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Meet the MC

Photo of Meduulla wearing a brown fur coat and an array of hats

With lyrics inspired by her Zimbabwean heritage and life in Manchester, Meduulla’s route into rap was through poetry. She speaks to Sophie Walker about her dual perspective, her love of words, and appreciation for the power of hip-hop

The medulla oblongata transmits signals between the spinal cord and higher parts of your brain. It commands your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe...

Photo of OneDa performing on stage wearing a scarf and leopard print trainers

Part of the Herchester collective in Manchester, OneDa operates on the fringes of drum & bass, and isn’t afraid to go against the grain, as evidenced on her latest EP, ‘Pussy Power’. She tells DJ Mag about how acceptance of her sexuality — not least by herself — and a large degree of self-love have been crucial to her development as an MC, and in finding her voice

“It’s the eccentricity of the sound. It’s just magic — you can do anything.” Manchester-raised OneDa effervesces with excitement as she drills down into her...

TiZ East in the doorway of a shop wearing a green jacket and looking at the camera

With his feel-good fusion of rap and Afrobeats, Lagos-raised and Plaistow-based MC TiZ EAST has hit upon the perfect combination. Cosmo Godfree speaks to him about his eclectic music taste, making uplifting tunes, and working with one of Nigeria’s rising stars 

“I’m in Newham right now but you can catch me over in Lagos.” Born and raised in Nigeria before moving to Plaistow (“bang in the...

Photo of Blanco wearing a pink shirt and touching his face in front of a red background

Recently following up his 2021 Best Of British-nominated ‘City Of God’ mixtape with ‘ReBourne’, South London MC Blanco has further distilled his artistic vision in an effort to remain true to himself. He speaks to Rob Kazandjian about how anime, Brazilian culture and loss have influenced him, the early years of his Harlem Spartans crew, and finding a path to a better place

“Wow... that’s a mad question that you’re asking me right now,” says Blanco, a founding member of pioneering drill collective Harlem Spartans, whose solo work...

Jordy looks at the camera wearing a white varsity jacket. He is holding a black comb which he uses in his hair.

With an impressive list of solo efforts, collabs and podcast series under his belt, Jordy is riding high and doing it on his own terms. He speaks to DJ Mag about taking the leap to do music full time, making his family proud, and his new EP ‘The Love Ting’

Recently selected as the opening act for the UK leg of Pusha T’s world tour, featuring on the soundtrack of the upcoming series of Top...

Fly Anakin wearing a black woolly hat with spikes on and a black coat. He looks straight into the camera and is stood in front of a grey background.

Covering everything from old-school boom bap to trap and conceptual storytelling, Fly Anakin has spent the past decade growing into one of the United States’ foremost rap talents. He speaks to DJ Mag about his new project ‘Skinemaxxx’ and staying true to himself

The first rapper to truly make an impression on Frank Walton, AKA Fly Anakin, was his big brother. “I gotta give it to him. He...

Melanin Tee wearing a black leather coat and boots sitting on the floor infront of a chair. Her hair is braided, she wears sunglasses, and one leg is stretched toward the camera

After a few years building her status from Galway, Ireland, MC Melanin Tee is determined to take over the world. DJ Mag’s Amy Fielding speaks to the rising rapper about vulnerability, spontaneous inspiration, and coming for the crown

One of the newer faces flying the flag for the rap scene in Galway, on Ireland’s west coast, rapper Melanin Tee is determined to become...

Larry June standing in front of a city skyline, wearing a hat, mirrored sunglasses, a white t shirt and blue jeans. He's holding two phones in his hands, and a black SUV is parked next to him

Thirteen years after his debut album, California-born rapper Larry June is confident that this is still just the beginning. Following the release of his most recent project, ‘The Great Escape’, with legendary producer The Alchemist, DJ Mag speaks with Larry — and grabs a few words from Alch — about family motivation, staying fresh and focused, and believing in miracles 

Larry June speaks in ad libs. Just like his music, his vernacular is filled with them — sitting on Zoom with DJ Mag, the Bay...

M1llionz in a knitted navy and cream balaclava in front of a concrete backdrop

Birmingham rapper M1llionz is a rare example of someone cutting through a London- dominated scene, after getting people’s attention with his breakthrough ‘North West’ track and creating an instantly iconic music video with ‘Lagga’. Here, he talks to Amy Davidson about his distinctive flow, changing the system, and challenging himself in his new music

"I don’t know why it goes that high. I don’t really like it,” laughs M1llionz. We’re talking about his signature pitch that meanders between rasped...

AntsLive

Taking lessons from his time as a teenage footballer and a life spent in North London, AntsLive knows the importance of hard work and being yourself. He speaks to DJ Mag about honing his skills, his now-famous horse riding clip, and connecting with his heritage in Sierra Leone

When DJ Mag catches up with AntsLive — the precocious North London rapper with a knack for effortlessly crisp verses, catchy hooks and striking visuals...

Hardy Caprio sitting at a reflective table in a green and cream

Sierra Leone-born, London-raised rapper Hardy Caprio is by no means a new name on the scene, but after taking time to deal with his own trauma and heal, he's back with new music. Here, he speaks to Robert Kazandjian about his major label fallout, identity, and creating with joy

Despite earning his stripes as an emcee in the school playground, dropping his first freestyle at the age of 14, and then going on to...

BAWO

Since making his debut six years ago, West London artist Bawo has been making waves in the capital and beyond. He speaks to James Keith about the influence of home on his sound, working with Oscar #Worldpeace, and his forthcoming project, ‘Legitimate Cause’

Over the years, West London has given us some titans in the rap scene, from C Biz and K Koke to Nines and Knucks. Although...

Meet the MC: SamRecks

Since his debut single ‘On Me’ in 2020, Nigeria-born, London-raised MC SamRecks has been evolving his own relaxed, lo-fi take on UK drill. He speaks to Robert Kazandijan about mastering mixtapes at school, Drake's 'Comeback Season', and breaking genre boundaries

“There’s one thing I really remember. It was when I was with my grandma,” says Nigeria-born, South London-raised rapper SamRecks, summoning hazy memories of his...

shasimone by CHRISTINA NWABUGO

British-Ghanaian MC ShaSimone has had a whirlwind two years, featuring on a number one album, dropping her debut EP, and becoming a regular face on GRM Daily. She speaks to Rahel Aklilu about being impulsive, the influence of East London on her sound, and working with Mercury Prize-winning rapper Dave

Simmering refers to the state of cooking just before boiling point — the hottest temperature before things erupt. It’s fitting that 26-year-old rapper Shauna Yeboah...

S Dog

A key name in the new wave of bassline MCs taking the UK by storm, Bradford’s S Dog speaks to DJ Mag about finding the balance between serious rap and bassline fun, and his plans to uplift his fellow Yorkshire artists

“The music that I make is what you probably listen to in a stolen car,” Bradford emcee S Dog tells DJ Mag with a broad...

Dapz by Andy Lowe

After well over a decade in the game, Birmingham rapper Dapz on the Map drops his debut album ‘Landed’ in October. He speaks to DJ Mag about how grime has matured and embracing the emotional vulnerability of his lyrics

“That’s why you’re a spitter and I’m an artist,” Birmingham’s Dapz on the Map declared on his chest-puffing SBTV debut way back in 2009, shelling...

Bemz by Andy Lowe

Sent to live in a tiny town on the west coast of Scotland in his teens, Bemz took up music to reconnect with what he’d lost. Over a decade later, he’s cementing a legacy for himself, his family and the Scottish rap community

Everything Bemz does is driven by one thought: “For every pound I spend on music, I take that away from my daughter’s mouth. So I...

sbk shot by Sam Singer

In this month’s Meet the MC, Amy Fielding speaks with London-based artist sbk about coming up through the capital’s grime scene, his debut mixtape, and a new creative direction

At just 13-years-old, an MC going by the name of sbk sent an email to Lewisham artist and XL Recordings affiliate, Kwadwo Quentin Kankam, better...

Jeshi

East London’s Jeshi documents personal struggles, social contradictions and life’s day-to-day mundanities with a wry wit and relatable appeal. For this month’s Meet the MC, Rahel Aklilu speaks to him about the observational songwriting of his debut album, ‘Universal Credit’

"This is less of a big, brash political statement, which you’d expect because of the title, but rather a collection of observations from a man...

Darri T behind the scenes music video shots

The Norwich MC is taking fans on a tour of his city

Darri T has shared a new music video. The Norwich-based rapper, who previously featured in DJ Mag's Meet the MC column, has dropped new visuals...