Kano

Full of snarl, rapid fire beats and a distinctly British attitude, the early 2000s saw gangs of East London kids setting the pirate radio airwaves alight with a mix of hip-hop, dancehall and UK garage known as grime. Alongside Dizzee Rascal and Wiley, Kano was one of the pioneers of this urban movement, making his name as an MC in the N.A.S.T.Y. Crew, before scoring an underground hit with the solo single P's & Q's. Cited as one of the most important records in the genre's growth, debut album Home Sweet Home (2005) sampled War Pigs by Black Sabbath and featured a guest appearance from Mike Skinner of The Streets before its follow-up, London Town (2007), broke into the mainstream - thanks to contributions from Damon Albarn, Kate Nash and the Craig David-featuring single This is the Girl. Telling tales of urban decay and the seedier side of street life, Kano returned to the harsher sound of his roots on the album 140 Grime St (2008) before featuring on the Gorillaz album Plastic Beach (2010). Fourth album Method To The Maadness (2010) included cameos from Hot Chip, Chase And Status and Vybz Kartel but failed to make much of a commercial impact.