Leeds on the Map: Part 1

This article has sentimental value to me; I am able to write about the blossoming Leeds Grime and Rap scene. For the last couple of years I have heard about other cities such as Manchester and Liverpool blowing up, with artists such as Bugzy Malone and Aystar making waves within the scene. Now I’m able to talk about how I believe Leeds will be the next city to receive recognition, for the immense talent the artists within the scene possess.

Leeds is filled with up and coming artists who are making waves within the scene, with videos on iconic platforms such as P110 and Link Up TV. First Media TV has played a large role in Leeds recent success; this is the channel where a large amount of the artists within Leeds began their careers, such as D.O, Graft, Phantom Boys, Jimmy Long and K Dee.

Phantom Boys have a freestyle video on P110, which is a You Tube channel based in Birmingham with 119,779 subscriber's. The video itself managed to accumulate 3,612 views which is a large accomplishment for a two 17 year old teenagers, when there is artists twice their age struggling to receive that amount of views. both Graft and K Dee have fire in the street freestyle videos that are available on Charlie Sloth’s personal You Tube channel which currently has 205,756 subscribers. Graft also has two other videos posted on Link Up TV's channel, which has 523,315 subscribers with just over half a million subscribers this channel is one of the most influential within the scene. both of Grafts videos on this channel accumulated 57,000 views. D.O and Jimmy Long have various videos on First Media TV accumulating thousands of views, the channel itself has 3,254 subscribers and the videos have achieved more than double that which emphasises the talent these young artists possess.

The fact these artists are able to showcase their talents on such large platforms means that the whole Leeds scene will receive more exposure; these artists are pioneers for the whole Leeds scene, People are gradually realising how talented Leeds is. Wretch 32 shouted out Graft in an interview stating “There’s a rapper called Graft he’s not big but he’s mad his ting goes mad.” This is a huge accomplishment as Wretch is seen as one of the most iconic figures within the scene to have ever lived. The fact he noticed the talent of a young MC from Leeds should motivate any artist to perfect their craft, as people are always watching you no matter if you realise that or not.

However the most iconic artist within the Leeds scene is definitely Dialect, he has been paving the way for artists within Leeds for around 12 years. With a variety of videos, freestyles, tracks and clashes he has become a household name within the scene. He has appeared on Don’t Flop several time, which is one of the most well-known clashing platforms within the scene. Their YouTube channel has 387,888 subscribers, which is an astonishing amount for any YouTube channel never mind a channel that focuses on Grime, Rap and clashing. Both the Rap and Grime genres have been overlooked for years due to the false connotations associated with the genre, which amplifies the success Don’t Flop has received.

The first time I heard Dialect, he was busking in town I stood still middle of the Top Shop walk way captivated by his flow, his talent was apparent from the few bars I heard that day. I went home that night and went through his videos admiring his talent, taking in his bars and the quality he possesses. To be honest I was around 14/15 at the time and never really considered Leeds a place that produced quality music. I now realise how wrong I was, I'm only mentioning a fraction of the talented artists from Leeds in this article, which should anchor the exuberant amount of talented musicians and artists we have in Leeds.

I believe the Leeds music scene will challenge any city in a few years, as artists are finding their own flows experimenting with music in order to create their own unique style. The versatility of Leeds artists is astonishing, the majority of them are able to spit on both Rap and Grime flows. This is a unique skill to have, as versatility will set you apart from most other artists who copy the same generic flow.

contact me on the following social media platforms and tell me your favourite artists from Leeds, I may include them in part 2:

Twitter: @dom2arg

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