2018 was a big year for UK rap music! We’re thrilled to be part of the scene and to play a part in promoting up-and-coming UK artists via our PLTFRM UK playlist.
But now, as we begin 2019, who are some of the “must watch” UK rappers to keep your eyes on? Who’s next to blow up? Here are our top picks…
1. Henny Seear
- 159 Spotify followers
‘Leave Me Alone’, released in July, was one of our favourite tracks of 2018! Since then Henny has released a string of singles including ‘I’ve Been Lonely’ and ‘Chase Tha Check’. We can’t wait to hear what’s next!
2. 5EB
- 323 Spotify followers
At only 16, 5EB crushed 2018 with his first two singles ‘5UNNY’ (feat. Dreadz) and ‘Friday’. He has a fun, playful style that you can’t help but bop along to. 5EB is definitely one to watch over the next 12 months!
3. Jafro
- 458 Spotify followers
Jafro, from Leicester, is one of the best at effortlessly switching between a wide range of genres. We had his ‘Peace, Lust & Sauce’ EP on repeat for most of the summer and we need more Jafro in 2019!
4. Finn Askew
- 487 Spotify followers
Finn must be the only artist from Somerset to ever feature in our playlist! He’s also only 17, but all three of his Spotify-released singles have been bangers. ‘Waste’ has done particularly well, with over 100,000 streams.
5. 451
- 1,015 Spotify followers
If you follow PLTFRM UK, you should recognise 451 – he’s been our cover artists for the last couple of months! We were blown away when we first listened to ‘Couleur’ in October and are eagerly awaiting more in 2019.
6. Big Heath
- 1,189 Spotify followers
If we had to pick just one artist from this list to pile all of our money on, it would be Big Heath! His ‘Lonely’ EP, which dropped in November, gave us just a taster of what we can expect from the Polydor-signed rapper.
7. Chris Cash
- 1,567 Spotify followers
‘Dreams’ was one of our favourite (and most played) tracks of 2018. Chris was kind enough to drop ‘My Baby’ and ‘Pressure’ just before the end of 2018 but we’re looking forward to future releases from him in 2019.
8. Melvillous
- 1,589 Spotify followers
Melvillous is without a doubt the hottest name in the UK Christian/Positive Rap scene. His debut album ‘No Choice’, released in June, didn’t disappoint. And we have a feeling 2019 is going to catapult him into the mainstream!
9. pre kai ro
- 1,637 Spotify followers
We fell in love with pre kai ro when we heard ‘el camino’ in January. His hugely versatile voice over dark, trappy beats is something special! ‘Blink Twice’ (prod. by Ken Samson) was the perfect way to round off the year.
10. Just Banco
- 1,666 Spotify followers
Just Banco is one of the hottest artists coming out of Manchester! 2018 saw him release banger-after-banger; ‘Soo Yung’, ‘Can’t Stay’, ‘Ashleigh’, ‘Lad’, ‘Chun Li’, ‘Sales Running’. Everything he touches turns to gold!
11. Sam Wise
- 2,031 Spotify followers
House of Pharaohs’ Sam Wise released a string of singles and features in 2018. Everything is effortlessly cool and fun. We’re desperate for more of Sam and HOP in 2019. They deserve some serious radio and playlist love!
12. Artan
- 2,058 Spotify followers
Artan has been releasing music since early 2017. He finished 2018 strong with his track ‘BROK£N’ being added to the Rap UK playlist. We predict he’ll have a big hit single in 2019 that will shoot him into the spotlight!
13. Lil Image
- 2,333 Spotify followers
A large online following has helped Lil Image (Jordan Houston) to create a decent amount of buzz with his first three singles. His Soundcloud/autotune rap style is certainly what fans seem to want right now!
14. HEX
- 3,027 Spotify followers
HEX, from Nottingham, is another artist who looks set to break into the mainstream in 2019. He ended 2018 with ‘Stunna’, ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Canadian Drip’ – all of which did really well. Keep an eye on him!
15. Flohio
- 4,888 Spotify followers
Okay, so with close to 5,000 followers on Spotify you could say that Flohio has already blown up. And she certainly had a very good 2018. But we expect a lot more from her and her punchy raps in 2019!
Follow PLTFRM UK on Spotify!
If you enjoy discovering new music from up-and-coming UK artists you need to follow our PLTFRM UK playlist on Spotify. It’s updated every Friday.