Sam Davies

Not long ago, London’s inner-city communities were rarely seen on screen. Now they’ve become a hotbed for creativity, providing not only the setting for a new subgenre of film, but also the directors behind them. We interview some of the creative forces driving London’s cinematic renaissance…

His smart storytelling and wry jokes have helped put Midlands rap on the map. Now he wants to demonstrate rap’s power to deliver real-life change

Once upon a time, in an epoch far, far away, Beyoncé released an album without telling anyone. It changed everything...

Even 2Pac got it wrong. “Say my name three times like Candyman, bet I roll on yo’ ass like an avalanche,” he rapped on “Troublesome ’96.” It’s five times; in the 1992 cult horror classic, if you say his name five times while looking in the mirror, the Candyman will appear and make you his next victim. But anyway, it doesn’t matter that Pac messed up the details. What matters is he referenced the film, as many other rappers have done since...

After discovering videos of rapid-fire MCs spitting in Portuguese over baile funk-flavoured beats, London DJ and Butterz co-founder Elijah linked up with Brazilian artists CESRV, Febem and Fleezus to re-release their ‘Brime’ EP, celebrating the unlikely yet thrilling connection between British and Brazilian grime music. DJ Mag speaks to them about how Brazilian grime artists are injecting their own humour, style and politics into the sound

Despite the dominance of US hip-hop and opposition from police and tabloids, the British scene is now a force to be reckoned with

“See me on a TV show, bouncing around like everything’s OK,” says Lady Ice at the end of her 2020 single ‘No More Secrets’. Since she was a teenager she’s been a semi-regular on British television...

Nine essential documentaries, focused on the classic '80s and '90s hip-hop that laid the foundation for rappers to build a world-conquering movement

The Ancient Egyptians never actually wore grills. That’s a myth. But don’t tell Katy Perry — back in 2014, she dressed all Cleopatra-like and shoved a grill in her gob for the opulent video to her not so opulent single “Dark Horse.” Backed by a budget that could feed a continent, Perry’s team splashed $1,000,000 on the glittery mouthpiece. One million dollars. Before long, Guinness World Records got involved, confirming that the item was the most valuable grill ever...

Dave is an A-lister now.

With festivals looking thin on the ground, why not visit the places that have inspired some of our best songs and greatest bands, including Pulp, the Undertones and Cliff Richard (AND GIGGS)

At just 19-years-old, Fizzler is a precocious emerging talent. He began releasing singles on YouTube two years ago, not long after finishing school, and has since dropped viral freestyles via Fumez The Engineer and ProdByWalkz, and collaborated with the likes of Offica and TeeZandos. He’s earned a reputation for impudent wordplay thanks to popping singles ‘Minimum Wage’ and ‘Aha ‘Mhmm’.

The artist’s long-awaited return to rap is complex, immensely enjoyable and unfailingly clever

In the last decade, drill music has become ever more popular while inspiring debates over its links to violence. Now the rap sound is flourishing in many continents, writes Sam Davies.

Loraine James conjures dreams of the club, claustrophobia and isolation on her stunning new album for Hyperdub