AntsLive, the MOBO-nominated North London rap sensation, who went viral in 2023 with his hit “Number One Candidate” and follow-up debut mixtape Just A Matter Of Time, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group.
AntsLive’s distinctive hooks and crisp lyrics have helped him rack up over 10 million streams. The rapper was also nominated for two 2024 MOBO Awards; Best Newcomer, and Best Video for “Number One Candidate” (Directed by his manager Tom Emmerson) where, in the eye-catching video, he’s seen riding through the Dolomite Alps on a horse.
AntsLive said when signing: “I’m grateful to be kicking off the year by joining the Warner Chappell roster. Susie helped make my experience at the Vegas camp a turning point in signing the deal, and I’m so happy to have a female heavy team with Shani and Amber on board as well. They all get my vision, so I know we’ll get the best out of each other as we create new projects together this year.”
Susie Woodbridge, A&R Manager, Warner Chappell Music UK added: “AntsLive is one of the hottest and most distinct rappers in the UK at the moment. His personality and drive are second to none. How many artists would strap themselves to a plane for a video shoot?! I’m really grateful that he’s given us the chance to partner with him and we can’t wait to get stuck in and help create the next chapter of his career.”
When playing a track of his to a friend they said, “Ants-Live through my speaker”, and the stage name AntsLive has remained ever since. Since then, AntsLive has been featured by an array of influential tastemakers, like Dazed, Wonderland Magazine, and HypeBeast, with the best yet to come.
Prior to creating music, AntsLive focused on his love for football – which some may spot via his 1990-1992 Arsenal kit in the “Number One Candidate” video – and was on Chelsea’s books as a teenager. When that unfortunately didn’t work out, he focused his energy into creating music and went on to release his first track “Brown Liquor” in 2020, which has racked up over 2 million streams. Three weeks into 2024 and he’s already released his first track of the year with “Cutlery”, which was created during WCM’s Vegas songwriting camp last year.
