Forging his raps from the high-stakes lifestyle of London trap, East London’s Morrisson became a steadfast ambassador of his Newham home in the late 2010s. His lyrics painted stories of an East End trap mogul with no hesitation; his no-nonsense attitude, blunt delivery, and authentic stories produced city-wide anthems like “Shots” and “Brothers.”
Rising to nationwide fame in the 2010s, Morrisson’s roots ran deeper than many of his contemporaries; getting his start in the U.K. underground in the late 2000s. The MC found an early co-sign from grime pioneer Giggs, with the two collaborating after meeting in London’s Ruthless Records store. His lyrics naturally elaborated on of a self-described “gutter life” with stories of illicit grind and street dominance which coalesced in his 2008 debut mixtape Currently Getting Currency. A subsequent appearance on legendary U.K. platform SBTV gave Morrisson his first online attention, which he capitalized on with a second mixtape, 2009’s The Best of Morrisson.
Moving into the 2010s with potent singles and appearances on shows like Daily Duppy, a drug-related jail sentence put the rapper’s musical ambitions on hold until the latter half of the decade. Returning triumphantly in 2017, he began adjusting to the changed face of U.K. rap. With hungry anthems “Crowbar in My Bag,” “Enemies,” and “Buckingham Palace,” the Newham-based MC transitioned toward the trap-drill hybrid sound that dominated the middle stages of the decade — but it was 2019′s “Shots” that would bridge the gap between Morrisson’s unyielding narratives and mainstream audiences. With its quotable chorus, gruff delivery, and haunting production, the M1OnTheBeat-produced drill hit secured millions of streams U.K.-wide, which was quickly doubled with the “Shots [Remix],” featuring OFB, V9, Burner, and Snap Capone. After kicking off 2020 with “Bad Boys,” Morrisson paid tribute to his brother’s untimely death with the fiercely loyal “Brothers,” before continuing his drill success alongside Loski (“Bad Guy”) and M24 (“Gulag”). 2021 offered a steady string of tracks, including the thumping “Eastender,” the U.K. garage-led Aitch collaboration “House & Garage,” and the hectic “Blama” with Steel Banglez and Tion Wayne. ~ David Crone