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- Central Cee. Central Cee burst onto the British rap scene in 2017. He quickly gained popularity with hits such as “Doja,” “Loading,” “Day In The Life,” and “Obsessed With You,” which catapulted him to fame.
- Dave. Since debuting with the EP Six Paths in 2016, Santan Dave, known mononymously as Dave, has established himself as a powerful voice in U.K.’ s rap scene.
- Stormzy. Stormzy has been a trailblazer for grime and UK hip-hop since his emergence. With his 2015 freestyle “Shut Up” recorded in a park becoming a cultural phenomenon, Stormzy quickly became a household name after debuting in 2011.
- Skepta. Skepta has been a defining figure in the UK grime scene since the early 2000s. Origially part of the influential North London group Boy Better Know, Skepta’s impact stretched beyond music into the realms of fashion and culture.
- Dave. 3,321 votes. Hailing from South London, this gifted lyricist and producer quickly soared to prominence with his introspective storytelling and smooth delivery, earning his spot among the UK's rap elite.
- Stormzy. 4,504 votes. This grime sensation from Croydon exploded onto the scene with a unique blend of raw energy, razor-sharp wordplay, and heartfelt honesty, asserting himself as a true force to be reckoned with in the UK rap landscape.
- AJ Tracey. 2,484 votes. Hailing from West London, this dynamic emcee has seamlessly fused elements of grime, UK garage, and trap music to create a trademark sound that sets him apart from the pack.
- J Hus. 2,037 votes. With a distinctive melodic flow and a knack for blending various musical influences from the UK and beyond, this East London talent has carved his own lane in the rap scene.
Dec 18, 2023 · Since the turn of the millennium, British rap has gone from strength to strength. In the past 10 years, in particular, the scene has grown into a dominating cultural force in UK music, whose ...
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- Plan B
- Little Simz
- Dizzee Rascal
- Big Shaq
- Skepta
- Stevie Hyper D
- Roots Manuva
- Aj Tracey
- Tricky
- Ms. Dynamite
Plan B attracted attention right away with his debut, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words. His background includes a not-quite-working-class, not-quite-middle-class London upbringing, a stint in a punk rock band in the 70s, and some dabbling in R&B songwriting. The influences are evident in his work, which is harsh and haunting but still eloquent,...
Simbiatu Ajikawo, known by her stage name Little Simz, is a fresh and promising new appearance in the UK rap game. Steadily putting out material since 2014 but only recently attracting major attention, Little Simz has a history that showcases her wide range of sampling influences, from the full marching band intro of Introvert to the pentatonic tri...
Continuing the legacy of grime, Dizzee Rascal’s off-kilter beats and abrasive lyricism are a remarkable example of the genre while also leading it in new directions. In particular, 2003’s Boy In Da Cornerhad all the musical trappings of a great grime album, whilst also conveying Dizzee’s perspective with thought-provoking honesty. While the rapper ...
Biq Shaq isn’t a conventional rapper, but mixes his MC-ing abilities with his comedic aspirations. He is really a fictional persona created by Croydon-born Michael Dapaah, created in his 2017 “mockumentary”Somewhere in London. His most well-known song, Mans Not Hot, features lines: “The girl told me, ‘Take off your jacket,’ I said, ‘Babes, man’s no...
Of British and Nigerian descent, Skepta has been on the rap scene since the early 2000s. Immersed in grime and sharp beats and encouraged by legendary rapper Wiley to get into MC-ing, he has no shortage of confidence, audaciously titling his first album Greatest Hits. Skepta’s younger brother Jme has also made waves in the industry, and is number 2...
An early drum and bass MC, Stevie Hyper D was born in London to parents hailing from Spain and Barbados. He’s widely credited as being the first to apply the double-time flow common in dancehall to MC-ing. Coming of age in the 80s, he was a frontrunner of the jungle genre scene, and was one of the first electronica-adjacent MCs to secure a deal wit...
Making an impact in the mid-90s, Roots Manuva was and still is a highly influential rapper for the UK scene. With a reggae-heavy flow and background tracks where steel-pan drum influence takes the form of synthed blips, he sustained British rap through the 21st century and laid the roots for dubstep while he was at it.
AJ Tracey started putting out music in the 2010s under the name Looney, or Loonz. Coming from a musical heritage, with a former rapper for a father and a mother who used to DJ jungle tracks, his talent for rapping comes as no surprise. His latest major single, Ladbroke Grove, features a chorus by singer Jorja Smithand a beat that’s a strong throwba...
Tricky is in something of a league of his own – rapper, producer, and one of the major pioneers of the genre of trip hop, which blends hip hop with elements of psychedelia. His 1995 album Maxinquaye, though it features little of his rapping abilities, incorporates sounds as diverse as Bjork-style Icelandic vocals and dancehall, underpinned by downb...
Another 2000s standout, Ms. Dynamite’s name says it all. Blending R&B with her considerable rapping abilities, Ms. Dynamite was a talent like few others at the time. Singles like It Takes More, a full-bodied takedown of the low expectations she sees surrounding her, were both socially-conscious and musically addictive, while songs such as Dy-Na-Mi-...
- 4 min
UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop, is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of R&B/Hip-Hop.
- Early 1980s, United Kingdom
- Trip hop
- British hip hop, British rap, Brit-hop, UK hip hop
Dec 21, 2023 · I’ve curated a list of the best UK rappers, showcasing the top British artists who have made significant contributions to the rap scene. This article is a comprehensive guide to the vibrant and diverse world of UK hip-hop, featuring a selection of rappers known for their unique styles and impactful lyrics.
The United Kingdom has always been a hub for musical innovation, and its rap scene is no exception. From the gritty realism of Dizzee Rascal’s Boy in da Corner to the slick wordplay of Dave’s Psychodrama, British rappers have consistently pushed the boundaries of the genre.
