Music
5 grime artists you should be listening to – according to London MC Yizzy
One of grime's most exciting young talents, Yizzy lines up the MCs who are pushing the genre forward.
Yizzy is standing tall among grime’s next generation. A young MC whose tenacity and passion on the mic stretches far beyond his years, the Lewisham native already has a strong arsenal of releases under his belt that flaunt his lyrical flair. He’s captured the attention of Treble Clef and Logan Sama, worked with BBC Introducing, and has played everywhere from Brixton Academy to Glastonbury.
Put simply, he’s a musical force to be reckoned with, and you need only listen to his EP S.O.S to hear the fresh life and energy he's injecting into grime’s original sound. Who better a tastemaker, then, to provide a round-up of the most exciting players on the scene right now? Here, he picks out his five favourite MCs that we should all be paying attention to.
Jammz
Jammz
© James North
"An MC and producer, this guy has had a talent for bars as well as keys for a long time. It's rare to find an MC as on point with lyrics and flows as Jammz. He's been consistently shelling down radio sets and releasing sick tunes for a long time, and has worked with a number of grime legends, but never really got the attention he truly deserves. I don't know why Jammz isn't more known than he is, but I really hope more people get to know him soon."
Tommy B
"This is someone who I've had the pleasure to share a journey with. Tommy B is the best MC to come from the new generation of grime. At 19 years old, this guy has stood out on every set he's stepped foot on, causing him to be noticed by some of the legends of the scene. Under new management of grime legend Sharky Major, Tommy put out his debut EP Racing earlier this year. If you wanna see what passion, lyricism and sick flows sound like, look no further – it sounds like Tommy B."
Melvillous
Melvillous
© Press
"I've never seen anyone spit with a combination of righteousness and passion like Melvillous. He’s faced a lot in life and literally breathes music and creativity to tell his story. This is someone who’s not afraid to voice his opinion about the creative arts – or lack of – in the current UK music scene, someone who is setting trends with a combination of high-quality music videos and hard-hitting lyrics. Melvillous is THE definition of a musician."
Koder
"This is someone who has been around the greats, and has shared the stage and mic with legends such as Stormzy, Skepta and Ghetts. Koder has been killing it from day one. He's an artist in every sense of the word, designing his own artwork, managing his own Label and PR company, mixing his own tunes, managing himself and yet he still finds time to be one of the coldest MC's on the planet. I've never heard a bad lyric come out of this guy’s mouth – ever.
"I don't know any other MC who's been through as many ups and downs in life and still stepped out the other side a stronger person ––and refined artist. Koder is criminally underrated and has been for years, which is annoying to see. But I can personally say that he has helped me a lot on my journey, and I don't know if I would be the MC I am today without the guidance I received from him."
Capo Lee
Capo Lee
© Marco Grey
"Capo has been releasing consistently good music for a long time. He's worked with producers such as Spyro and Rude Kid to put together some very big tunes, including his most successful tune to date, Mud, featuring D Double E. He has singlehandedly shelled down countless festivals and shows in both the UK and overseas. I still feel Capo hasn't been recognised properly for his ability as an artist outside of the grime scene. For someone like Capo, who has been doing music a number of years and only recently gained the level of success he deserves, I'm looking forward to seeing more shellings and success in the near future."
NEXT: Read 25 MCs who changed the game
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