BY: Alexis Eichelberger

British hip-hop, UK rap, Brit-hop, it goes by many names, and it’s a definite and unique genre of music. 

UK rap is based on American rap, but the music developed and became popular on its terms. Its origins trace back to Jamaican and West Indian immigrants, who pioneered it in the early 1980s. Brit-hop has continued to evolve and grow ever since.

In recent years, a few UK rappers have emerged as the best. Here are three hot UK rappers you should know:

STORMZY

Stormzy is undoubtedly one of the biggest British rappers. He got his start freestyle rapping over grime beats (a kind of electronic music). After a YouTube video of one of those freestyles went viral, he began attracting widespread attention and built a dedicated fan base. Stormzy self-released his first album in 2017, and the record debuted at number 1 on the UK albums chart.

Since then, Stormzy has released another chart-topping album, performed at the Glastonbury Music Festival, and is on the shortlist to receive the prestigious Mercury Prize. He’s collaborated with global stars like Ed Sheeran, Jon Bellion, and Little Mix. At the same time, he’s made political activism a priority. 

 

SKEPTA

Like Stormzy, Skepta got his start in the grime electronic music scene. He self-released two albums and dropped a third through a UK record label before his breakthrough in 2016. That year, he released his Mercury Prize-winning album Konnichiwa, which included the hit singles “That’s Not Me” and “Shutdown.”

After his breakthrough successes, Skepta quickly became an international star. He scored multiple Top 40 hits in England and collaborated with American rapper ASAP Rocky on a track that reached number 45 on the US singles chart. He’s now a hip-hop icon worldwide. Skepta was featured on Kid Cudi’s 2020 album Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. 

 

slowthai

Slowthai is relatively new to rap, and already a rising global star. The 25-year-old Brit rose to prominence in 2019 for his irreverent and politically-charged music. His debut album was nominated for a Mercury Prize, and during his performance at the ceremony, he held up a fake severed head of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It was controversial.

But despite that controversy (and a few others), slowthai survived. In 2020, the rapper collaborated with Gorillaz, James Blake, and others to create some successful singles. Most notably, he announced a sophomore album is on the way. Tyron is due out on February 5, 2021.