A rapper whose collaborations and personal struggles shaped his music from the streets to the charts.
For where he started, listen to "Upper Clapton Dance." For where he ended up, try "Closing The Door" with Fink, it's quieter, more worn-in.
He broke through with "I Need You Tonight" alongside Ed Sheeran, a track that landed his debut album at number two in the UK. Songs like "Read All About It" with Emeli Sandé and "Just Be Good To Me" with Lily Allen show how he built his sound around vocalists from different corners of pop. He's been just as direct about his past homelessness and addiction, and later about depression, making his music feel like a conversation he's having in real time.
He started with the mixtape "Lecture 1" in 2006, rapping in London after a difficult youth. The 2010 hit "I Need You Tonight" launched his proper debut, and he kept working with singers like Tori Kelly on "Lullaby." More recently, he put out "One Eye on the Door" in 2016, a single focused on mental health.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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