The show has been produced by Fremantle label, Naked and distributed by A+E networks. Speaking on the release of the new series, BBC Commissioning Editor Patrick McMahon says: “I’m thrilled to welcome Krept, Konan and DJ Target back for a new series of the Rap Game UK. With epic new challenges, gripping new format twists, and some of the most talented artists we’ve ever had competing for that crown, this year’s contest looks set to be the biggest, best and toughest yet.” Naked Creative Director Tom O’Brien added, “It’s great to be bringing The Rap Game back again. With new showrunners (Trent Williams Jones and Steve Earley), a new cast and new even higher stakes, Naked can’t wait to see who will be the new winner.” 

In 2021, The Rap Game UK was most nominated for two Broadcast Digital Awards, being the Best Entertainment Programme and Best Popular Factual Programme. That year it was also nominated in the Formatted Popular Factual category in the 2021 RTS Programme Awards. The show was also nominated for a BAFTA Award back in 2020.

This years up and comings MCs taking part include, T Big Jest and JClarke, P3Lz, Mayo, Mwangi and Zoellz. The six contestants have travelled to Manchester to compete in a series of challenges aimed at showcasing their individual musical, lyrical and performance abilities. The six MCs will undertake challenges across the series whilst being guest mentored by some of the biggest names in the UK scene – and this year this includes Unknown T, Shaybo, BackRoad Gee, Leomie Anderson, D-Block Europe, Lethal Bizzle, Jaykae, and more.  The winner will gain a £20,000 cash prize, as well as a mentorship scheme to help them create and launch their own music after the contest ends.

A teaser for the opening episode of the new series that came out last Thursday shares, “DJ Target and Krept & Konan return to Manchester to search for the next big rap star. Six aspiring rappers discover that winning this series will be tougher than ever, with a twist revealed that none of them expect. Their opening challenge sees some artists make a bigger impression than others.”

You can watch the show live on BBC Three at 9pm every Thursday. You can also watch the new series online via BBC iPlayer, where the past three series are also available to stream.

The teaser created a significant amount of hype, spawning its own memes and reaction videos. The track samples G-Units “Stunt 101″ for which the track is named in homage to. Digga even interpolates the flow of 50 Cent from the track, borrowing his signature gansta rap flow in a departure from his usual drill style.

‘Pump 101′ is unique for a track that borrows so much from another, as it is a playful departure from what we have come to expect from Digga and the drill scene at large. Perhaps this will start a trend of drill artists looking back to older styles of rap for inspiration, within a genre that many long-term fans believe to be growing stale.

The track was announced after a minor controversy where many thought that Digga D had been arrested by Emirati authorities. He was trending on Twitter for a number of days as reports suggested he was facing life imprisonment for stabbing someone while on holiday there. Amongst the confusion, Digga cleared up the matter, saying that while he did get arrested, he was not involved in any criminal activity and released without charge.

Many suspected this to be a publicity stunt, with some pointing fingers at Digga’s management who they suspected ran false stories and circulated rumours of a possible sentence in order to generate hype around his name on the eve of this tracks announcement. These suspicions come without much evidence, however, as it was true that Digga was in fact arrested. It is more likely that rumours of life imprisonment spawned from the original fact of his arrest, given Dubai’s reputation in the West of having harsh sentencing laws.

“Pump 101″ is available to stream and can be listened to below:

‘Wonderland‘ asserts M Huncho and Unknown T even higher up onto the ranks for the UK music scene’s best. Their new collaboration is a product of two artists that are renowned for releasing nothing less than hard hitting, popular singles. Unknown T and Huncho together as a pair provides reasoning behind their unstoppable run so far and offers them a chance to be potentially pushed further.

WONDERLAND OUT NOW @Mhuncho_1 https://t.co/s2SXwm3dn1 pic.twitter.com/nHnUJbOrqc

— UNKNOWN T (@unknwnt9) June 10, 2021

With contrasting styles, the effortlessness of both Unknown T and M Huncho together is not only satisfying but provides reason for their success as rappers.

Unknown T, known professionally on the scene as Daniel Lena, received elevating praise back in 2018 for his breakout success of ‘Homerton B‘ – a track showcasing the talent offered by UK Drill. Following this, Unknown T gained further success in 2020 due to the popular release of his mixtape ‘Rise Above hate‘. ‘Rise Above Hate‘ – an impressive, 16-track project and feature-length debut was given 8/10 by Clash Magazine. The project exhibited a previous collaboration with M Huncho, as well as AJ Tracey and Young T and Bugsey. The pair are back together for ‘Wonderland‘.

British rapper, singer and songwriter M Huncho, from North West London was described by Wonderland Magazine as “one of the UK’s fastest rising stars in recent years”. It is the sign of pure talent that before 2017, the rapper had never even been in a music studio let alone recorded in one. In the same interview, M Huncho commented that

“I have self-belief in myself, so I’m going to make sure that I make that possible… But in the next year, I’m looking to just find some inner peace, go around the world, get inspired, and just build myself and come back as an even better superhero. No kryptonite can affect me”

The joining of both M Huncho and Unknown T for the fiery collab ‘Wonderland’ is fuelled with skilful lyricism and infectious bars. M Huncho, and Unknown T, certainly have come back better. You can listen to their collaboration here.

Drake goes back to back with Headie One over a commercial, but menacing, Drill beat. Drake is one of music’s biggest superstars, and Headie’s inclusion on the track demonstrates his meteoric rise. The London-based artist, Headie One, dominates the freestyle due to his comfort on a Drill instrumental. His flow rolls effortlessly over the track’s peaks and troughs. Furthermore, his comedic lyrics demonstrate the joy he felt at being involved in the single. Drake’s vocals are more accustomed to the R and B anthems that made him famous, however his wordplay ensured a worthy contribution to the project.

Drake is a keen supporter of British street culture. He collaborated with Giggs and Skepta on his Album, ‘More Life‘ (2017). He brought out J Hus during his 2019 tour, and bankrolled the return of gritty Netflix series, ‘Top Boy‘. He confirmed his support by captioning the freestyle’s release with an emoji of the British flag. Interest in UK Drill peaked last week, with icon Unknown T releasing his ground-breaking ‘Rise Against Hate project‘.

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Only You Freestyle with my gg @champagnepapi Link me back here tommorow at 9pm ‼️

A post shared by One (@headieone) on Jul 19, 2020 at 1:31pm PDT

Headie One took to Instagram to display his excitement at working with Drake. He uploaded a still from the freestyle’s adjoining visual, with the symbol of a goat (which is used as an acronym for Greatest Of All Time).  Drill is a genre which addresses the dark aspects of street life, and ‘The Only You Freestyle‘ music video adheres to this principle. It is set in a dingy car park, lit only by the headlights of several vehicles. The rapper’s perform against this setting, accompanied only by some obscured background figures. The result is an eerie backdrop for the track’s sinister instrumental.

Headie One’s collaboration with Drake cements UK Drill’s meteoric rise. The multi-platinum pop idol’s involvement will send the genre global, as he has an international platform. The ‘Only You Freestyle‘ gives fans a taster of the Drill’s chaotic energy, whilst showcasing a unique fusion of transatlantic flow, wordplay and rhythm. UK drill may be on the precipice of worldwide fame, thanks to Headie, Drake and the ‘Only You Freestyle‘.

‘Rise Above Hate’ is a significant achievement for the Homerton-based rapper, Unknown T. The project is primarily Drill-focused, as T’s distinctive, punchy, flow is synonymous with the heavy beats of the genre. Tracks such as ‘Tug Boy‘  resemble the gritty sounds for which T is famed. An array of high profile features represent his rising stock within the music industry. Renowned artists such as AJ Tracey, M Huncho and Young T & Bugsey contribute their talents to the project. This adds an element of diversity to ‘Rise Above Hate‘. For example, Young T & Bugsey feature on ‘Main Squeeze‘; a track which draws upon their more polished sound to create the project’s most mainstream song.

Unknown T also reveals his human side with the soft ‘SS Interlude‘, in which the rapper opens up on his struggles with mental health. However, these tracks serve as pallet cleansers for what is a triumphant procession of heavy Drill music. The album’s most notable moments include the ominous ‘Leave Dat Trap‘, with AJ Tracey, and the vintage ‘Deh Deh’.

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RISE ABOVE HATE OUT NOW! POST IT, REPOST IT BUY IT, STREAM IT.. LETS GO HARD AND SUPPORT THIS ONE LOVE TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN HELPING ME MAKE THE TAPE ‼️

A post shared by Unknown T (@unknwnt9) on Jul 16, 2020 at 4:07pm PDT

Unknown T is a pioneer in UK Drill. The single ‘Homerton B‘ is a catchy interpretation of the genre and helped to popularise the movement. It became the first ever UK Drill track to chart in 2018, peaking at 48th. The genre is a relatively new phenomena. It is based off of the Chicago Drill movement, as made famous by iconic artists such as Chief Keef and Fredo Santana. However, UK drill deviates from its American forefather by drawing inspiration from the British influences of Grime and Garage music. The result is a sound which is fast-paced, raw and distinctive.

Unknown T is the prodigal son of UK Drill. His earlier successes propelled the underground genre into the mainstream consciousness. ‘Rise Above Hate’ is an album which bursts at the seems with the same grit and fire for which Unknown T is known for. However, the artist also uses the project to demonstrate his versatility, as he tentatively tests the waters outside of UK Drill. The project is a crowning glory for Unknown T, as he continues to augment the popularity of the entire UK Drill genre.

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Rise Above Hate – 17/07/20 pre save link in bio

A post shared by Unknown T (@unknwnt9) on Jul 6, 2020 at 12:21pm PDT

The deadly altercation is said to have taken place at a house party in Islington in celebration of the New Year. Unknown T and two other men were arrested in the days following the incident but were consequently released on bail pending further investigation. Another 20-year old man was found with non-life threatening stab injuries nearby but has since recovered.

The young rapper first gained attention after dropping his hit single ‘Homerton B’ which reached #48 on the U.K Singles Chart in October 2018. Following the success of the single, he signed with Universal Music Group and has had a promising start to 2019. He has performed at the O2 Arena for Drake’s Assassination Vacation Tour back in April and was also scheduled to perform at BBC 1Xtra’s Summer In Ibiza 2019 in August.

Unknown T and one other suspect have been charged with murder and violent disorder, with the third suspect being charged only with violent disorder. The three men are due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court later this week.

Unknown T delivers a hard verse conveying his dedication to the trap and opening up about the risks that come with it. “My shorty begged me to leave that trap, please baby don’t act like that” expresses the conflicting interests he faces with partners due to his decisions. “Baby I gotta do what I do, but the cops tried to nick me today, f**k I should’ve just listed to bae” validates his girlfriend’s worries, reiterating the inevitable end of that lifestyle.

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@bbc1xtra track premiere with @djtarget at 7:30pm..

A post shared by Unknown T (@unknwnt9) on Jun 27, 2019 at 6:20am PDT

Directed by Hamish Stephenson on behalf of GRM Daily, ‘Leave Dat Trap’ keeps to the traphouse aesthetic. The black and white effect and the abandoned warehouse set compliment the grittiness of the track. Seeing the two rappers perform their verses in front of discarded vehicles alongside a group of masked accomplices.

Signed to Universal Music Group, Unknown T became a national phenomenon with his hit single ‘Homerton B’, reaching certified BPI Silver as of March 2019. A track paying homage to the area that raised him, along with a catchy chorus had people across the nation recognizing the East London town.

You can watch the video to ‘Leave Dat Trap’ below.