One of the best new music genres that have emerged over the past ten years has been grime. The new genre has created some of the brightest stars on the musical scene over the past decade, with musicians such as Stormzy and Dave becoming household names due to their success in the mainstream.
However, as one of the brightest cities when it comes to developing music talent, Birmingham has also played a pivotal part in the development of the genre, with a number of standout names growing up and learning their trade in the Second City, just as some of the biggest rock groups out of Brum did. But, who are some of the biggest grime and rap stars to have come out of Birmingham?
Jaykae
Jaykae is by far one of the most successful rappers to come out of Birmingham. He was born and raised in Small Heath, and has been described as the ‘voice of the city’ by leading experts. His big breakthrough came in 2017 when he released the single ‘Every Country’, before he was featured on Charlie Sloth’s radio show ‘Fire in the Booth’. During this set, he received widespread attention for his beautiful reflection on the life of his close friend Depzman.
His success has continued over the past couple of years, as he featured on Skepta’s ‘That’s Not Me’. He also got to work with Birmingham royalty Mike Skinner, as he produced songs titled ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ and ‘CCTV’. Jaykae has already played to massive crowds throughout his career, as he played sets at Glastonbury, Reading Festival, Wireless Festival, and Creamfields. His success is expected to continue for years to come, as he supports The Streets on their upcoming tour.
Mist
Mist is another nationwide star that was born in Birmingham. He is a talented rapper and songwriter that managed to reach number five on the UK Albums Chart with his release of ‘Diamond in the Dirt’ in 2018. Mist comes from a musical background, with his father appearing on Top of the Pops. However, his inspiration came from globally respected rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Puff Daddy, and Busta Rhymes. Mist’s upbringing hasn’t come without its setbacks, but following his release from prison in 2015, he set along the path of making himself a huge name in the rap game.
His first songs were released on his YouTube channel, called ‘P110’. His growing audience ensured that his first album was a success, as ‘M I S to the T’ reached 75 on the UK Albums Chart. However, it was his release of ‘Diamond in the Dirt’ that solidified his place as an emerging talent, as the album peaked at number four in the charts, and remained in the UK Albums Chart for a total of six weeks. He will be a name to remember for years to come.
Mayhem NODB
Mayhem NODB is one of the most important grime artists to come out of Birmingham. The group was founded by Mayhem and Deadly, with the prior mentioned star rising to prominence earlier in his career with the release of ‘Pum Pum Punashum’. However, their most significant involvement would come further down the line, as the group was the first grime group from the Second City to feature on BBC 1Xtra. Their appearance on the national radio station ensured that the popularity of grim in Birmingham increased. Mayhem’s first release came in January 2012 following his release from prison, and ‘Mr Splash’ was a huge success among grime fans.
However, he developed his sound ahead of his second release in 2013, as ‘It’s Peakum’ was a more accessible sound. His third release was titled ‘Gassum’, which featured tracks with stars such as Deadly and MC Big Narstie. His most recent release came in April 2018 with the release of ‘Mr Hazeum’. It could be argued without Mayhem NODB, then none of the trailblazing stars coming from Birmingham in this modern era wouldn’t have had a pathway to the top.
