Why Do We Ignore British Rap? - Part Two: What To Be Excited About Now

It’s easy to complain about the past, but if British rap is going to have any chance of breaking into mainstream recognition, it needs to be consistent. Luckily, over the past few months, it has been. Some of the biggest names in a new generation of British hip hop are on their second album cycle. Success at this stage is crucial, not just for the artists, but for the country’s respect in general.

British rap could easily become a fad of the late 2010’s, or something that lives on as a legitimate subgenre in what is rapidly becoming the most popular music in the world. Every album I talk about here is a sophomore effort. It’s critical that these big name, high charting artists continue to hold those titles. We saw how long it took for Skepta to break over the Atlantic Ocean, and it seems like that break might have happened too late in his career. Konnichiwa was Skepta’s fourth studio album and came out when he was 34.

In this piece, I’m focusing on rappers who are coming from successful debut albums and working in an element of national fame. We’ve all heard the “fame album” in one version or another, but the struggles these young artists are facing come in a new environment during the rise of British hip hop. Between Boris’ Brexit and enduringly race-fueled press coverage, the ecosystem these artists are working in as both unique and disturbingly familiar.

Read the rest of the story on Medium