’s “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,” starring Mahershala Ali as a religious hitman balancing faith, fatherhood, and danger following the death of his wife.
The issue also addresses culture and social issues through writer Na’ilah Burston’s examination of the sexual victimization of Black boys and the ideas about masculinity that can make recognizing and discussing abuse more difficult.
Rounding out the October edition are poetry and Urban Magazine’s Buyers Guide, featuring products across technology, lifestyle, and everyday use. The full lineup spans music, television, film, advocacy, entertainment, culture, and conversations with people building their own paths.
With Tolou leading the issue, Urban Magazine’s October edition centers on artists and creators whose work crosses borders, challenges expectations, and reflects the many ways culture continues to evolve.
