Class Of 2024: Six UK Artists For Your 2024 Playlist

This time last year we blessed you with links to the underground talent that pressed home their status in 2023. Now we're back with another six of the best UK artists you need to get familiar with, from the alt-rap scene that's gaining major traction to real-talk road rap, grime, drill and the eclectic. The roster of next-gen artists is awash with serious talent.

At KING, we've always taken up the mantle to shine the light on new, fresh talent making waves, so get into the list below and make sure you find a place for them in your playlist.

Those of you already aboard the CASSISDEAD train, before the mainstream finally cottoned on (it only took around 10 years), should definitely get their ears around Tay Jordan. With mad swag and laid back steez, Tay Jordan is a master storyteller and wordsmith, painting narratives around street life, hood tales and the hustle for success. His choice of beats is steller, with old g-funk inspiration, 80s synthwave and instrumentals bringing everything together. From his 2023 'Have A Nice Trip' album to the release of two singles in 2024 ('2089' being a standout), Tay is the truth for the new era of UK rap and sits as the antithesis of the tired drill that has sucked the life out of the scene in recent years.

Spotify >> TAY JORDAN
Insta >> @tayjordan_pc

Totally out on a limb is Slewwy, a high-fashion model who's also deep in the rap game. Featuring in Burberry's 2024 spring campaign (as a direct result of Burberry's creative director Daniel Lee's love for the music) Slewwy dropped his debut mixtape 'Face Value' at the tail end of 2023, with a sell-out show at Bermondsey Social Club. Slewwy counts his wide-ranging musical influences as everything from early drum and bass to house, techno and grime, with his current musical output characterised by solid rhyme play over flowing beats. An artists that's straddling the two world's of music and fashion, keep your eyes and ears open for Slewwy.

Spotify >> SLEWWY
Insta >> @slewwy

It's impossible to put Brian Nasty in a box and say which type of music he makes. Completely eclectic and borderline genreless, this is the new face of UK rap, whose output is moulded by everything that came before, including indie, alt, hip hop, neo-soul and britpop. It's all there in its own way. 2023's 'Growing Pains' EP is a breezy excursion through all of the above. There are no rap cliches here and we're all for it. Not only is the future bright on the music front but Brian and his crew also run Victory Lap on Balamii Radio. So now you know where to get your vibes after checking Brian Nasty's musical brain dump below. Mad!

Spotify >> BRIAN NASTY
Insta >> @nastybrian

Technically speaking, not a newcomer, but one of the artists that's as close as you can get to making the jump from the underground into the conscious of the mainstream. Already an established name in the alt-rap scene, the Camden native has played major festival headline shows with BVDLVD and can ride over grime, drill, metal, hardcore and any other genre thrown at him with consummate ease. A versatile artist that's difficult to categorise, 2022 was a heavy year for releases followed by a short hiatus in 2023. But Henny has come out of the traps in 2024 with his single 'WAIT' and a left field collab EP with ska rockers The Skinner Brothers, which is a perfect example of Henny's position as an artist you simply cannot pigeonhole. Check for Henshaw on Spotify and Insta.

Spotify >> HEN$HAW
Insta >> @henshawgram

From KING's manor of Newham, East London, AB dropped his debut mixtape 'Welcome to Hammerville' at the end of 2023 following some promosing videos and Blackbox freestyles back in the late 2010s. Signed to Potter Payper's 36 label, AB sits firmly in the road rap camp, with the Hammerville mixtape keeping things drill focused on the production and hard-hitting real talk lyrics laced with authenticity and stroytelling prowess. If you're a fan of the likes of Morrisson and Myers then AB should definitely be in your roster.

Spotify >> AB
Insta >> @ab_hammerville_

A former stablemate of Henshaw on Nu Inc Sounds, TM Distant is another artist that refuese to be pushed into a specific genre or category. Cutting his teeth collaborating with the likes of TomDidIt, Henshaw and as a duo in TM & Remy in the early 2020s, TM is without doubt a product of the alt-rap scene but also at home rapping over trap beats and lacing hard hitting tones on electro guitar-laden production. His 2024 album 'Vivid Memories of Dreams I've Never Had' is a lesson in versatility and experimentation in subjects and a sound that resonates with those looking for that point of difference. Pree some of his earlier work on the 'KING + NuInc presents: It's The Nu' playlist and his current catalogue below.

It's the Nu Playlist >> LISTEN
Spotify >> TM DISTANT
Insta >> @tmdistant