Krept & Konan

Casyo "Krept" Johnson and Karl "Konan" Wilson, the South London duo Krept & Konan, saw their organic, wordy, and literate hip-hop ease into the mainstream by 2013 through a steady, unforced process. The pair formed in 2009 and skipped the usual chase for major-label backing, instead building awareness through social media before launching their own label and clothing line, Play Dirty. A 2010 mixtape called Tsunami first drew widespread notice, after which their cover of Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Otis" gathered millions of YouTube views in under a week during early 2011. That summer, following a gunman's break-in at Konan's mother's home that left her injured and killed his stepfather, the duo recounted the events in the autobiographical "My Story." Later in the year, Tottenham-born grime artist Skepta offered them an opening slot in Glasgow; although the show counted as Krept & Konan's first live performance, it forged an ongoing connection, with Skepta continuing to champion their tracks online alongside U.K. scene notables such as Wretch 32 and Professor Green.

They sustained the upward trajectory by withholding any new official releases until the September 2013 mixtape Young Kingz appeared, which reached the U.K. Top 20 on virtually no marketing spend and included turns from Giggs, Chip, and Tinie Tempah. The following year the group signed with Def Jam and delivered The Long Way Home on the label in 2015; the set featured guest spots from Ed Sheeran, Rick Ross, and Wiz Khalifa and debuted at number two on the U.K. albums chart. In 2017 the duo returned with two mixtapes issued simultaneously, the more club-oriented 7 Days carrying appearances from Skepta and Stormzy while 7 Nights carried a stronger R&B tone and included contributions from Hudson East and Tony Lanez.