1. Castro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9LRhX3EJX8

‘C from T’ or ‘Castro’ was arguably the best lyricist grime has ever seen. The Tottenham based MC was admired crazily for his tight verses and deliverance, with word-play that struggled to be matched. After a 6-year absence Castro returned in 2012 masked as his alias ‘Cas’- playing on his long-term absence, rotten sound and perverse lyrics by adopting the motto ‘CasIsDead’. With his latest verses still revolving around a ‘chemists’ lifestyle living in Tottenham, he still remains one of the freshest and most brutally honest grime artists of a generation. He never fails to deliver an insight into the day-to-day life of struggling council estates in England’s capital, and highlight the effects narcotics have not only upon the buyers but also the suppliers.

‘Cas’ donned his mask to escape from the pressures of being known, as he attempted to juggle leisurely music with ‘business’. He has still never been captured on film, with no fan aware of his true identity. His mix-tape ‘Proper P’ and the melancholic beats used, simply encompass true grime, with a dingy undertone that is reminiscent of the grey skies of London itself. While his new stuff has taken a modern, sometimes electro-esque edge especially on his latest EP ‘Commercial’, you can still play his timeless ‘05 grime classics from the aforementioned tape with ease. New or old he’s one to watch out for.