Suburban Spotlight: Liverpool

Nestled in the North West of the country is the thriving city of Liverpool. Flourishing from corner to corner with an assortment of budding rappers and musicians, the Scouse home is the next stop on our Suburban Spotlight hunt. Posing as the eighth edition to find some of the best up and coming rappers from around the country, Liverpool has got it all covered! Tap in below to see which 6 talented rappers we picked this time!

SSJ

Having only started music this year, SSJ has already made quite the entrance! At just 21 years of age, the Liverpool native first burst onto the scene with his debut track titled, “Kosha”, earlier this year in February. Boasting his melodic style of Rap, SSJ is influenced by an array of hit-makers from across the board including M Huncho, Lil Baby, Potter Payper, Roddy Rich and Biggie. Merging all his inspirations into one and fusing them with his own flavorsome and authentic sound, the ascending rapper has quickly garnered a small but hungry fan-base. Following through with a string of impressive singles including “Piano” and “Double It” as well as his joint EP alongside ‘Spliff An A Maggie’ alongside fellow scouse rapper Jono, SSJ recently returned with his latest cut named, “Take A Risk” (below). Introduced with a piano-led backdrop, the Liverpool native glazes the beat with his distinct and melodic tone before the beat drops and adds that extra punch to the already vigorous and energy-driven drop! With more heat on the way, it’s only a matter of time until SSJ gets the recognition he deserves!

Whatface

Influenced by an assortment of UK and US heavyweights including Giggs, Ghetts, Headie One, Potter Payper, V9, 98’s and Future, Whatface is quickly becoming a prominent face for Drill in Liverpool. At the flourishing age of just 10 years old, the ascending rapper stumbled across his love for music and began penning his bars to paper. Pushing his unquestionable talent aside, it wasn’t until June of this year that the 23 year-old took the courageous leap to launch his career. Unleashing his debut cut titled, “Problem”, which is currently sat with over 10,000 views on YouTube alone, his unapologetic and no-nonsense approach left listeners wanting more. Keeping the flame around his name strong, Whatface joined forces with Rugz on “Horrible” before rolling out the eerie and menacing vibrations of “Pull Up” and “Slide” (below). Built over a pulsating and haunting instrumental courtesy of Hazard, “Slide” see’s the Liverpool native take centre stage with his honest and straight-talking wordsmith – we are sure this isn’t the last time you’ll hear of Whatface!

KOJ

Formerly known as Wavey Joe, KOJ has been making moves within the Liverpool scene for over 7 years since he was 16. Following his recent re-brand, the Scouse rapper takes inspiration from not only his life experiences but a variety of notable names within British Rap including JME, Novelist, J Hus and Unknown T. Having built a following from his previous alias, you may also recognize the ascending emcee from his appearances on Black Box and several other platforms showcasing his talent. Taking 2020 with both hands, KOJ put his bars to the test and recently took to GoPlay Studio for his all-new freestyle titled, “My Block” (below). Surrounded by his boys, the Liverpool native flexes his ability to glide effortlessly over the flute-led backdrop, offloading an array of cold punchlines and wordsmith whilst keeping you captivated from start to finish. Entering the new year with his debut sound in the form of “Blue Notes“, this track houses a slick and atmospheric backdrop courtesy of Jakebob. Determined to push a new found sound from the North West of the country, “Blue Notes” enables his bars to sit at the very forefront of the track. With a brand new single dropping this coming Friday (27th), this is only the start of what’s looking to be a prosperous chapter ahead!

Wahz

Taking to the Rap scene back in 2016, Wahz is certainly one to watch! Dropping his debut track “Do Road”, which is currently sitting with over 50,000 plays on SoundCloud alone, has been making subtle waves since! The 21 year-old, who’s recently returned in full force has dropped off a slew of profound tracks over the years; from the gruff vibrations of “Active”, to the dark and eerie sounds of “Talk Loads”, the rapper recently offloaded the visuals to his first drop of the decade titled, “Reason Why” (below). Accommodating a traditional Drill felt backdrop, enriched from start to finish with a heavy bass, melodic piano and a skittering drum pattern, Wahz can be seen dressed in black from head to toe, whilst flowing with the up-most ease atop the beat. Layering the head-bopping instrumental with hard-hitting and point-blanc wordsmith throughout, this is yet another stand-out offering from the rising rapper, only solidifying why Wahz is one to watch!

P3Lz

Turning the heads of many at just 17 years old, is P3Lz, although the newcomer has no official track out as of yet, the budding female force has gained a lot of traction from various freestyles that went viral online. Taking influence from a variety of genres, P3Lz creates music based off what and how she is feeling in that very moment. Having only started to make music just over a year ago as a gift for her family on their birthdays, her sister saw the potential within the Liverpool native and decided to book some studio time for her. Gaining more and more confidence each and every time she steps in the booth, the ascending rapper stepped up for a “Rap’D Up” (below) freestyle earlier this year in August. Standing her own, P3Lz’s confidence speaks for itself, showcasing her rapid fire-flows, hard-hitting wordsmith and punchlines from start to finish – P3Lz keeps you captivated for just over 3 minutes long, it’s only a matter of time before she blows!

Rugz

Journeying back to the youthful age of 10 years-old, it was at this age that Rugz first began spitting his very first bars. Taking his love and passion for music to the next level, at 15 he began producing his own music and has since been perfecting his craft. Taking influence from South American rappers including Gucci Mane, Jeezy and Ghetto Boys, to even the UK’s very own Dizzee Rascal and more, it wasn’t until earlier this year that the 29 year-old launched his career in music. Kick starting the new decade with “Ridding Loose” (below), his first official track to be placed on a major platform, the budding emcee boasted his assertive energy, distinct tone and greaze-enriched bars over the Grime-esc beat throughout. Following through with his fiery collaborative joint alongside Whatface on “Horrible”, Rugz pierces through the Drill-inspired beat with his vigorous flow and wordsmith. Putting his indisputable versatility on a shining pedestal, the Liverpool native has an all-new track loading in the new year that’s bound to leave your head bopping!

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