15 UK MCs To Look Out For in 2015

By Lee Hawthorn

2014 was a great year for rap music in the UK. On the one hand, the quality of the music itself peaked with strong releases across the board from newcomers and veterans alike, while the reach British rappers have been able to achieve has grown over the last twelve months too. Platforms such as Link Up TV, GRM Daily, SBTV and the ilk, are attracting more subscribers and view counts than ever before. Wiley dropped arguably the best album of the year, Stormzy took the scene by storm following the breakthrough Dreamers Disease EP, and more artists Stateside are sitting up and taking notice of the grime phenomenon and UK hip-hop.

Coming into 2015, the country as a whole is looking to build on the success of the previous year. We’ve been told to expect albums from Chip, Skepta and Krept & Konan, while up and comers like Novelist, Danny Seth, and Jay Prince are going to continue to kill it. This list isn't specifically focussed on the biggest names out (Dizzee, Wiley, Kano etc.) or the MCs that have been consistent for years (Big Narstie, Ghetts, Newham Generals)— instead all the artists included are set to have their best year yet.

Here are 15 UK MCs to look out for in 2015.

Stormzy is the worst kept secret in British rap right now. Since his Dreamers Disease EP dropped, the Londoner steamrolled through his Fire In The Booth Freestyle, performed “Not That Deep” on Jools Holland’s show, and came in third in a BBC Sound Of 2015 poll.

On top of that, Stormzy aka Big Mike has earned co-signs from UK veterans and US radio personalities (peter Rosenberg, specifically) alike, as he looks set to make 2015 even better than his 2014. We’re almost guaranteed to get a debut album, and there’s sure to be a queue of labels chasing his signature. The excitement surrounding Stormzy right now feels like it may be possible for him to achieve the kind of international success that has eluded UK MCs for over a decade now.

Jay Prince has been killing it so far in 2015, and if he continues like this, he’s going to be a permanent fixture for the rest of the year. With a soulful and nostalgic style, Prince has more in common with American boom-bap hip-hop than grime's abrasive energy. He's a talented producer as well as rapper (he was involved in seven of nine instrumentals for BeFor Our Time) and has also caught the eye of the Soulection camp with his smooth style.

If he continues to keep the quality high, Prince could be the UK's slightly more sonically adventurous cousin to Joey Bada$$—at the very least, his sound has a better chance of crossing borders than most other British rappers.

Double S and his Marvell team (left to right in the picture above: Shocka, Double S, Vertex) are three of the most underrated MCs in the UK, and yet, there's always a special hype around Double's solo releases. In 2014, we were told to expect a solo EP from the North Londoner, and now, in 2015, we're finally set to get The Flow Farda EP.

Nobody can question Double’s ability when it comes to the music, but he’ll need some improved promotion for the upcoming release if he expects it to fare better than Marvell FM5, which, despite an abundance of quality, failed to realize its potential in terms of commercial success. With the right marketing behind him, Double could catapult himself to the forefront of grime and UK hip-hop and reach a whole new level of recognition.

Check out his Fire in the Booth radio session (he goes first) and loosie "The Massacre" below.

At this stage in his career, Novelist already seems to have the world—or the UK at least—at his feet. Only turning 18 on January 20 of this year, Novelist has already racked up an incredible collection of career milestones, and now that he’s approaching adulthood you can bet that he’s only going to go on to bigger and better things.

Novelist has already released an EP with XL Recordings, been placed on the BBC Sound of 2015 longlist, and performed at New York fashion week, not to mention radio appearances with all the best DJs and numerous shows. These are only samples from the early stages of what we can expect to be a long career. As with most of the grime greats, Novelist is a producer as well as MC, and that’s sure to work in his favor as 140 Grime Street continues to grow exponentially in popularity. Look out for Novelist and his crew The Square to continue to improve and evolve throughout 2015.

Whilst the UK as a whole is enjoyed a rejuvenation in the last year or two, the women of British rap have also began to come out to play once more too. Whether it’s Paigey Cakey’s impressive freestyle for Tim Westwood or Lady Leshurr’s “#LUKATAR,” there’s a shift starting up and down the UK that is reflecting the rise of Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks, and co.

It’s Little Simz, however, who seems to be the name on everybody’s lips. From performing at the MOBO Awards to being covered by US outlets like XXL, Simz has amassed a plethora of plaudits and, according to her Twitter, the album is all wrapped up and ready to be delivered. With the ability to both rap and sing, and a great taste in the producers she works with, maybe Simz is most similar to Tink—they are two ladies determined to do things their own way.

After a few years of being a bit-part player, supporting the career of his close childhood friend Chip from the background, Shalo is finally striving to make a name for himself and so far, his mission is proving successful. Even in the past, the North London rapper has shown a deft skill when it comes to the bars with tracks like his “The Motto” remix, but it’s the three 2015 releases he’s been involved with that have earned him a spot on this list.

While he dropped a verse over the “I’m Fine” instrumental that stands up to Chip, Stormzy and Krept & Konan's, it's his solo tracks that have truly impressed. “Friends” and "Complicated" (which he shared "for the Valentine's squad") possess a raw honesty, vulnerability and emotional resonance that is rare for this genre.

With a determined mission to break America, signalled by his “the British are coming” drop, and a talent to equal that passion, Danny Seth is already well on his way to becoming a major UK to US crossover success story. Working with the likes of G-Eazy, Ducko McFlii and A$AP Ferg earned him a spot in our list of best new acts in 2014 and even when you strip away the impressive co-signs, the music speaks for itself. His natural rapping ability, the ease in which he swats away criticisms for openly striving for cross-Atlantic appeal, and his talent for catchy one liners all add up to an impressive package.

This Brit is coming, and he'll be arriving sooner rather than later.

Chip’s career has been a stop-start affair since his breakthrough album I Am Chipmunk, and the bitter-sweetness of achieving mainstream success, but losing the respect of grime heads. After a stint with T.I’s Grand Hustle imprint, which seems to be over now, the London Boy rapper is back to where it all began, and the buzz is building by the day.

With a 2015 double-disc release of Believe & Achieve on the way, the North London artist seems revitalized and reenergized by grime. With a few singles already dropped, and that Fire In The Booth, Chip has captivated the UK circuit tracks that tread an interesting line between straight bars and more pop-leaning hooks.

After supporting Joey Bada$$ on the UK leg of his B4.DA.$$ tour, Loyle Carner and Rebel Kleff, his producer/best mate, impressed a lot of the Pro Era emcee’s fans. Carner could do with an improved stage presence, but all of the components of a future figurehead were on show as he performed tracks from his A Little Late EP.

The project, which for the most part paid tribute to his father who sadly passed away, showcases an ability to construct incredible rhyme patterns and mix credibility with the right touch of emotional resonance. With the right push, Loyle Carner could easily captivate both sides of the Atlantic, and seeing as this isn’t the only list his name has cropped up on, we're not the only one excited by the promising potential of this Cockney.

An impressive flow, marvelous mic presence and an excellent ear for beats has helped Izzie Gibbs catapult to the forefront of the new wave of grime MCs. He started popping up on UK YouTube channels in late 2014, and with appearances on Fire In The Booth, #Rated and GimmeGrime, he's been hard to avoid. All this lead to the release of “Reload,” the genre-crossing single from the upcoming Project X EP.

Should the project create the splash that Izzie will be hoping for, you can be sure that the Nottingham representative will be a top name in UK and perhaps beyond by the time 2016 rolls around.

After dropping one of the best mixtapes from a UK rapper for a while in Lifestyles Of The Young, Broke & Nameless, Grafter is likely to be a breakthrough act in 2015. The Suave Society, which also consists of Keiron Boothe and Dubz D, are all worthy of that claim considering talent alone, but Grafter has managed to capture momentum from his mixtape and is coming into the year on the front foot with the release of the “Forward Flow” video via SBTV.

After the success of the LYBN mixtape, it would be hugely surprising if there wasn't an official album release or at the very least an EP to follow. After the 2014 Grafter had, there’s no telling where he could end up by the time we’re in December 2015, scrambling to complete end-year lists. Maybe his debut album will even top a couple?

The Play Dirty duo have been some of the biggest names in British rap for the first half of this decade, and their upcoming album, released with Rick Ross's MMG imprint, is sure to strengthen the foothold they have in America. We’re almost certainly going to be treat to the Young Kingz follow up in 2015, and if Krept’s freestyle over Yungen’s “Aint On Nuttin” beat is anything to go by, the pair are bringing their A game to reclaim their throne from Stormzy as the most hyped up MCs from the UK.

Judging by recent mumblings, they’ve got big plans for 2015, plans that aim to bridge the gap between US and UK once and for all.

Having already established himself as a legend in England, Skepta is having a second-wind in his career with all the hype surrounding his new album Konnichiwa, expected in March. As he leads up to its release, Skepta has been on a roll with the success of “That’s Not Me” at the MOBOs (despite an £80 budget music video) and on the charts, while he's also been laying the foundations stateside following his collaborations with A$AP Mob’s Young Lord and Wiki from Ratking.

The BBK emcee has the ability to make tracks of all varieties, from provocative down-tempo musings to up-tempo club smashes, and his longevity as one of the top names in UK rap is testament to that. With a new album that features The Streets' Mike Skinner and Dev Hynes on the way, will 2015 be Skepta's biggest year yet? We wouldn't bet against it.

Remixes of “Ain’t On Nuttin,” Yungen’s track with Sneakbo, have become the first craze of 2015, and now it's on Yungen to make another track that's as big. His Project Black & Red album which dropped at the end of last year showcased the versatility possessed by the Londoner, who has an ability to pack poetic pathos into his releases alongside the club bangers like “Ain’t On Nuttin’.”

There’s no way that he’s going to rest following his anthem blowing up, and after supporting Future on his UK tour dates at the end of 2014, it's likely that new doors will open for the still young artist.

Lunar C is one of the few non-Londoners on this list—and he's definitely the most different to the others. Being from the north of England is very limiting to a rapper's reach when compared to London and America. Lunar’s talent makes up for that.

His jaw-dropping shock-rap punch lines are reminiscent of early Eminem, but that comparison doesn’t describe Lunar entirely. His beat choices are adrenaline-pumping, his ambivalent accent allows him an extra edge over his peers, standing out amongst a sea of rappers who often sound alike. His recent EP Not Good At Life made otherwise mundane subject matter exciting in a fashion that other rappers could never pull off.