Words by Kieonté Clark
We highlight the UK rappers to keep an eye on this year, from North Birmingham to West London.
Britain has long been known for its musical exports. From The Beatles to Stormzy, cities up and down the country have produced some of the planet’s most successful artists – and the trend continues with the finest rappers in the game. In this list, we break down five UK rappers you need to watch this year:
Pa Salieu
Before 2020, there weren’t many that had heard of Pa Salieu. Now, it’d be hard to find anyone who hasn’t heard of him or one of his songs. The Gambian-born rapper burst onto the scene last year with “Frontline”, which got him a shout-out by non-other than J Hus. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, releasing his first mixtape, Send Them To Coventry, which featured standout tracks “Betty” and “My Family”. Add to that his features on SL’s “Hit The Block” and Backroad Gee’s “Party Popper”, and Pa Salieu is only building his case as one of the best up-and-coming artists UK rappers of 2022.
Ivorian Doll
Ivorian Doll’s rapid growth and cultural impact has shown she’s going to be an industry mainstay. Since becoming a solo artist, she’s proven herself more than just a gimmicky YouTube rapper with successful singles like “Body Bag” and “Rumours” – not to mention a solid feature on Headie One’s album, EDNA, one of the biggest albums to come out of the grime scene in 2020. All of the work she’s put in, as well as her bars, choice of subject matter and unique personality have set Ivorian Doll apart from any other rapper right now in the drill scene – and with a growing fanbase, she looks set to continue her rise to stardom.
Central Cee
2020 was a year of change for many people, one of those being West London-based rapper, Central Cee. He used the opportunity of lockdown to switch up his sound – from crooning on trap beats with autotune to spitting on drill beats with his distinct flow – and it’s worked out well for him. All of his recent releases have managed to land, the first being “Day in the Life”, which dropped in mid-July and was arguably one of the songs of the summer. Since then, he’s followed up with “Molly”, which showed he’s more than just a one-hit-wonder and, importantly, proved how well he could rap. His latest single, “Loading”, has garnered praise from non-other than Wizkid, and looks like it could be his most streamed song for some time to come. Central Cee hasn’t missed of late, and it’ll be interesting to see what he produces when the world really opens up again.
Darkoo
Although Darkoo gained major notoriety in late 2019 with her hit single, “Gangsta”, she’s managed to carry her momentum right the way through into 2021. Best known for her distinctive tone on afro swing beats and her unique looks (which she switches up regularly), Darkoo has proven herself more than a one-hit-wonder. The three singles she dropped last year – “Juicy”, featuring Hardy Caprio, “Cinderella”, featuring 4 Keus and “Kryptonite” – performed well, and probably would have done even better if clubs and festivals weren’t closed down due to COVID-19. She has already worked with big-hitters like Tion Wayne and Hardy Caprio, too, establishing her position amongst some of the most successful artists in the genre, so it’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for Darkoo.
M1llionz
It’s crazy to think that M1llionz only released his first song, “North-West”, in November of 2019, but it’s safe to say that he has made the last few years his own. The North West Birmingham rapper has emerged as one of the biggest rappers in the drill scene with his unique trademark flow. He’s released a slew of hits recently, with arguably one of the songs of the summer in “Y PREE” and other successful tracks in “B1llionz” and “Lagga”. His feature game has been solid, too, holding his own on tracks alongside the likes of Dutchavelli, K Trap, Teeway, Meekz and Pa Salieu. Although he hasn’t released a solo project yet, his impact on the genre alone warrants a spot on this list.
Sha Simone
Over the past few years, Sha Simone’s trademark confidence has won her a lot of fans – and for good reason. With a unique sound and lyrical ability to match, she’s carving out her own sound. On Dave’s We’re All Alone in This Together, the British-Ghanaian singer impressed, earning plaudits and fans alike. On her hit release, “Back to Sender”, Simone displays her talent and Ghanaian roots, weaving her lyrical bars over an Afropop beat. In 2022, we expect big things from her – and you should, too.
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