DEVLIN

Devlin’s razor-sharp delivery helped push grime further into the mainstream with his 2010 major label debut album, Bud, Sweat & Beers. Born James Devlin in 1989, the Londoner began rapping in his teens, coming up in the underground pirate radio scene and as a member of legendary collectives O.T Crew and The Movement. Known for his raw, fierce, and socially conscious rhymes, Devlin is equally at home on gritty tracks alongside the likes of Skepta and Ghetts as he is gliding along glitzy pop in collaborations with artists such as ZAYN and Ed Sheeran. Songs such as 2006’s “Community Outcast” and 2017’s “Crack Baby” are compassionate working-class character studies, while 2019’s “Grime Scene Killer” acts as a showcase for his ferocious flow and razor-sharp boasts.