From artists like Dizzee Rascal to Maverick Sabre, there has never been a lack of talent in rappers coming out of the East End. However, plenty fm music fans will be thinking to themselves what these artists, who were at their all-time high during their childhood, are up to now?
Well, here is the way to find out what the artists you may have had downloaded on your Blackberry in 2012 are doing.
Professor Green
Stephen Manderson, famously known as his stage name Professor Green, was a huge hit back in the years of 2010-2012 with famous hits such as “I Need You Tonight” and “Just Be Good To Green”.
He went from growing up in a council estate in Hackney to a multi-platinum artist with over 3.5 million combined sales in the UK.
Even though we don’t hear much from Professor Green as much as we used to, he is still going strong with releasing new material and has even announced a 2022 tour in the last few weeks.
He has been involved in different TV shows including Celebrity Gogglebox and was a co-host for the Channel 5 show Lip Sync Battle UK back in 2016.
Dizzee Rascal
Originating from Bow, Dizzee Rascal, real name Dylan Kwabena Mills MBE, was a massive hit during the years of 2009-2013. With songs we all used to bop along to including “Dance Wiv Me”, “Bonkers” and “Bassline Junkie”, the rapper appeared to really take off and was a big success amongst many.
In November 2013, Rascal even received an honorary Doctorate of the Arts from our very own University of East London.
However, inAugust 2021, Dizzee Rascal was charged with assaulting a woman following a domestic dispute. Sometimes, not every artist ends up being in the limelight for good situations and Dizzee Rascal is definitely one of them.
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Danquah, AKA Tinchy Stryder, grew up in Bow and arrived in the spotlight in 2008.
Releasing his first single from the album Catch 22 titled “Stryderman”, he boasted his East London ties with a lyric claiming he was the “Top East London writer, man”.
However, the single we all know best to this day was his collaboration with hip-hop band N-Dubz titled “Number 1” which reached number 1 in the UK & Ireland.
His album also included popular songs “Never Leave You” and “You’re Not Alone”. Recent news on Stryder is that he is expecting his second child but he is still carrying on doing his thing performing, with him being announced that he will be a Bradford headline act for the 2021 Christmas Light Switch On.
Wiley
Richard Cowie, better known as his stage name Wiley, is another one of our East Londoners who grew up in Bow.
Wiley is considered a key figure in the creation of grime music and is even labelled the “Godfather of Grime”.
Wiley had various UK single chart top 10 hits including “Wearing my Rolex”, “Never Be Your Woman” and his iconic UK number one which can still be heard in various nightclubs to this day “Heatwave”.
Wiley is a musician who never really left the music scene, however, he reached his peak in 2012.
Wiley has been a very controversial character in recent years with his series of posts and videos on social media on 24 July 2020, widely condemned as antisemitic, that described Jewish people as “cowards” and “snakes”.
He even received a temporary ban on Twitter for his actions. However, Wiley has released a 2021 album titled “Anti-Systemic” making it clear to us that he is still making music to this day.
Maverick Sabre
Michael Stafford AKA Maverick Sabre was born in Hackney and really had his breakthrough during the years of 2008-2010.
Sabre featured on popular artists songs including a collaboration with Chase and Status and our very own east Londoner Professor Green’s record “Jungle” which debuted at number 34 on the UK singles chart.
On July 25th 2011, Sabre released his first single “Let Me Go” and it was an immediate success, entering the UK charts at number 16.
Following this success, he then released his debut album “Lonely Are The Brave” which included his other big hit, “I Need”.
In recent years, it is apparent that Sabre is still releasing music. In June 2020 he announced an EP named “You Know How It Feels” and he has also recently announced that his fourth studio album will be released on January 28th 2022.
Plan B
Benjamin Drew, famously known as Plan B, is from Forest Gate in East London.
Everyone knows Plan B from his hit single “She Said” released in 2010, which attained European chart success.
His second studio album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks“, which was more of a soul and R&B album rather than rap that he was used to, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
The musician has also collaborated with other artists such as Chase & Status, most recognisably on the 2009 top ten single “End Credits“.
Plan B has recently been in the public eye this year as he is seemed to be unrecognisable in comparison to what he looked like a decade ago, with a slimmer frame and a new stylish haircut.
Plan B still appears to be performing; however, the last single of his to be released was in 2019, which was titled “First Past The Post”.
