Browsing Tag

uk rap

Equation Billionz became UK rap’s most unreckonable renegade in ‘Billionz Affair’

Posted on 16 April 2025

Dropping on April 11th with an official video that confirms his evolution from rising name to underground juggernaut, Billionz Affair proves that Equation Billionz has found far more than a foothold in the UK rap scene. His rapid-fire, grime-licked cadence lands with the head-spinning force of Busta Rhymes, while the boom-bap-infused beats ensure the floor beneath your speakers doesn’t get off lightly. But it’s not just the production or vocal delivery that hooks—it’s the unshakeable energy of an artist who’s done with waiting for his moment and is now making it.

As Equation Billionz waxes lyrical about staying on the grind and rising through the kind of adversity that would flatten most, the resilience hits harder than the hi-hats. Billionz Affair is an ode to fortitude without the preachy overtones—he makes you feel the fire in his determination and the weight of everything he’s carried.

Having started his musical trajectory at 13, Equation Billionz already made international waves with his collaboration with Teni Makanaki and racked up over 12 million streams with Broken Hearted Crook – Remix, which earned him a Spotify plaque. The name isn’t a gimmick—it’s a mantra. “Equation” reflects the balance he chases between health, wealth, and kindness, and with Billionz Affair, he’s adding undeniable respect to the mix. The track doesn’t ask for validation; it exudes self-earned worth from every bar and bassline.

Billionz Affair is now available to stream on all major platforms; for the full experience, watch the official video on YouTube. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Political Peak’s ‘Make It’ Turns Raw Experience into a UK Rap Power Move

Posted on 13 February 2025

Brixton’s own Political Peak is back with a track that sets the tone for the year and charges straight through the noise with the force of raw ambition. ‘Make It’ delivers a distinctive narrative about grinding your way from the streets, tearing through the illusions of success and facing unexpected realities. Built on sharp lyricism and airtight production, ‘Make It’ strikes a perfect balance between personal reflection and a high-vibe hit. It’s a full-throttle statement of intent, built on the hunger to rise, the weight of reality, and the realisation that half of what we chase is just smoke and mirrors.

Recorded in the studio with his trusted team, ‘Make It’ cements Peak’s reputation as an artist who can drag you straight into the momentum of his sound. The beat alone demands attention, but it’s his bars that give the track its bite. Verses packed with hard-earned wisdom land with impact, narrating the struggles and victories of breaking through the odds. With every repeat hit, his ingenuity hits harder, making it more evident why he’s already stacked up over 5.7 million streams and shared stages with UK legends like Lethal Bizzle and Chipmunk.

From first bars to last, ‘Make It’ is a hype-drenched hit, a cinematic retro-futurist slice of hip-hop that pounds through your speakers with unrelenting force.

‘Make It’ dropped on February 13 and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and SoundCloud.

Follow Political Peak on Instagram to stay up to date with his latest releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Clarky’s ‘Woah’ Is a Sonic Uppercut to the Grime Scene

Posted on 9 February 2025

In 2024, Clarky was storming the UK grime scene. In 2025, with Woah, he’s ravaging it. The Newport-based rapper, known for his neurodivergent perspective and raw lyricism, doesn’t just enter the ring with this one—he swings, lands, and leaves a mark.

With bars and beats bruising the atmosphere in the cinematic production, every verse slams right into the psyche as Clarky pulls all the right punches while alluding to the struggle for growth. Woah doesn’t glamourise the grind—it drags you through the blood, sweat, and frustration standing in the way of those trying to elevate.

Forget about the flexing tracks, Woah is a vignette reflecting what it means to fight through every setback, every closed door, and every rigged system.

The track’s hook cut through like a warning shot to anyone doubting his come-up. Clarky doesn’t just wax lyrical—he spits visceral venom, giving those who share his path a guiding light towards resilience and a refusal to be silenced, especially by the roadblocks designed to discriminate.

With Woah, Clarky solidifies his presence in UK grime, proving that his sound is as distinct as it is necessary.

Woah dropped on January 22nd and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Luko’s ‘1000 Words Part One’: A Sonic Blitz That Redefines UK Rap

Posted on 28 January 2025

With 1000 Words Part One, rap trailblazer Luko stormed the UK rap stage, armed with bars that hit as hard as the beats which drive this feverishly immersive debut with all gas and no brakes.

Hailing from the streets of Streatham, South London, Luko’s unfiltered lyricism and razor-sharp delivery proves that he’s not content to coast in anyone else’s lane. By crafting a sound that thrives on contrasts—melding ambience with unrelenting intensity, the single disrupts the monotony of the scene, charging straight into the psyche with its oscillating atmospheres and Luko’s urgent cadence.

From the opening verse, the polished production fuses seamlessly with the raw, natural expression that feels as spontaneous as a freestyle. Yet, beneath the organic energy lies superlative metric precision, proving Luko’s command over his craft.

Drawing inspiration from icons like Future and Drake while staying grounded in the authentic storytelling reminiscent of UK heavyweights like Dave and Blanco, Luko channels his dynamic style into every second of the track. The accompanying video, shot and directed by the artist himself in his hometown, mirrors his sonic artistry with a visual that’s equally vivid and authentic.

As Luko dives headfirst into the scene with 1000 Words Part One, he raises the stakes for what UK rap can achieve. With this debut, Luko didn’t just show he’s at the top of his game—he made it clear he’s gunning for the crown.

Stream 1000 Words Part One, which dropped on January 17th on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PK1UP – Wordplay: When Southern Gothic Hip Hop Met UK Grime

Posted on 21 January 2025

Birmingham-based PK1UP’s single, Wordplay, produced by Tezza Beats, has earned the independent artist a spot on the UK hip-hop map. With a Southern Gothic backdrop framing his bars and beats, the trailblazing luminary broke the mould while ensuring the accessibility of the track was never compromised. It’s all rooted in his ability to interplay cadence with candour; the way the metric precision carries the raw vulnerability and well-earned swagger ensures that too many hits of this track are never enough.

With every new listen, you find a new facet of genius within the lyrics. Between the evolving reprises and the progressive narrative, Wordplay pulls you closer to the artist’s scarred psyche, which is exhibited without apology or apprehension. The melodies make it an effortless track to listen to, but there’s nothing easy about the lyrical content—that shit will stick with you long after the outro.

PK1UP, who is quickly becoming a name to know in UK rap, brings a fresh perspective to the scene. With a distinct sound influenced by Detroit/Flint beats and experiments in Southern Hip Hop, Drill, and Grime, he’s already released over ten tracks, two music videos, and a standout collaboration with NasP on If Rap Don’t Work.

Wordplay is pure urban aural gold, a testament to PK1UP’s relentless artistry and refusal to compromise on authenticity.

Wordplay is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

XII 44 and Griminal Hit Hard with the Dark Side of the Grind in ‘Drippy’

Posted on 10 December 2024

Two urban cultures collided when South London’s rap legend XII 44 and East London’s grime icon Griminal hooked up to drop ‘Drippy’, a high vibe hit that subversively flips the script on the typical high-life rap narrative. Far from a hollow ode to wealth and status, the track reveals the jagged edges of success, exposing the personal cost behind the luxury branded surface.

XII 44 used his high-fire bars to set the bar higher than the Shard by tapping into the energy of the beat to mirror the song’s gradual tonal shift. What starts as a light, accessible hook soon morphs into a moody vignette of the toll behind the grind.

Griminal’s signature grime flow punctuates the track with his kinetic cadence as the duo exposes the bitter truths of ambition to deliver a raw and relatable reality check to audiences instead of attempting to make others feel inferior by flexing an unobtainable lifestyle. The superficiality of surface-level success is laid bare, as is the duo’s undeniable respective and collaborative talent.

With a debut mixtape in the pipeline, XII 44 is continuing to gain momentum with each new release after making a name for himself by hitting stages alongside Snoop Dogg and Little Simz. If anyone has what it takes to verse their way to UK rap royalty in 2025, it’s him.

For the full experience, stream the official music video, which has already racked up over 42k streams, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

J.B.Z lay the blueprint for Birmingham’s trap takeover with their seminal hit, The Trap

Posted on 4 December 2024

With their debut EP, The Prelude, Birmingham’s J.B.Z make it clear they’re here to dominate the UK trap scene. It isn’t just the title of the EP which promises even bigger things to come; it is evident in how each member carries their distinct flow like a weapon, delivering darkly humorous and edgy street narratives that resonate with authentic grit.

Serving as the opening salvo, The Trap showcases the collective’s raw energy and fierce drill beats that perfectly complement their razor-sharp bars. Thriving on mood and meaning, beneath the intense, bass-heavy beats and shadowy atmosphere lies a track charged with social consciousness, proving that J.B.Z isn’t afraid to confront reality while spitting with a cadence that leaves nothing in the tank.

The Prelude is an unflinching statement that there’s as much trap mettle in Birmingham as across the Atlantic. So, if you’re searching for trap that balances darkness with clever wit and bone-shaking beats, The Trap is a stark reminder of who’s ready to put Birmingham on the global rap map.

The Trap hit all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud on November 24th; stream the track now and follow J.B.Z on TikTok and X.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skinny Blacks fired up a new wave of hip-hop with his hypersonically hot track, Getaway Bae

Posted on 20 September 2024

With roots stretching from South London to St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Skinny Blacks delivered a pulsating summer anthem with Getaway Bae. If you’re searching for a track that hits harder than a heatwave in July, this high-octane single offers everything you’d expect from an artist fusing his Jamaican heritage with trap-heavy beats.

In an era where so much hip-hop sounds formulaic, Skinny Blacks smashes through the monotony with energy levels that could power a city. The track comes with the unrelenting force of a tropical storm, combining rhythmic precision with an edge that demands a replay.

By blending melodic rap with bold trap production, Skinny Blacks crafted an adrenalised hit for the wanderlust generation. Lyrically, it’s an unapologetic testament to being in control of your destiny, and musically, it’s a blueprint for the new direction UK rap is taking. It’s clear Skinny Blacks isn’t just riding the wave – he’s creating his own tsunami in the scene.

Getaway Bae was officially released on September 1st; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK rapper, Tom Penny extracted spoken word poetry from idiosyncrasy in his standout single, Spiral of Fumes

Posted on 26 August 2024

 If Tom Penny’s third LP, Both Sides of the Coin doesn’t feature on every rap publication’s album of the year list, we riot. The album pulls back the façade to narrate the UK rapper’s struggles and subsequent growth, drawing from his early freestyling days and his evolving passion for hip-hop influenced by lyrical legends such as Kendrick Lamar, Loyle Carner, and J Cole.

One of the standout tracks, Spiral of Fumes, kicks off with an extended, wavy prelude imbued with etherealism, setting a reflective mood before the beat drops, establishing a magnetic rhythm beneath Penny’s melodiously smooth spoken-word cadence.

You won’t just hang off every word in his bars, you’ll be engrossed in every syllable as Penny establishes himself as one of the most eloquent wordsmiths in the UK hip-hop scene, with emotionally bruising bars reminiscent of Kae Tempest and George the Poet.

By the outro, Spiral of Fumes fully reveals the kind of artist Tom Penny is—one who extracts relatable poetry from idiosyncrasy, stripping bare while simultaneously reflecting the listener’s mental state.

With his surging streaming stats testifying to his growing renown, it’s only a matter of time before he rises through the ranks and holds dominion over the UK scene.

Spiral of Fumes is now available to stream with the LP Both Sides of the Coin on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

David Rey Will Reign Over the Manchester Music Scene with His Grime Hit, Call Me King, ft Abnormal Sleepz

Posted on 9 August 2024

David Rey gave Manchester a place on the grime map with his latest single, Call Me King, featuring Abnormal Sleepz. Think of the Manchester music scene; The Smiths, Oasis and Stone Roses will immediately spring to mind, but if any artist can steal the psyche away from those luminaries, it’s Rey with this raw, cultivated track which pairs his hypnotically smooth flows with dark alt-electronic trip-hop-tinted beats which syncopate to the rhythm of the artist’s creative volition.

David Rey, originally hailing from Bermondsey and now a product of Manchester’s vibrant culture, has crafted his identity around the influences of UK grime legends like Ghetts and the resonant beats of American artists like Nipsey Hussle. His globe-spanning inspirations are evident in his music, which combines poignant introspection with visceral vitality.

Having graced the stages of over 35 venues domestically and abroad, Rey’s commanding presence is well-documented and celebrated, from performances that resonate with authenticity to airplay on platforms like BBC Radio 6 and Capital Xtra. His debut EP, Before I Begin, garnered notable praise for its lyrical depth and rhythmic sophistication, traits that continue to thrive in Call Me King.

The single itself is a study in contrasts: dark yet soulful, it delivers a mind-bending lush backdrop for Rey’s sharp, melodic flows. The track dives deep into the core of human connection and desire, rejecting the commonplace narratives of fleeting pleasures to focus on what truly resonates with the listener. George the Poet couldn’t have versed it better.

Call Me King will hit all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud, on August 9th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast