Another year is up and it’s time to take a breather. Black British music has been under the microscope throughout 2024 and, despite another strong year across the board, division was palpable. It was dogged by debates about whether UK rap is dead, owing to declining sales and a growing feeling that the music is becoming too formulaic. But after an exceptional near-decade of excellence, history making and record setting, UK Black music continued to showcase its range while tapping into its past to push forward its present.
The year saw quite a few returns from artists who defined the childhoods of many, but perhaps the most impactful was that of Bashy. The North-West London legend emerged with his first album in 15 years, Being Poor Is Expensive, a beautiful and deeply personal telling of his story growing up, the machinations of his family and his journey towards self-affirmation. The result is a timeless portrayal of life, love and survival, all while showcasing an arc of Black Britishness via the Windrush Generation, being a first-generation immigrant in the UK and the lure of the streets. Despite a decade and a half away pursuing his acting career and establishing himself as a titan in that field, Bashy proved music is still in his blood and he has boundless contributions still to give to the scene.
Grime heads rejoiced when they saw the return of one of the genre’s greatest crews, Ruff Squad. With their Flee FM EP, Rapid, Slix and Dirty Danger took us back to their greatness, which would’ve left a twinkle in the eye of anyone who witnessed their original run in the 2000s and seminal tapes like Gun & Roses Vol 1. 2024’s ‘Hardest Working MC’ arguably belongs to the one and only Scorcher, who was everywhere all at once after a couple of years away. Capping off his year with a MOBO nomination for Best Grime Act, the Tottenham legend scorched (pun very much intended) everything in front of him, from radio freestyles and live cyphers to his musical output, including the album Since You Were Gone.
Speaking of grime, many will say the genre underwent another resurgence in 2024, nearly 10 years after the first. However you frame it, the scene went back to basics this year while elevating the new generation. MCs like namesbliss, Logan OLM, Duppy, Renz, Kruz Leone, Kibo, Jawnino, Micofcourse, JayaHadaDream, T.Road and ThaFirst shone brightly, regularly spraying on platforms like Travs Presents, Balamii, NTS and Rinse FM. Fans new and old got a glimpse of the here and now, proof that grime still has a beating heart and will continue to be the foundation of modern Black British music.
Let’s not forget the triumphant return of Pa Salieu, who went to work immediately after his release from prison. Dropping his Afrikan Alien project—packed with revolutionary zeal and self-determination—Pa reinforced his position as a true unicorn in the scene, one who can make conscious bangers without compromising his art or identity. It’s great to have him back. Meanwhile, 2024 was kind to other sections of UK Black music. The underground continued to thrive thanks to the likes of Kofi Stone, Chiedu Oraka, Bawo, Ceebo, Sainté, Joe James, Oscar #Worldpeace and Tay Jordan, who each put on for their respective brands of rap.
The scene then rallied around the trio of Lancey Foux, Len and Fimiguerrero, whose joint CONGLOMERATE project reached the Top 40 of the UK albums chart. This marked new territory not just for all three artists, but for the alternative-leaning music they peddle. It marked a massive move forward for the underground, one which could lay the groundwork for more artists to make the transition to mainstream acclaim. There were also moments to shine for newcomers like Pozer, Nemzzz and LeoStayTrill, who each made their marks with addictive singles that pulled the public to their orbit.
Female artists ascended highly in 2024. One of the year’s most celebrated bops belongs to Chy Cartier, whose “YO” blew up our collective timelines. The North London MC’s ice-cold and direct bars and flows have left us in a trance since she arrived on the scene, and 2024 saw her turn it up that much more. The tail end of the year, though, belongs to Ceechynaa. Releasing “Peggy” in December, she gave us a fun and addictive earworm to see the year out, which sets her up for more waves next year. Not to mention strides by £MONZO, BXKS and JayaHadADream who had singles, freestyles and projects to soundtrack the 365 days.
The big-hitters of the scene weren’t to be denied, either. Central Cee—gearing up his long-awaited debut album, CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS in January 2025—offered a taster alongside Atlanta’s Lil Baby on “BAND4BAND”. A track that went Gold in the UK and Platinum in the USA, it continued to prove Cench’s superstar status. Potter Payper went nuclear and gave the streets three projects to feast on: Thanks For Hating, Nightmare Before Christmas and the M-Huncho collaboration, 36 Hours. Drillers K-Trap and Headie One released albums Smile and The Last One respectively, while Ghetts dropped his On Purpose, With Purpose LP, as well as a collaborative album with producer Rude Kid, Forbidden Frequencies, which was available only to fans who attended a string of UK shows by the duo. Add projects by Unknown T, Clavish, Little Simz, Skrapz and D-Block Europe and you have stacks of variety and quality.
Outside of the rap and grime spheres, 2024 saw a blend of cross-genre brilliance. There was new-age jungle bliss by Nia Archives, indie-sleaze elegance by Master Peace and Rachel Chinouriri, expansive jazz by Ezra Collective, Shabaka and Nubya Garcia, and gorgeous R&B by Odeal, Shae Universe, Sasha Keable, Tendai and Demae. Whatever you’re into it, 2024 was generous in a big way and 2025 promises to be another banner year for our scene, as each sub-genre, community and sound gets its chance to shine on bigger stages.
Editor’s Note: The playlist below is in no particular order.