Welcome to JP’s UK Culture Picks, your one-stop monthly column for all the best in UK music and culture! Expect everything from my favourite tracks and albums of the month to random YouTube finds, fire food spots to club night recommendations. You can find me on IG: @josephjppatterson.
The Best UK Freestyles Of 2026 (So Far)…
2026 has been one of the strongest years for UK freestyles I’ve seen in a long time. Despite my past grievances with Charlie Sloth’s Fire In The Booth—particularly around their artist selection process—the platform has stepped up a lot these past six months or so, introducing a wave of brilliant new talent while also giving established acts the opportunity to remind people exactly what they’re capable of on the mic. GRM, too: the platform once known for its off-the-cuff, on-road freestyles—which I think I’ll always prefer—has moved towards more polished studio settings, but the talent remains as gritty as ever.
With more and more tools available to edit and perfect a track in the studio, the freestyle remains one of the purest tests of a lyricist’s ability. For UK rappers and grime MCs, in particular, freestyling has always been a key part of how fans fall in love with their favourite barsmiths. It gives artists a training ground to sharpen their craft and develop things like timing, breath control, wordplay and presence on the mic—all of which will always be an integral part of a rhymer’s artistic development, whether it’s performed to the bros on a trip to Hatton Garden, or delivered to us in the wider world via YouTube or social media.
There’s also a communal side to freestyling that is just as important as solo ability. From grime and road rap to UK drill and beyond, freestyling has brought barrers together in rooms to share rhymes and also push each other creatively. As the saying goes: iron sharpens iron. Some of the most iconic moments in UK music—from pirate radio and clashes to radio sets and cyphers—have happened when rappers and MCs gather around a mic. Sure, it’s used to compete, but it’s also where conversation and connection flow (if it’s not real beef, ofc). Before songs are released out into the wild and audiences decide what sticks, there are often rooms full of emcees testing lyrics amongst their peers, finding new styles and flows and building confidence while doing so.
With all that being said, I’ve rounded up 10 of my favourite freestyles of 2026, so far. From newcomers like N4T and Suggz to veterans like Blade Brown and Youngs Tef, there’s something here for everyone. Check it out below.
10. JayaHadADream, ‘Deep Cover ‘98’
9. N4T, ‘Man Was’
8. Duppy, ‘Daily Duppy’
7. Suggz, ‘FITB’
6. H Moneda, ‘Invite Only’
5. Central Cee, ‘Iceman Freestyle’
4. Jah Digga, ‘FITB’
3. Youngs Teflon, ‘True Stories’
2. Blade Brown, ‘Invite Only’
1. Dave, ‘6 Minutes Of Bars’
Make journalism Black again.
We need more Black British voices in journalism. I said it back in 2016 about music journalism and, a decade later, the message remains the same: hire more Black voices from the culture into decision-making roles at mainstream publications because the culture is still led, shaped and moved by us. While the world has seemingly reverted to its old, non-inclusive—and, in many cases, outright racist—ways in the years since George Floyd’s murder, we’ve watched high-ranking Black writers and editors in the States being quietly pushed out, replaced or rubbed-out entirely. Very strange times, indeed.
Here in the UK, it’s becoming more and more apparent too, and, to be honest, it’s made me feel a type of way. The progress many of us celebrated and actively contributed to in 2020 has steadily been undone, thanks to the emboldening of Trump-era politics, which has had a ripple effect from the White House to the rest of the world, fuelling the rollback of DEI initiatives and broader commitments to diversity. It’s not just journalism that has been affected, but as that’s the world I’ve been in for twenty years, it’s the one I’m most passionate about. All I can say is this: please continue supporting independent Black-run titles like TRENCH, as well as emerging platforms like The Culture Crypt, because, evidently, we are all we’ve got.
Album Of The Month: Kelela’s ‘New Avatar’ is in a realm of its own—to infinity and beyond!
Kelela was a star when I interviewed her for Wonderland back in 2014, and she’s still a star now—although, at this point, she might just be a galaxy. From her debut mixtape, the R&G classic Cut 4 Me, to her latest album, New Avatar, the LA-based singer-songwriter extraordinaire continues to push herself creatively, expanding her universe with a seamless blend of R&B, electronic, indie-rock and even a hint of grime (à la Cut 4 Me) while maintaining the singular vision that has always set her apart. 5/5.
Tracks Of The Month
Tracks added for July 2026:
Wilfy D, Lancey Foux & Pa Salieu, “Peas In A Pod”
Nines f/ Odeal & Skrapz, “Milan”
Nines f/ Larry June, “Damn”
J Hus, “Clean Run”
DAMEDAME*, “All Of My Life”
Lioness & Queenie, “Savage 4 Who”
Native James f/ Frisco, “Never Been Scared”
Lady Ice f/ Scorcher, “Falling Over Love”
Jax Jones & Katy B, “Last Day Of Summer”
Nia Archives f/ Jorja Smith, “Get Me Down”
