Kano

Kano was one of the pioneers of the grime movement alongside Dizzee Rascal, Skepta and Wiley, and made his name as an MC in the N.A.S.T.Y. Crew before scoring an underground hit with the solo single 'P's & Q's' in 2004. Cited as one of the most important records in the genre's growth, debut album 'Home Sweet Home' (2005) sampled 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath and featured a guest appearance from Mike Skinner of The Streets before its follow-up, 'London Town' (2007), broke into the mainstream - thanks to contributions from Damon Albarn, Kate Nash and the Craig David-featuring single 'This Is the Girl'.

Telling tales of urban decay and the seedier side of street life, Kano returned to the harsher sound of his roots on the album '140 Grime St' (2008) before featuring on the Gorillaz album 'Plastic Beach' (2010). Fourth album 'Method to the Maadness' (2010) included cameos from Hot Chip, Chase and Status and Vybz Kartel but failed to make much of a commercial impact. Following a six-year absence, Kano returned to release his fifth studio album, 'Made in the Manor', in 2016. The album received critical acclaim, winning Best Album at the Mobo Awards, and reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart. The rapper released his sixth studio album, 'Hoodies All Summer', in August 2019, which featured artists including D Double E, Ghetts and Kojo Funds, and the tracks 'Pan-Fried' and 'Teardrops'.