With this week’s response from Kendrick (which, admittedly, was quite good), the Drake vs. everyone beef continues. K Dot’s “Euphoria” was much anticipated after Drake released a series of diss tracks goading a response last month – and he left no holds barred, criticising everything from Drizzy’s use of sneak disses to the appropriation of Tupac’s voice on the “Taylor Made Freestyle”.

Although rap beefs have been around since the genre’s inception, with everything going on in the world right now, it’s hard to be moved by the melodramatics of multimillionaire celebrities, especially when it’s not clear how genuine the feud was to begin with.

Thankfully, there’s a new cohort paving the way for a fresh generation of rap. Here, we’ve picked five emerging rappers from across the UK who will definitely benefit more from your time than Drizzy and K Dot. Each of these artists draw on a decidedly more British sonic palette, paying homage to the likes of grime, drill and drum and bass. Most importantly, though perhaps less British, they aren’t spending their time engaging in negative vibes.

JIANBO

With hits like “Chinatown Trouble” and “Mongkok Madness”, and a music video quality that defies his status as an independent artist, Jianbo is an outright visionary. Fresh off shows in Hong Kong and Japan, his unique take on grime bridges an intensely London upbringing with Asian heritage, embodied in lyrics like “rude attitude like an old school punk and I said it out loud for my Hong Kong dons”. Jianbo carves a space that manages to feel simultaneously fresh and familiar.

DEEMA

Perhaps the happiest rapper you’ll ever hear, Deema is the perfect antidote to all the negativity in the headlines right now. He initially debuted in the mid-2010s alongside the iconic The Square collective, which also saw the breakthroughs of grime golden boys Novelist and Elf Kid. He has since carved his own lane away from grime, collaborating with The Silhouettes Project, Kish! and David Armada, and becoming immediately recognisable for his infectious positivity, live instrumentation and flows tighter than Rishi Sunak’s purse strings.

JAYAHADADREAM

With some of the best pop culture references in the scene right now (“plant-based burger / Youtube to MP3 converter”) and an ability to shell down hip hop, DnB and grime indiscriminately, JayaHadADream has received cosigns from established artists such as Kozzie and Luke RV. She also beat out thousands of other artists to win Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent 2024 competition, securing a place at the festival later this year. JayaHadADream and it seems it’s starting to pay off.

LEOSTAYTRILL

Leo’s cadence is so powerful I’ve seen him get wheel ups off delivery alone. Sporting a style he has described as “afro-drill”, Leo is currently in a legendary run, with a string of singles including viral hit “Honeybun” and a remix of Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin’” under his belt. LeoStayTrill is definitely one to watch – if only just to see what’s to come from his studio session with the infamous New York rapper Bobby Shmurda earlier this year 👀.

NINE & DEX

Debuting with the impeccably clean “Pecan Pie” earlier this month, Nine and Dex are two tracks deep at this point and haven’t rapped a hook yet. Their talent for straight-to-the-point punchlines betrays an experience far beyond their discography, however, and eagle-eyed online sleuths have already begun pointing out similarities with the nation’s favourite OAP grime duo Pete & Bas. The duo have since posted on Instagram claiming that Nine and Dex are their “grandchildren”. Suspicious...