Chipmunk

By age 16, the North London MC Chipmunk had already earned recognition as one of grime’s most promising young talents. He honed his skills through playground and youth-club freestyles, penning his debut track, “My Life,” while in 11th grade and promptly committing two early mixtapes to tape in order to display his distinctive rhyme patterns. Grime trailblazer Wiley, struck by the teenager’s rapid output, adopted him as a protégé in the same manner he had earlier guided Tinchy Stryder and Dizzee Rascal.

Chipmunk’s third mixtape, League of My Own, appeared in 2007 via Alwayz Recordings and drew on Wiley’s roster of beat-makers, among them Bless Beats, Maniac, Balistiyx, Danny Weed, D’Va, Swindle, and Skeams. Intensive touring and promotion in 2008 paid off when he collected Best Newcomer honors at both the Urban Music Awards and the MOBOs; stateside tastemakers also took note with a nomination for Best New Rapper at the BET Awards. Shortly after turning 18 he inked a deal with Sony Columbia and began pivoting from grime toward mainstream hip-hop. In pursuit of a potent hook, he collaborated with Ironik on a high-impact reinterpretation of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” featuring backing vocals from Sir Elton himself.

While completing his debut album, Chipmunk issued the promotional single “Chip Diddy Chip” in May 2009; the track climbed to number 21 on the U.K. chart. Weeks later he dropped his fourth mixtape, Guess Who, as a free download, and I Am Chipmunk arrived in early July. Work on the follow-up, Transition, began almost at once, yielding a 2011 release that included guest appearances from Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, and Trey Songz.