Region
UK
6 artists
UK hip-hop has grown from an underground scene that copied America into one of the most original rap cultures in the world, with its own accents, slang and genres.
The story. British rap existed from the '80s, but it found its own voice in the early 2000s with grime, built on pirate radio by Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. In the 2010s UK rap exploded: Stormzy headlined Glastonbury, Dave won the Mercury Prize with Psychodrama, Little Simz won it with Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, and UK drill spread from London to New York. Central Cee made British rap a worldwide hit with "Sprinter" and "Band4Band", and artists like Enny show how broad the scene has become.
The sound. From grime's fast, electronic 140 BPM and UK drill's sliding 808s to soulful storytelling and Afroswing. And always in their own accent.
Key albums
- Boy in da Corner, Dizzee Rascal (2003)
- Gang Signs & Prayer, Stormzy (2017)
- Psychodrama, Dave (2019)
- Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little Simz (2021)
- Can't Rush Greatness, Central Cee (2025)
