Four Projects To Shape the UK Landscape in Coming Years
Designed Lucia Ene-Lesikar.
Music Artists with Gifts that Keep on Giving
In terms of versatility and worldwide reach, the UK underground music scene has never been in this healthy of a state. Wherever you go in London and whatever you enjoy listening to, anyone can now find their niche and watch it grow into a reputable community. Whereas in the past decades, artists were pressured into sticking to the status quo which mostly involved grime music and later on, UK drill. Nowadays, everyone has the possibility to pursue their own creative ventures, whilst receiving the full support of UK pioneers and average listeners alike. This opened doors for new subgenres to emerge and distinctive artists to flourish in the limelight.
Although this year, projects in the UK dropped almost every month, there are a few selections that created more noise than others. In this article, we will take a look at four groundbreaking bodies of work that potentially established the rise of a new era: Free form music. Whether it is Y2K samples, R&B slow jams or ALTÉ sounds, there is no telling what UK artists are coming up with next. From the selection alone, we trust that the 2020s are in good hands.
LEN - LEHGOLAND
Stockwell-born rapper Len is definitely no jokes when it comes to this music ting. ‘LEHGOLAND’ is a clean curation of psychedelic, multifaceted and raw tracks that will take you out of this planet. It is hard to tell whether it’s Len’s unique adlibs or cloudy instrumentals that ultimately draws one to his universe but, it is safe to say that once you step into his world, it is hard to come out of it. With a sound that is both slick and genre-bending, we can’t see Len going anywhere anytime soon.
Fimiguerro - Immigrant
You can’t name a lot of artists besides Birmingham born rapper Fimiguerro who will drop a tape back to back and only get better with time. ‘IMMIGRANT’ will reach your ears like no other, a project deeply conceptualized around growing up as an immigrant in the UK, whilst standing proud behind one's African roots. With road hits such as ‘PULL UP’ and ‘Doppelgänger’, it surely wouldn’t hurt to see a man reach similar heights to Lancey Foux all across the globe.
Ragz Originale - BARE SUGAR
Don’t get it twisted, North London R&B vocalist and producer Ragz Originale is far from a newcomer, releasing charting EPs left and right as early as 2018. Arguably the most established artist off this list, it is Ragz’ debut album ‘BARE SUGAR’; however, that really placed him onto that next level. With the combination of his smoothing voice and heartfelt lyrics, he became a name in the music industry that one must both fear and anticipate to hear him pop out on our playlist again and again…
Jim Legxacy - HNPM
Last but not least, there wouldn’t have been an enjoyable summer night this year strolling across the London streets without Lewisham based artist Jim Legxacy’s exceptional tape ‘HNPM’. When this project hit the market, it was like a breath of fresh air whistling on a hot day. Although at first, long-time supporters and bystanders were pretty much divided on how to interpret this fusion of ALTÉ with out of the ordinary samples from Hannah Montana to Unknown T, Jim’s distinctive sound slowly grew into the hearts of many.