“She don’t listen to U.K. rap, if it ain’t Dave or Cench,” Central Cee brags on “Split Decision,” a collaborative LP with fellow rapper Dave. 

Released in the summer of 2023, this joint project by two of the leading names in the British rap industry boasted the hit of the summer: “Sprinter.” While the track is good in its own right, it got more mainstream attention than it deserved, becoming one of the best-known U.K. rap songs across the Atlantic Ocean in recent years. The British rap game is as diverse as the American one, yet for various reasons, it struggles to garner attention past British borders, despite pioneering offshoot genres such as Grime and Drill. 

Dave, born David Omoregie — a name freshly reignited across the pond here in America because of “Sprinter” — has been the face of U.K. rap for the last four to five years. While his flow and rap style shine on freestyles, his lyrics have struck a chord in every rap listener’s heart. His debut album “Psychodrama,” released in 2019, reflects the struggles of being a young boy and becoming a man in a climate of substance abuse and poverty, and the common struggle identified by U.S. and U.K. rappers alike of “making it.” 

It features “Streatham,” a nod to the neighborhood of his birth in South London, where he runs through the realities of coming from a neighborhood where drugs were a part of daily life. He raps, “I ain’t got sex it, message or text it / I don’t wanna do you and I / like I’m in Leicester skipping my lectures.” “You and I” in this line is homophonous with U-N-I, short for university, referring to his decision to pull out of law school to pursue his music career, a technical detail that shows a glimpse of his lyrical genius. Another hit on the album is “Location” alongside Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, Burna Boy. A more lighthearted song compared to the others on the album, this quickly became a summer anthem. 

Dave’s establishment as a storyteller is seen shining in “Lesley,” an 11-minute track narrating the story of a woman who finds herself in an abusive relationship. The sheer depth of emotions Dave is able to convey in this reminded me of 2Pac’s “Brendas Got a Baby.” Comparison alone to one of hip-hop’s greats demonstrates his capabilities. 

His second studio album, “We’re All Alone in this Together,” showcases the same, if not more, of his diverse skills, but it contains tracks that are less emotionally loaded as the ones on “Psychodrama.” The singles “Verdansk” and “Clash” — both of which landed on the U.K. Top 10 Chart — are examples of rap that may not contain the most deep lyrics but possess flow so impressive that their playability is undeniable. He does show off his storyteller skills once again, though, with “Both Sides of A Smile,” which made Complex U.K. remark that he’s like a “Poet Laureate but with a street edge.”

Another name who is trailblazing in every aspect of the U.K.’s rap game is one of the founding fathers of Grime: Joseph Adenuga. Better known as Skepta, he cannot be reduced to his production on ASAP Rocky’s “Praise The Lord.” By titling his debut album “Greatest Hits,” it’s as if he predicted his success — being nominated for and winning multiple BET awards and collaborating with some of the biggest names in rap, namely ASAP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Giggs and more. His best project in my eyes, though, is the 2019 album “Ignorance is Bliss,” which carries forward a common Skepta style of introspective lyrics, presenting self-betterment as more than the usual “hustle mindset” that is so prevalent in the rap world. 

After a somewhat deep dive into two of my favorite artists in the UK rap game, here is a list of my ten current favorite songs (not in order).

If I ever was to rap a song bar for bar, it would be without question this one.

Kano’s feature is the highlight here; he is a prolific actor (watch him in Netflix’s “Top Boy”) and one of the earliest rappers in the Grime game.

Peppered with Manchester United references and a beat good enough to carry the whole song — this is quintessential U.K. rap. 

“Close to the son like Icarus” is one of many double entendres on his discography. Dave is close to his girlfriend’s son because he plays FIFA with him, and close to the Sun like the Greek mythology figure Icarus.

“See it’s too easy/ to write a sad song about how my dad raised me/’Cause I’m looking in the mirror and my dad made me/ A real top boy, I just can’t play the victim”, Skepta breaks the common trope of rappers lamenting their father’s shortcomings, just like he stretches the boundaries of rap in general.

Just listening to this song proves Strandz’s status as a rising producer in the industry.

Another new name in the industry, but certainly not one you’ll have heard the last of. Digga D has a talent that can be seen in his growing discography in the last few years.

Another Skepta song had to be added, this one features his brother Jme as they rap about not letting the fame and glamor of the rap industry get to their heads.

There can’t be talk of U.K. rap without mentioning Stormzy.

The Sade sample meant that this song was automatically added to my playlist.