Skrapz

West London rapper Skrapz has two distinct sides to his music: one that focuses on harder, darker road rap and another that’s more melodic and calm. After leaving school in 2002, Skrapz went straight into garage rap and grime as part of SLK, a crew that included Flirta D, Van Damage, and Lady Envy. However, he stepped back from music in 2007 after the birth of his first daughter. Two years later, Skrapz returned, but with a stylistic shift toward rap, joining the Ice City Boyz in 2009 — a crew that featured longtime friend Nines. 2011 saw the release of Skrapz’ debut album, Skrapz Is Back, but before he could tour the record he was sentenced to prison for three years; while there, his crew released another mixtape, Shutdown Season. Toward the end of his sentence, Skrapz was granted day releases, which he used to record his sophomore album, 2014′s Skrapz Is Back 2, which he finished after his sentence ended. Later the same year, he released the 80′s Baby mixtape, showcasing his calmer, melodic side for the first time. The following year he released his third album, 2015′s The End of the Beginning, which combined both his darker and lighter styles; the record was popular among fans but Skrapz had significant issues promoting the album, in part due to the police shutting down his shows. Disillusioned by the experience, he stepped away from music for the next two years, eventually managing to regain focus by 2016. The following year saw the release of his fourth full-length album, 2017′s Different Cloth, which featured guest appearances from Nines, Chip, Richy Diamonds, and Donae'o. ~ Liam Martin