AJ Tracey

Putting the West London grime scene on the map with his sharp, confident lyrics, AJ Tracey was credited with breathing new life into UK hip-hop and leading a new generation of underground MCs, all before landing his first crossover hit, "Butterflies," in 2018. Born as "Che Wolton Grant" in Brixton on March 4, 1994, he grew up on a working-class estate in Ladbroke Grove, London, raised by a Welsh mother who was a jungle and drum & bass DJ on pirate radio in the 1990s and a Trinidadian father who previously performed as a rapper. He started making up his own rhymes when he was six years old and later soaked in the two-step garage sounds of Dizzee Rascal and Wiley, which lit up London in the early 2000s. His Caribbean background also made him a fan of dancehall and soca music. AJ Tracey built his reputation with late-night spots on Rinse FM and Radar Radio before his cult banger "Spirit Bomb" announced his arrival on the capital's rap scene in 2015. His single "Thiago Silva" with MC Dave notched up more than 12 million views on YouTube, while the EP Secure the Bag! reached Number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in 2017. He was named on the BBC's "Sound of 2017" list and championed by Drake and A$AP Rocky, before the strutting, summertime anthem "Butterflies" reached Number 19 on the UK Singles Chart one year later. The follow-up singles "Lo(v/s)er" and "Psych Out!" also made the Top 40, and his debut album AJ Tracey peaked at Number 3 in the UK upon its 2019 release. Two years later, he returned to the upper reaches of the UK charts with 2021's Flu Game, whose track list included the platinum-selling singles "Dinner Guest" and "West Ten," as well as the Top 40 hits "Anxious" and "Little More Love."

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