EsDeeKid | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2023–present |
EsDeeKid is a British 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 album, 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 that he still lives in his council house. [1] [6]
As of November 2025, his single "Phantom" (with Rico Ace) has accumulated more than 120 million streams, and album 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 "the fastest-growing artist in the world right now". [12]
EsDeeKid originates from Liverpool 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's first known song was a feature on "Altered" by DualSpines, released in 2023. [12] He began releasing standalone music in May 2024, releasing a remix of "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd on SoundCloud. [14] Other non-album singles he released include "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.
His debut mixtape, Rebel , was released on 20 June 2025 through Lizzy Records. [15] The project included the singles "LV Sandals", "5am", and "Phantom" alongside 8 other original tracks. [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. [16] [9] [17] [18] [19] His monthly listeners on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Youtube, also skyrocketed. [8] [20]
As of December 2025, EsDeekid's most listened track on Spotify is "Phantom" (featuring Rico Ace). Since its release in March 2025, [7] it has amassed over 120 million streams. [8]
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 the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, 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. [21]
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. [21] [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. [22] [23] 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] The theory led to widespread memes about a potential connection.[ citation needed ] Pieces of investigative journalism also indicated that a link between EsDeeKid and Chalamet was unlikely, citing an October 2025 concert in Milan that EsDeeKid performed while Chalamet was reported to be in New York City. [24]
In December 2025, Chalamet fuelled rumours, telling Heart FM: "I got no comment on that… All will be revealed in due time." [25] [26] He would later post a snippet of a music video for a remix of EsDeeKid's single "4 Raws", featuring a rap verse from Chalamet himself, on his Twitter account. [27]
Other rumours surrounding his identity have alleged that EsDeeKid previously went under the alias DualSpines, noting correlations between his and EsDeeKid's vocals on "Altered", a 2023 single from DualSpines. [12] [28]
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 "The 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. [21] [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 | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [16] | BEL (FL) [9] | FIN [9] | IRE [16] | LTU [29] | NLD [9] | NOR [18] | SWE [19] | SWI [9] | US [10] | |||
| Rebel |
| 9 | 22 | 10 [17] | 11 | 1 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 67 | |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [16] | UK Ind. [16] | AUS [31] | CAN [32] | IRE [16] [33] | LTU [29] | NZ [34] | US Bub. [35] | US R&B/HH [36] | WW [37] | ||||
| "LV Sandals" (with Fakemink and Rico Ace) | 2025 | — [A] | 12 | — | 98 | — | 11 | — | — | 27 | — | Rebel | |
| "Phantom" (with Rico Ace) | 12 | 2 | 30 | 59 | 17 | 1 | 39 | 3 | 20 | 127 |
| ||
| "4 Raws" | 27 | 4 | 53 | 69 | 31 | 14 | — | 1 | 16 | 194 | |||
| "Cali Man" (with Rico Ace) | — | 17 | — | — | — | 35 | — | — | 48 | — | |||
| "Century" | 10 | 2 | 51 | 81 | 11 | 12 | — [B] | — | 28 | — | 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. [16] | AUS [31] | LTU [29] | US R&B/HH [36] | |||
| "Rottweiler" | 2025 | 15 | 87 | 45 | 42 | Rebel |
| "Mist" | 34 | — | 95 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that territory. | ||||||