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How the Home Counties took over UK rap

  • The Huck Long Read
  • Music
  • Fred Garratt-Stanley
  • 9 min read

Queen Millz: “Getting kicked out of school changed my life”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s leading Leicester wordsmith Queen Millz.

  • Music
  • Queen Millz

Joe James: “I will never be absent in my children’s lives because I know it doesn’t feel nice”

Hard Feelings — As the silky MC prepares to release his debut album ‘The Ends Never Ends’, he joins our column on fatherhood and masculinity to discuss leaving his childhood home at 16, the manosphere and his risk-embracing approach to life.

  • Music
  • Robert Kazandjian

Kibo’s compendium of Kwengletarianism

Kwengletaria:Ragamyff — As UK rap’s latest prodigious MC announces his most ambitious project to date, Rob Kazandjian spends time with Kibo in a north London pub to chat about his rise, as well as the inspirations and ideologies underpinning his music.

  • Music
  • Robert Kazandjian

DJ AG has redefined DJing. Festivals are next.

From small streams, mighty rivers flow — The London streamer has democratised an art traditionally hidden away in clubs and basements with his easy-to-access, spontaneous, open platform street performances. With AG Fest lined up for the summer, Oliver Keens speaks to him about staying humble, the importance of community, and his dream to open a care home.

  • Huck 83: Life Is A Journey Issue
  • Oliver Keens
DJ with headphones operating green-lit turntables in dimly lit booth, motion blur on hands from mixing records.

The story of World Headquarters, the beating heart of Newcastle’s underground

Refuge & ruckus — Sprouting from free party roots, the nightclub institution has been an inclusive pillar of the North East’s music scene since the early ’90s. Olivia Fee dives into its long history, evolution, and ongoing importance.

  • Music
  • Olivia Fee
Black and white image of man in leather jacket and cap against concrete wall. Red and blue text reading "HARD FEELINGS" in bottom right.

Scorcher: “There was anger towards the establishment”

Hard Feelings — The grime originator joins our column on masculinity and fatherhood to catch up with his old school friend Rob Kazandjian. He talks about his relationship with his dad, raising his own children, and what he learnt from his time in prison.

  • Music
  • Robert Kazandjian
Person in hooded jacket holding microphone in dimly lit room with purple and blue lighting, industrial ceiling visible above.

How teaching in prisons and a new mixtape is inspiring UK rap innovator Jords

Inside tracks — Two years since releasing his sophomore album Dirt In the Diamond on the legendary Motown Records, the South London MC returns with Mixtape J – a bold, independent, 10-track statement. We caught up with him to talk about the new project, his creative process and running writing workshops in UK prisons.

  • Huck 82: The Music Issue
  • Niall Smith
Woman with long braided hair in grey hoodie with black fur-lined hood, standing in lift with yellow and pink text overlay.

JayaHadADream: “A lot of us feel the world right now is dystopian”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s UK rap breakout hotshot JayaHadADream.

  • Music
  • JayaHadADream

‘If grime is dead, I’m not a casualty:’ Novelist in conversation

The 25-year-old MC has built a career defined by artistic integrity. He talks to writer Robert Kazandjian about how he got to where he is and giving back to the South East London borough he calls home.

  • Music
  • Robert Kazandjian

Deyah is the rising Welsh rapper forging her own path

Welcome to Care City — The winner of this year’s Welsh Music Prize speaks to Huck about overcoming hardship and finding her own sound within Wales' overlooked hip-hop scene.

  • Music
  • Rhys Thomas

Joining the Dots: Episode Two with Hattie Collins

A Huck Podcast — Joining the Dots is a new Huck podcast. Each week DJ, filmmaker and subcultural superstar Don Letts sits down with a new guest to discuss their life and work. This week, he meets writer and journalist Hattie Collins.

  • Culture
  • Benjamin Cook/Michaael Fordham

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