EsDeeKid | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2024–present |
EsDeeKid is an English rapper from Liverpool. [1] He was named one of the year's breakout stars in 2024 by Pitchfork following the release of the single "Bally" featuring Rico Ace. [2] He released his debut project, Rebel, in June 2025. [3] [4]
His music is characterised by his thick Scouse accent [5] and draws inspiration from cloud rap. [6] EsDeeKid's identity is unknown; he covers his face with a balaclava and keeps personal information, such as his age, private. He has mentioned on his Twitter he still lives in his council house. [1] [6]
As of November 2025, his single "Phantom" (featuring Rico Ace) has accumulated tens of millions of streams, and Rebel has charted in multiple European countries, [7] [8] [9] as well as peaked at number 67 on the US Billboard 200, [10] despite being released nearly five months prior to its debut on the chart. [11] He has been described by Dazed as a "masked Liverpudlian rapper" and "the fastest-growing artist in the world right now". [12]
EsDeeKid originates from Liverpool, Merseyside, and his regional identity is a key part of his appeal. [1] He performs with his face concealed by a balaclava and has not publicly disclosed his real name, age or detailed biographical information. [1] [6] Both interviews and reviews note that he rarely breaks character in public, maintaining a mysterious, anonymous persona centred on dark visuals and minimal personal exposure. [12] [13]
His thick Scouse accent has been singled out by critics as one of his defining characteristics, helping to distinguish him within the wider field of UK rap. [1] [5] The Guardian's Add to playlist column described him as having a "magnificent scouse accent" and "entertainingly debauched lyrics", noting his rapid rise from Liverpool's underground scene. [1] Fans interviewed by Dazed have highlighted his menacing stage presence, all-black clothing and masked image as central to his appeal. [13]
EsDeeKid began releasing music in 2024, issuing several non-album singles, including "Apathy", "Slurricane" (with Fakemink), "Number (N)ine Freestyle", "Gracias", "Palaces" (with Rico Ace), "Tapped In" (with SINN6R), "Ferragamo", "Bally" (with Rico Ace), "Little Kidda" and "Warmin' Up". [8]
His 2024 single "Bally" featuring Rico Ace was highlighted in Pitchfork's "The Ones" column, where Alphonse Pierre described it as one of the year's standout tracks and named EsDeeKid one of the year's breakout stars. [2] The song helped introduce him to an international audience and established his partnership with Rico Ace, who would later appear on some of his best-known tracks.
EsDeeKid's biggest song to date (as of November 2025), "Phantom" featuring Rico Ace, was released in March 2025; [7] it has since amassed over 74 million Spotify streams (as of November 2025). [8]
His debut mixtape, Rebel, [a] was released on 20 June 2025 through Lizzy Records. [14] The project includes the singles "LV Sandals", "Phantom", "4 Raws", "Cali Man", "Century", "Mist", "Tartan", "Dirty", "Prague", "Rottweiler", "5am" and "Panic". [8] Rebel charted in the United Kingdom, Ireland and several other European countries, reaching number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and appearing on national album charts in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. [15] [9] [16] [17] [18] As of November 2025, he has amassed eight million monthly listeners on Spotify. [19]
Following the release of Rebel, EsDeeKid embarked on a European tour in 2025, performing in the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Dazed described the run of dates as "career-defining", reporting that he rounded off the tour with a show at Camden's Electric Ballroom in London. [13] The Face characterised his London date on the Rebel tour as "legendary", highlighting intense mosh pits, a rowdy atmosphere and fans queueing early to see his first major headline show in the city. [19]
Audience accounts and photo features emphasise a heavy, almost rock-influenced live energy, with dark lighting, frequent moshing and EsDeeKid often appearing as a shadowy figure at the centre of the stage, underscoring his mysterious persona. [19] [13]
In November 2025, rumours began to circulate on TikTok that EsDeeKid's actual identity was American actor Timothée Chalamet, with internet users noting correlations between articles of clothing and physical similarities. [20] [21]
The theory was widely reported in music and entertainment media, and became the subject of thinkpieces about anonymity in popular music and the role of online speculation in shaping artist narratives. [12] As of November 2025, neither Chalamet nor EsDeeKid has publicly confirmed any connection, and no evidence beyond visual comparison and circumstantial observations has been produced, leading to widespread memes about a potential connection.
EsDeeKid's music combines elements of cloud rap and trap, with atmospheric, lo-fi production and heavy bass underpinning his delivery. [6] His lyrics often centre on drug use, nightlife, relationships and designer fashion, themes that The Guardian described as "entertainingly debauched". [1] Critics have noted that, although his subject matter can be repetitive, his vocal timbre, phrasing and accent make his performances distinctive. [1] [6]
Rebel was described by Tastemakers Music Magazine as drawing heavily on cloud-rap textures, with hazy synths and reverb-heavy beats that provide a backdrop for his slurred, melodic flows. [6] Dazed and The Fader have situated him within a broader new underground of UK rap artists who move beyond drill into more experimental, internet-influenced sounds. [13] [5]
His collaborations with fellow underground artists such as Fakemink, Rico Ace and Fimiguerrero further root him in this scene, pairing his vocals with distorted, bass-heavy beats and unconventional song structures. [1] [8]
EsDeeKid has received attention from a range of music publications. Pitchfork highlighted "Bally" as one of its "Ones" picks and described him as a breakout artist for 2024. [2]
In The Guardian's "Add to playlist" column, Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Laura Snapes praised his "magnificent scouse accent" and the energy of his tracks, particularly the single "LV Sandals", and compared his appeal to artists such as Playboi Carti. [1] The Face has covered both his recorded output and live shows, describing his Rebel tour as "legendary" and noting the rapid growth of his streaming numbers and fanbase. [19] [3]
Dazed has devoted multiple features to EsDeeKid, profiling his fan community and positioning him within a lineage of artists with concealed identities. One article referred to him as "the fastest-growing artist in the world right now", linking his popularity to the intrigue surrounding his anonymity. [12] [13]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [15] | BEL (FL) [9] | FIN [9] | IRE [15] | LTU [22] | NLD [9] | NOR [17] | SWE [18] | SWI [9] | US [10] | ||
| Rebel |
| 13 | 22 | 10 [16] | 11 | 1 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 67 |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [15] | UK Ind. [15] | AUS [23] | CAN [24] | IRE [15] [25] | LAT Air. [26] | LTU [22] | NZ [27] | US R&B/HH [28] | WW [29] | |||
| "LV Sandals" (with Fakemink and Rico Ace) | 2025 | — | 12 | — | 100 | — | 13 | 11 | — | 38 | — | Rebel |
| "Phantom" (with Rico Ace) | 12 | 2 | 40 | 66 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 24 | 132 | ||
| "4 Raws" | 27 | 4 | 63 | 69 | 31 | 10 | 14 | — | 19 | 194 | ||
| "Cali Man" (with Rico Ace) | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | 35 | — | — | — | ||
| "Century" | 10 | 2 | 74 | 94 | 11 | 9 | 12 | — [b] | 44 | — | Non-album single | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Ind. [15] | LTU [22] | |||
| "Rottweiler" | 2025 | 15 | 45 | Rebel |
| "Mist" | 34 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Top 20 jaunumi ir trīs angļu repera EsDeeKid singli: "Century" ir devītajā vietā, "4 Raws" ir desmitais, bet "LV Sandals" ir 13. straumētākā dziesma.[The Top 20 updates include three singles by English rapper EsDeeKid: "Century" is in ninth place, "4 Raws" is tenth, and "LV Sandals" is the 13th most streamed song.]