Unknown T

Unknown T, from East London, wields resonant vocals alongside an array of distinctive cadences to establish himself among the leading figures in U.K. drill. He represents Homerton (E9) together with V9 and KO, and his inventive take on the style—anchored by the landmark 2018 single “Homerton B,” which made him the first drill artist to reach the Top 50—secured his breakthrough. The two mixtapes Rise Above Hate (2020) and Adolescence (2021) both registered strong chart showings, the latter climbing into the Top Ten, before his ambitious full-length debut Blood Diamond appeared in 2024.

Daniel Lena, performing as Unknown T and raised in Homerton, East London, announced his arrival with the 2017 underground staple “Bop with Smoke,” which first exposed London audiences to his agile phrasing. Quickly tagged as a prospect in the city’s drill circuit, he earned slots on Mixtape Madness’ Mad About Bars and Tim Westwood’s Crib Sessions; on the latter he previewed the dense, hard-hitting cut that would reshape his path. Released in 2018 as the cryptic single “Homerton B,” the track connected through its off-kilter rhythms and unconventional architecture, surging up the U.K. charts to become both the first drill release to enter the Top 50 and the first to receive silver certification from the BPI.

Capitalizing on that breakthrough, Unknown T issued the 2019 singles “Throwback,” “Meat,” and “Leave Dat Trap,” which stretched his sound into alternative rap territory. An eight-month custodial sentence late in the year threatened to derail momentum, yet all charges were dropped in February 2020. He marked the return with “Fresh Home,” whose opening lines—“the feds had me flat on my face/buss case, had to climb to the top of the ladder”—served as a victory statement, followed swiftly by a GRM Daily Daily Duppy appearance. Tracks such as “Squeeze & Buss” and “Deh Deh” built toward the debut mixtape Rise Above Hate (2020), a wide-ranging project that folded in trap and R&B and featured Young Adz, M Huncho, and the long-awaited Homerton posse cut “AVEN9ERS.” Months later the Homerton and Holly Street crews united as 98s, placing Unknown T on “Ughh!” and “98 Degrees” of their first mixtape.

Adolescence, his second mixtape, surfaced in July 2021 and peaked at number eight on the U.K. album chart. He contributed to major-streaming cuts by Bermuda Music and Abra Cadabra, then released the two-track freestyle set Who Said Drill’s Dead? in 2022 along with singles including “On the Radar (Plugged Out).” “Right Hand” with Knucks arrived in 2023, followed in August by Before the Smoke. Blood Diamond, his official debut album, landed in January 2024 with guest spots from Digga D, Loyle Carner, and Scribz Riley.