Top 5 Up-and-coming British Rappers Who Made 2020 Their Year

Ivorian Doll

Ivorian Doll is by far the most controversial artist on this list, but her growth and impact this year have shown she’s going to be an industry mainstay for a long time. 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 this year. 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. This year, he switched 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 by the end of the year. Central Cee hasn’t missed this year, and it’ll be interesting to see what he produces next year when the world opens up again.

Darkoo

Although Darkoo gained major notoriety in late 2019 with her hit single, “Gangsta”, she’s managed to carry her momentum into 2020. 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 this 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, 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.

Pa Salieu

Before this year, 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 early this 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”, Pa Salieu is only building his case as one of the best up-and-coming artists of the year.

M1llionz

It’s crazy to think that M1llionz only released his first song, “North-West”, in November last year, but it’s safe to say that he has made 2020 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 this year, 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 this year alone warrants a spot on this list.

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The Urban Journal