Kano

British rapper Kano first rose to attention in the mid-2000s as a technically gifted MC within the then-emerging grime movement, later sustaining artistic and commercial development across subsequent decades. His approach blends influences from U.K. pirate radio and American rap into a dense, articulate delivery that moves fluidly between weighty and playful themes. Early underground traction arrived via 2004's "P's and Q's," paving the way for his debut album Home Sweet Home the next year, a foundational grime release. The more pop-oriented London Town followed in 2007, after which he contributed guest verses to Gorillaz and Chase & Status while issuing independent projects and mixtapes alongside screen work. A prolonged hiatus ended with 2016's Made in the Manor, which entered the U.K. Top Ten and captured a MOBO Award.

Born Kane Brett Robinson in East Ham, London in 1985, he first gained notice as part of N.A.S.T.Y. Crew alongside Jammer, D Double E, and Ghetts before stepping out solo. His initial single "Boys Love Girls" generated enough underground momentum to secure a deal with 679 Recordings, backed by Warner. The 2004 release "P's & Q's," produced by DaVinche, marked his label debut, followed in February by "Typical Me," a Fraser T. Smith collaboration that peaked at number 22 on the U.K. pop chart and introduced the well-received Home Sweet Home. Productions on that album came from Diplo, Mike Skinner (aka the Streets), and Paul Epworth, earning him the 2005 MOBO Award for Best Newcomer. Kano and Smith collaborated more extensively on the 2007 successor London Town, driven by the number 18 U.K. pop hit "This Is the Girl" featuring Craig David.

He later operated independently via the lower-profile 140 Grime Street in 2008 and Method to the Maadness in 2010, both still reaching the Top 50, while maintaining visibility through features with Chase & Status, Gorillaz, and Lethal Bizzle. Additional joint efforts, mixtapes, a role in the film Tower Block, and appearances in the first two seasons of Channel 4's Top Boy preceded a Parlophone agreement that yielded fifth album Made in the Manor in 2016. The project became his strongest commercial showing, hitting number eight and taking Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards. He resurfaced in 2019 with sixth album Hoodies All Summer, led by the singles "Trouble" and "Class of Deja."