Poundz

Poundz, a South London native, harnessed his magnetic presence and commanding voice to penetrate the British mainstream toward the end of the 2010s, landing a Top 40 entry via the lean, unadorned single “Opp Thot.”

Growing up immersed in the music of Stormzy and Section Boyz, the rapper channeled those influences into his own ambitions once he reached his late teens, merging his U.K. hip-hop foundations with the shifting sonic currents around him. His 2015 appearance on the freestyle series BL@CKBOX became a career milestone, where, riding a sparse, rattling beat, he exhibited an unstoppable cadence, sharp lyrical dexterity, and a direct, unfiltered tone.

Early experiments took him across grime on “Blow Like Guns” and “Fortnite,” trap on “Super Vision,” and Afroswing on “Golden Child” and “Best Life,” before he anchored himself in the rising U.K. drill wave. Among those first breakthroughs stood “Lions Den,” “The End,” and “SkengBop,” each built on stark storytelling, atmospheric production, and restless rhythms.

The brash minimalism of “Opp Thot” carried him onto the national stage in late 2019, where it peaked at number 33 on the U.K. charts and gained extra reach through a high-profile remix featuring Ambush Buzzworl, Snap Capone, and Yxng Bane. Further singles “Smooth Criminal” and “TikTok” sustained the momentum into 2020, paving the way for his debut project, No Smoke Without Fire, released the following year as a wide-ranging set that balanced melodic passages with abrasive edges.