Young T & Bugsey

Blasting into the U.K. charts on the back of the summer anthem "Strike a Pose," Nottingham rap duo Young T & Bugsey built their brand on infectious fusions of hip-hop, Afro-bashment, and trap. Meeting through mutual friends at the age of 15, rappers Young T (Ra'chard Tucker) and Bugsey (Doyin Julius) bonded over their shared interest in music, as budding musicians and supporters of Nottingham's rap scene. The pair's signature style was forged at Nottingham's Community Recording Studios, a local charity that gave them the means to record in studio quality. Young T & Bugsey's first single came with 2015's "1st Quarter," though it was their second, "Glistenin'," that put their name on the map, racking up hundreds of thousands of digital streams. Continuing into the second half of the 2010s with singles including the D-Block Europe collaboration "Favourite Girl" and a featured appearance on Stay Flee Get Lizzy's BPI-certified gold "Ay Caramba," the duo grew their fan base organically and became ones to watch in the U.K. rap scene. Young T & Bugsey's critical moment arrived with the 2019 single "Strike a Pose"; with a charismatic feature from Manchester's Aitch, the single soared to the ninth spot on the U.K. chart, eventually landing a platinum sales certification from the BPI. Capitalizing on this colossal success, the duo enlisted Headie One for the anthemic "Don't Rush," which reached number 19 and went gold. The following March, they released their debut mixtape, Plead the 5th, which continued the slick fusion of Afro-swing and rap on which they made their name. The tape peaked at number 25 on the U.K. album chart and entered the Heatseekers chart in the U.S. Remixes of "Don't Rush" -- one with DaBaby, and another with Busta Rhymes -- likewise increased their exposure in the States. ~ David Crone