Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
The British urban music scene is booming at the moment thanks to the resurgence of grime, but as usual, it’s predominantly centred on London. However, there is at least one exception – Brummie rapper MIST, aka 24-year-old Rhys Sylvester. His style is quite different to the relatable, cheeky vibe of some of the emerging London rappers like Ramz and Dave. Instead, he goes for a flashy, macho look, and has become known for filming videos in glamorous locations. However, in interviews he speaks about the tough experiences he went through growing up, including time spent in jail – perhaps explaining why he’s so keen to enjoy the spoils of success today. His collaborations with East London producer Steel Banglez put them both on the map in 2017, while 2018 has already seen them achieve their first top 40 hit with Game Changer. On Friday, MIST released his latest “project” (apparently this is the new name for something between an EP and an album) and the tracks piled into the UK Spotify chart. Diamond in the Dirt features appearances from British artists Jessie Ware, Not3s and MoStack, among others.