Timothy Westwood, often known professionally simply as Westwood, is a British DJ and presenter. He was described by The Guardian in 2022 as "a veteran of the hip-hop scene whose opinions have been able to make or break upcoming artists for more than 30 years". He hosted the Radio 1 rap show and presented the MTV UK show Pimp My Ride UK. In 2013, he left Radio 1 and 1Xtra after nearly twenty years and returned to Capital Radio.
Grime is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of the earlier UK dance style UK garage, and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. The style is typified by rapid, syncopated breakbeats, generally around 140 beats per minute, and often features an aggressive or jagged electronic sound. Emceeing is a significant element of the style, and lyrics often revolve around gritty depictions of urban life.
Louise Amanda Harman, better known by the stage name Lady Sovereign, is a British rapper, best known for the songs "9 to 5" and "Love Me or Hate Me". She was signed to Def Jam in 2005 by Jay-Z.
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken beat, grime, and drum and bass. In the United Kingdom, the origins of the genre can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene in the early 1980s.
Kane Brett Robinson, better known as Kano, is a British rapper, songwriter and actor from East Ham, London. His fifth album, Made in the Manor was shortlisted for the 2016 Mercury Prize and won Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards. On screen, he played the role of Sully in Top Boy.
Justin Jude Clarke-Samuels, better known by his stage name Ghetts, is a British grime MC, rapper, songwriter and actor. His music has been played on national radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100, BBC Asian Network, and BBC Radio 1Xtra. Currently, Ghetts is signed to independent record label Disrupt, and released his debut studio album, Rebel with a Cause, on 9 March 2014. Known for his hard hitting lyrics and intricate rhyme schemes, he is associated and has toured internationally with such acts as Kano and was a member of NASTY Crew.
Bassline is a music genre closely related to UK garage that originated in South Yorkshire and the West Midlands in the early 2000s. Stylistically it comprises a four-to-the-floor rhythm normally at around 135–142 beats per minute and a strong emphasis on bass, similar to that of its precursor speed garage, with chopped up vocal samples and a pop music aesthetic.
Gemma Cairney is an English television and radio presenter best known for her work on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music. She most recently presented The Leisure Society on BBC Radio 6 Music where she interviewed cultural icons including Goldie, Tracey Emin, Kelley Deal, Laurie Vincent from Slaves and Cosey Fanni Tutti. She is currently the host of the podcast Dream Space for Factory International. Previously she co-hosted The Surgery alongside Radha Modgil. She has also presented Gemma Cairney on BBC Radio 1, weekends 7 am – 10 am and later weekdays 4 am – 6:30 am, switching with Dev. More recently she has regularly covered for Lauren Laverne, Mary Ann Hobbs, Chris Hawkins, Steve Lamacq, Cerys Matthews and Craig Charles on BBC Radio 6 Music. Cairney is also an Oxfam ambassador.
Ctrl.Alt.Shift was an initiative politicising a new generation of activists for social justice and global change. It was a project of UK aid and development charity Christian Aid.
So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from Battersea, London, which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many members, the most notable being Asher D, Lisa Maffia, Harvey and Romeo. So Solid have been credited for being pioneers in the UK music scene. By turning UK garage from a dancey-genre to one that was darker and more MC-oriented, and gaining mainstream success, they inspired London youth to experiment with their own darker sounds, leading to what would become known as grime music.
Nicky Nyarko-Dei, known by his stage name Tempa T, is a British grime MC originating from East London. He is well known for his 2009 single "Next Hype", considered an anthem of the UK underground scene, from which he is known for his excitable nature, aggressive lyrics, love of word play and use of the phrases "hype" and "par". He is featured on "Hypest Hype" by Chase & Status and is a former member of east London-based grime crew Slew Dem. In 2015, Tempa T released the single, "Shell", produced by So Real Sounds, which reached number one for eight weeks in the UK Grime Chart show with DJ Cameo on BBC Radio 1xtra.
Obenewa is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was classically trained on piano from the age of four and picked up the guitar in her teens.
SB.TV Global Ltd, also known as SB.TV or SmokeyBarz, is a British music media and creative cultural industry company founded by Jamal Edwards. The platform was created on 2 November 2006, and has its origins in urban music. Most of the content can be seen on its own YouTube channel, or on the official SB.TV website and includes freestyle raps and music videos. SB.TV has diversified into events and have curated stages at Bestival, Wireless, Outlook and other festivals. SB.TV were also invited to film interviews with a host of leading politicians at 10 Downing Street, including the Prime Minister David Cameron. Edwards has also built a relationship with the Royal Family and first interviewed Prince Charles in 2013.
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been code named "Network X" during the consultation period. At the time, the station was listed as "1 Xtra BBC" on many electronic programming guides. The station broadcasts from the 8th floor of Broadcasting House, shared with Radio 1 and the Asian Network.
Jamie Michael Robert Sanderson, known professionally as Sermstyle, is a British singer, songwriter, record producer, and remixer who lives and works from Los Angeles.
Ashley Charles, also known as A.Dot or Dotty, is an English rapper, DJ, and radio and television presenter. She is best-known for presenting on BBC Radio 1Xtra from 2014 to 2020 and co-presenting the BBC One show Sounds Like Friday Night alongside Greg James from 2017 to 2018.
Kwadwo Quentin Kankam, better known by his stage name Novelist, is a British grime MC and record producer from Lewisham in South London. He was a founding member of the Square crew and was nominated for Best Grime Act at the 2014 MOBO Awards. He has been called the "new face of grime" and was described as "the poster child for the first generation of real grime kids" by DJ Logan Sama.
Charles Hazell, better known by the stage name Sketchman, is a British recording artist, songwriter, record producer and musician, originating from Sutton, London.
Anthony George Harris, better known by his stage name President T, is a British grime artist from North London. President T was born in Birmingham, but moved to Tottenham, North London when he was 3 years old. He is known for his distinct style of delivery, offbeat rhyming patterns, and flow.
Channel U was a British digital satellite TV music channel that focused on the British grime scene which ran from February 2003 to June 2018.
