The London-based collective Foreign Beggars blends hip-hop, grime, and dubstep. Founded in 2002, the outfit centers on MCs Orifice Vulgatron (Pavan Mukhi) and Metropolis (Ebow Graham) alongside producer Dag Nabbit and DJ NoNames. Regular collaborators include beatboxers Schlomo, MC Zani, and THePETEBOX as well as rappers Dr. Syntax and Kyza. Nearly every Foreign Beggars release involves guest contributions, allowing the group to explore an array of styles such as drum'n'bass alongside Dutch outfit Noisia.
Orifice Vulgatron and Dag Nabbit first crossed paths in Dubai in 1993 while performing in assorted rock and metal ensembles. Around 1996-1997 they assembled a hip-hop project and began promoting raves and parties. After parting ways in 1998 they reconvened in London, established a recording studio, and resumed event promotion. Metropolis and DJ NoNames connected at university in 2000, and NoNames later encountered Orifice Vulgatron during lighting and sound work on a production of The Wizard of Oz. Several years afterward the musicians united to launch Foreign Beggars and simultaneously created their own imprint, Dented Records, for their output and that of other U.K. underground artists.
Foreign Beggars issued their debut single, "Where Did the Sun Go"/"Season's Beatings," in 2003, with the collaborative-heavy album Asylum Speakers arriving later the same year. Ahead of their second studio album the group put out the B-sides and rarities mixtape Bukkake Ski Trip, mixed by DJ NoNames. Darker in tone than its predecessor, the proper follow-up Stray Point Agenda appeared by the close of 2006 and featured guests including Dudley Perkins and DJ Vadim. The period proved fruitful, yielding Best New Act honors at the MOBOs and Best Group recognition at the Lyric Pad Hip-Hop Awards.
United Colours of Beggattron arrived in 2009 as the band's most eclectic and polished album to date. Contributions from Noisia and Ghosttown broadened its sonic palette and elevated the group's visibility, resulting in a Noisia collaboration appearing in E4 drama Skins. Extensive touring throughout 2010 brought larger headline opportunities and support slots for the Prodigy, De La Soul, and Snoop Dogg plus multiple European festival appearances. Deadmau5 subsequently welcomed them to his Mau5trap label for the release of The Uprising in 2012. Vulgatron and Metropolis continued their partnership with Noisia under the name I Am Legion, issuing a self-titled album in 2013 on Skrillex's OWSLA imprint. A mixtape titled Peak Season followed in 2014, then the official EP Modus in 2015, which included Eprom, Alix Perez, and Riko Dan; the bulk was tracked in L.A. while Riko Dan's vocals were added later in London. Their next EP, The Bits, incorporated productions from Machinedrum and Fracture plus a guest spot from Ocean Wisdom.
The subsequent year Foreign Beggars joined forces with Monster Florence intending to cut a conceptual EP by inviting lesser-known artists into the studio for a 48-hour window. Nine tracks were completed in that timeframe, expanding the project into the full-length album 48 whose proceeds supported homelessness initiatives. Their sixth studio album, 2 2 Karma, surfaced in 2018 and marked a return to core strengths while showcasing an array of prominent guests such as Kate Tempest, Izzie Gibbs, Flux Pavilion, and Kojey Radical.
