8 of the Most Popular British Rappers

England is known for its crumpets, pints, rainy days, funny locals, green countryside, the bustling capital city of London, and — wait, really? — rap. Yes, it might sound strange, especially coming from Americans who only know of the classics like Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, and Tupac. However, UK rap is quite different from what you may be used to — and that makes it all the more interesting.

With strong London accents, Midland phrases, or Yorkshire words you may never have heard of, British rappers continuously churn out big hits that remain on the top of the UK hip hop, R&B, or rap charts. Let’s see some of the most popular British rappers, then and now, who have influenced music as we know it today.

Skepta

Skepta – By Jm131131 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40421512

Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., known more commonly as “Skepta,” is one of the most famous British ‘grime’ rappers. Grime is a popular music genre that rose to prominence back in the London music scene at the very beginning of the 21st century, focusing on a cool mixture of dance music and hip hop on the same tracks.

With a style that was previously unheard of, Skepta made a name for himself with his first music video, “Lord of the Mics 2”. After this release in 2006, which gained him instant notoriety, he produced his first album in 2007, created a hit single, “Rolex Sweep,” in late 2008, and continued to churn out albums with hit singles at the top of the UK charts.

Today Skepta features on other rappers’ singles, working with big-name rappers like ASAP Rocky, Wizkid, and Gorillaz.

Kano

Kano – By Nicolas Völcker – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60994069

Kane Brett Robinson, known as Keno, is a rapper and songwriter from Easter London who rose to notoriety with his premier single, “Ps and Qs” in the grime world. Rising to prominence at the same time as Septa, Kano is known in the British rap scene for his combination of British hip hop and grime throughout the years.

Although he went six years without a studio release after 2007, he came back with a vengeance with his 5th album, “Made in the Manor. “ Due to his time off music and his strong step back into the scene, this became his highest selling and highest acclaimed album of the time. Today, he also has broadened his repertoire to acting, starring in the hit British TV show Top Boy.

JME

JME UK – By Hendrix Nash – http://apxtheosis.com/photography/hendrix-nash-x-apotheosis.html, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39743978

Jamie Adenuga, known as JME, is a British grime rapper and songwriter born in Hackney, East London, raised in Tottenham. JME became a name in the music industry after helping create Boy Better Know, a grime record label founded in North London with his brother, Joseph Adenuga.

Sound familiar? Joseph Adenuga is Skepta, the first rapper on this list! See how the British music scene is such a small world? In London, especially, the grime and hip-hop world collide, with many of the same rappers, songwriters, MCs, and singers all collaborating together on albums, projects, songs, and collectives.

After creating Boy Better Know, he joined the Meridian Crew grime collective, later moving on to put out singles “Man Don’t Care” in 2015 (which earned BPI Platinum) and “96 of My Life” in 2020.

Stormzy

Stormzy – By Frank Schwichtenberg – Own work  This SVG file was uploaded with Commonist., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80526859

One of the most popular rappers of all time – not just in the UK — is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., commonly known as the infamous Stormzy. He rose to attention back in 2014 for his freestyle rapping over typical hip-hop and grime beats in the London scene.

Born in Croydon, London, Stormzy became a name in the music world just as YouTube was taking off in popularity, with his song “Shut Up” becoming a freestyle hit on the UK Singles Chart after gaining internet fame. He then won the Best Grime Act at the MOBO Awards, prefacing a hit first studio album, “Gang Signs & Prayer,” in 2017.

Most recently, Stormzy released “Heavy is the Head,” his second album, back in 2019.

AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey – By Jwslubbock – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79622695

Che Wolton Grant, known as AJ Tracey, is a British rapper and singer who is from Ladbroke Grove, West London. After showing his promise during live shows and a catchy EP, “Secure the Bag!”, Tracey began releasing singles that made headway on the UK Singles Chart in late 2018.

Ever since, Tracey has continued to produce albums and EPs while also featuring on other hit bands’ tracks, such as the Gorillaz’ “Jimmy Jimmy’’ for their new EP.

Dizzee Rascal

Dizzee Rascal – By Achim Raschka (talk) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79252441

Dylan Kwabena Mills, known as Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper and songwriter who is arguably the “pioneer” of grime music in the UK scene. Working on combining various elements of R&B with hip hop, bass, dance music, and garage tunes, he has used his musical styles and influence to work with high-profile musicians across the world.

Some of the most infamous musicians that Rascal has performed and collaborated with include Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Florence and the Machine, Tinie Tempah, and Skepta. Most recently, Rascal produced his 7th studio album, “E3 AF”, which ranked at #13 on the UK albums chart in October of 2020.

Bugzy Malone

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Aaron Davis, known as Bugzy Malone, is a British hip-hop rapper from Manchester, England. Active since 2010, Malone has performed with other high-profile British rappers like Stormzy, Tinie Tempah, and Charlie Sloth.

Malone has been credited with helping bring back the infamous crime scene into the London and Northern music scene. Although most grime rappers hail from London, Malone is credited as the first artist from Manchester to commercially succeed in the music industry in the United Kingdom.

Tinie Tempah

Tinie Tempah – By Walterlan Papetti – https://www.flickr.com/photos/94941089@N03/14955426479/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37341552

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, known as Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper and television personality who was born in Plumstead, London. Tempah is one of the most popular rappers of all time to hail from the UK due to his ability to work in various styles, such as electronic music, dance-pop, UK rap, and hip hop.

First coming onto the scene after releasing various mixtapes in the late 2000s, he created hit singles like “aPass Out” and “Written in the Stars” that were pump-up dance songs that made people instantly take a liking to this charismatic rapper.