Deema

It’s hard to work out what feels more exciting about 21-year-old rapper, Deema. The fact that his borderless approach to the rap is something that feels like it could only exist in Today’s forward-thinking urban landscape. “I just try and make every song I do different to the last one,” he explains. Or the reassuring fact that amongst a now expansive UK rap culture splintering into cross-pollinating street sounds, a fresh-faced new name can raise his head with a flow that somehow feels just timeless. 

Following his explosive debut EP ‘Chew Your Food’ in 2020, which tore its way across streaming playlists, press and radio, which, for a bit of context, saw Deema claiming five separate tracks all in the same Spotify ‘Fresh Finds Hip Hop’ at the same time! Including the No. 1 spot with anthem ‘Hash Brown’. Media champions ranged from the likes Toddla T and Jamz Supernova to FADER, Complex and NME. The EP dexterously showcased Deema’s trademark versatility, taking us from party-bound bass-quakes like ‘Hash Brown’ to conscious bangers like ‘Rat Race’, which attempts to dissect the meaning of it all... Now he’s readying the release of of next opus, ‘Rainbow’, that’s set to take things to the next level and beyond, staying true to both his hip-hop stylings and grime roots, but hinting at a crossover ambition that looks set to make him one of 2021’s true breakthrough stars.

Kish!

Since 2017, South London bred creative Kish Fantastic has worked to become a beacon of the UK alternative rap scene. Like many internet-bred artists, Kish!’s style is a melting pot of influences, fusing elements of grime, trap, UK drill and alternative hip-hop to create a slick style punctuated by his percussive flow and witty lyricism.

Over the last few years, Kish! has built an impressive discography, his Bandcamp proving to be a treasure trove of hidden gems including the likes of 2017 EP Flagrant Death. The consistent quality of his output coupled with wacky music videos that ooze creativity, have helped him amass a cult following, but going forward Kish! is hoping to transcend the niche space he currently occupies

Everything this creative does is driven by a DIY ethos and an industriousness comparable to leaders of influential collectives such as Tyler, The Creator of Odd Future and Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract. Like them, Kish! plays by his own rules and it’s not hard to imagine him going on to reshape the scene around him in a similar fashion, tossing conventions aside with his clique in tow