LD (rapper)

Last updated

LD
Birth nameCassiel Nii Akwei Wuta-Ofei [1] [2]
Also known as
  • Scribz
  • Lil Dice [3]
Born (1992-04-09) 9 April 1992 (age 32) [4]
Origin Brixton Hill, London, England [5]
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2009–present
Member of 67

Cassiel Nii Akwei Wuta-Ofei (born 9 April 1992), known professionally as LD or Scribz, is a British rapper. Named as the "godfather of UK drill" and as a founding member of the UK drill scene, [5] [7] LD rose to fame in 2014 with the release of his debut single "Live Corn" and the release of "Let's Lurk" alongside 67 in 2016, featuring Giggs.

Contents

Wuta-Ofei has been imprisoned twice for two separate criminal convictions.

Early life

Cassiel Wuta-Ofei was born in 1992 and was raised by his mother and grandmother. He has three brothers and two sisters. [3]

Career

In 2014, 67 would rise to fame, with Wuta-Ofei – under the alias Scribz – as its frontman. In the same year, he was handed an ASBO, [8] which forbade him from performing in public under the name Scribz; this would result in him changing his alias to LD. In addition, he would start wearing a "Phantom of the Opera-style" mask, which was discovered in an office during an SB.TV session. [7] [9] In the same year, he would release "Live Corn"; according to Huck , the song "had the wider industry paying attention [to LD] almost instantly". [5]

In September 2018, LD released The Masked One, which spent one week the UK Albums Chart at number 69. [10] Following its release, an article by HotNewHipHop noted that he "contains the image, flow and delivery to become [67's] defining breakout artist". [11] The mixtape was followed in 2021 by Who's Watching. [12] In an interview with VICE , he stated that it was named as such because "you never know who's watching you", also saying that it was his last story of him against the police. [8] He would also release several remixes of his single "Rich Porter" following Brexit; an article by GRM Daily states the remixes were made in order to "keep his musical connections [in the European Union]". [13]

Following his release from prison in late 2021, LD released "First Day Out". [14]

Criminal convictions

In 2014, Wuta-Ofei was issued an ASBO that banned him from making and performing music for two years. [15] [16] Following this, Wuta-Ofei donned a mask and changed his artist name to LD, with his first tune under the new moniker being "Live Corn". [17] In 2016, Wuta-Ofei's ASBO order came to an end, resulting in him releasing a song called "Wicked and Bad", in which he sent for opposing gangs. Within the song, he mentioned that Scribz and LD are the same person. In 2017, Wuta-Ofei was jailed for six months for possession of a knife. [18] [4]

In December 2019, Wuta-Ofei was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin) and jailed for 4 years and six months. [19] [20] He was released from prison in November 2021. [14]

Discography

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected details
TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
UK
[21]
All I See Is Smoke
(as Scribz)
  • Released: 2013
—
6.7
(with Dimzy and Monkey)
  • Released: 29 January 2015
The Masked One
  • Released: 20 September 2018
  • Label: Trakstrs
69
Who's Watching
  • Released: 26 February 2021
—

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References

  1. ↑ Skala, Jemina (9 January 2021). "LD TEASES NEW ALBUM 'WHO'S WATCHING' WITH LATEST TRACK 'OUTRO'". mixmag.net. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "FELL IN LOVE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 Davies, Sam (26 February 2021). "LD (67): the UK drill figurehead speaks from prison". Dazed . Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Man jailed for possession of a knife". Metropolitan Police . 6 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Balram, Dhruva (26 February 2021). "LD, godfather of drill, speaks out from behind bars". Huck . Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  6. ↑ Valentina, Cee (22 July 2022). "The Man Behind The Mask: A Conversation With LD About Drill Music, Counseling And The Future". Def Pen. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  7. 1 2 Trotman, Samuel (3 January 2022). "SAVING FACE: A TIMELINE OF MASKED MUSICIANS WHO PIONEERED FACE-COVERING". Highsnobiety . Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  8. 1 2 Bassil, Ryan (26 February 2021). "LD, the UK's Original Drill Rapper, Calls Us From Jail". Vice . Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  9. ↑ Davies, Sam (14 December 2021). "Mask Off: how UK drill subverts reality, fantasy, and public image". Dazed . Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "Official Album Charts". The Official UK Charts Company. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Blair, Robert (9 May 2019). "UK Artist Recommendations Based On American Rappers You Like". hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  12. ↑ Keith, James (26 February 2021). "LD Claims 'Godfather Of Drill' Title With New Album 'Who's Watching'". Complex Networks . Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  13. ↑ W, Courtney (9 April 2021). "67'S LD SHARES BREXIT REMIXES OF "RICH PORTER" WITH FRANCE'S ZIAK, SPAIN'S MC BUZZ & MORE". grmdaily.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  14. 1 2 Powell, Jon (24 November 2021). "67's LD celebrates his "First Day Out" with new visual". revolt.tv. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  15. ↑ Walker, Joe (29 November 2016). "Beautiful South: 67 and RAY BLK on their London". Clash . Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  16. ↑ Dymoke, Alex (25 August 2017). "67 interview: This is not a gang. This is a logo. This is a company. This is a brand". Evening Standard . Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "What is UK drill? A primer on the rising British rap sound". Red Bull. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  18. ↑ Thapar, Ciaran (24 October 2018). "67's LD on the state of uk drill music". i-D . Vice Media . Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  19. ↑ "Inner London Crown Court - Sentencing". TheLawPages.com. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  20. ↑ Thompson, Harry (9 December 2019). "Croydon musician jailed for county-lines drug supply". Eastlondonlines. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "LD | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
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