Lethal Bizzle

Grime rapper Lethal Bizzle applies myriad influences to his life growing up in East London, producing a collection of uncompromisingly direct records that reflect the street smarts he acquired through a challenging upbringing. Born Maxwell Ansah in 1982 to a Ghanian family in the English town of Walthamstow, the MC found himself musically by avidly listening to regional artists who specialized in drum ’n’ bass, along with boom bap from hip-hop’s place of origin, New York City. After making a name for himself in London’s pirate radio scene, Lethal Bizzle linked up in the early 2000s with the More Fire Crew, releasing the provocative single “Oi” in 2002. By 2004, Lethal Bizzle had forged ahead as a solo act, cementing his status as an underground favourite with the frenetic party anthem “Pow! (Forward).” Lethal Bizzle dropped his debut album, Against All Oddz, in 2005, led by the high-energy track “Uh Oh (I’m Back).” More than ten years later, Lethal Bizzle released 2017’s You’ll Never Make a Million from Grime EP, a victory lap that saw the legend collaborating with new-school artists like Skepta on the dynamic standout “I Win.” By keeping that propulsive energy throughout his career, Lethal Bizzle has been a British rap institution for over two decades.