UK Underground Rap: Essential Projects of 2026 (So Far)

From the outside looking in, UK underground rap is having a renaissance, with a wave of talent suddenly at the forefront of the average listener’s purview. EsDeeKid, fakemink, Jim Legxacy, Lancey Foux, YT and skaiwater are only some of the names out there gaining buzz, but it seems like a whole new wave of talent is upon us.

The numbers do not lie. SoundCloud recently released its 2026 Music Intelligence Report, showing UK underground rap’s listening popularity growing 297% from last year on their platform. Regardless of its recent explosion, the scene seems to have been incubating for years, pulling influences from the States with the rage-rap aggression of Playboi Carti, the bouncy jerk rhythms of neo-revivalists like Nettspend and xaviersobased, and the aesthetics of the nostalgic Tumblr era.

The UK has always had some of the best musical talent in its underground, and now it seems the world is catching up. This year is shaping up to be a big one for UK underground rap, with Feng, Ledbyher, and Lancey Foux already dropping projects, and it seems EsDeeKid, Jim Legxacy, YT, and many more are gearing up to drop EPs, albums, and mixtapes.

We will update this column regularly, putting you onto some of the most anticipated and innovative albums coming out of UK underground rap, so be sure to check back frequently.

Release Date: April 10, 2026

Rico Ace, the kindred spirit to EsDeeKid, is the UK’s quiet secret weapon. On his debut album Blackjack, he demonstrates why he is a force to be reckoned with outside his Scouse friend’s shadow. Despite being a strong feature artist, gifting EsDee four appearances on his 2025 album REBEL, the New York–born rapper’s energy often felt capped when confined to a simple 16-bar verse. Here, he stretches out, reaching a creative flow state as he delivers 10 tracks packed with pure, gritty adrenaline, with production from go-to collaborators Bhristo and cppo.

As soon as the opener starts, the repetitive synth loops on “Dolce & Gabbana” find him already delivering his raps in a rabid vocal style that is gravelly and more intense than anything we have heard before from the loosies he has released over the years. He dives deeper, experimenting with his lower vocal pitch on “Roald Dahl,” which plays out like a twisted storybook, with Rico dipping into a deeper voice that makes him sound even more menacing, while the minimal beat gives him space to flex his newfound fame. What makes Rico stand out from his peers is his mastery of song structure. He knows how to craft sticky melodic hooks, then snap straight into his verses. There is no shortage of strong performances, but “Character” stands as the best example, as Rico delivers hedonistic, rapid-fire verses on coke, girls, cash, and the like in what sounds like one breath, making it easily the most engaging song on the project.

Of course, EsDeeKid repays the favor and delivers three strong verses across Blackjack. He has been hyping this tape for months, but he does not outshine Rico, and the two show off their effortless chemistry. This is clear on the Soulja Boy-sampling “DOPE BOYZ,” where, at the end of EsDee’s verse, he and Rico seamlessly trade bars. Rico proves he can match the punch of his counterpart while still carving out his own take on the brooding sound of the UK underground. The casino theme feels less like a gimmick and more like Rico staking everything on this moment, and he raps with that same intensity. Blackjack stands as one of the year’s strongest UK underground rap releases, essential listening for anyone looking to tap into the scene.

Release Date: February 13, 2026

Ledbyher is one of the most promising talents in the UK underground rap scene, bringing her bedroom-indie tendencies into the grimy world of UK rap. She blew up after teasing her track “DAYDREAMING MADE ME BLUE” on IG in a fairy-tale-looking location, with an ethereal instrumental under her singing voice that felt like a breath of fresh air.

On The Elephant, she mostly doubles down on this addictive sound with “REMEMBER, REMEMBER” and the album’s best track, “WHAT’S THE REASON,” where airy and groovy instrumentation sits beneath Ledbyher’s infectious hooks as she ruminates on her internal emotions. Apart from these jerk tracks, she tries her hand at other sounds, flirting with guitar-driven Afrobeat on “2BON2B.” She also successfully dabbles in spacey, aggressive rage textures on the rightfully named “ALIEN.”

The Norfolk-raised rapper’s versatility is wide, with her rapping abilities already proven by going bar-for-bar with SINN6R on “Label Dinner.” In addition to all the heavenly vocal performances, she has production and engineering credits on this project, showing her connection to every aspect of her music’s creation. Ledbyher’s approach is self-taught, so hopefully she continues to follow her intuition and keeps striking gold.

Release Date: February 13, 2026

Despite the controversy surrounding Feng’s name on social media, the Croydon rapper returns with Weekend Rockstar, a project that portrays a sun-soaked, carefree life in LA.

What made Feng an exciting talent in the UK underground was his quirky take on trap music combined with positive lyricism, which formed the DNA of his debut, What The Feng.

For this project, Feng returns to his essence on a few of the album’s cuts, such as “Best Friend.” A slow-burning pop-rap track, its chime-led beat frames Feng’s sticky hook and concise take on fleeting love and internal conflict. The writing is sharp, with him locked in on verses of longing, delivering lines like, “We had a little thing goin' between us way before / And for some reason we're blind and always choosin' to ignore.” “Teenage Famous,” with its beeping synths, and “Running Wild,” with its skeletal drill rhythm, also offer glimpses of the sound Feng had been developing from the start.

Feng tries to experiment with straight-up pop on “Cali Crazy,” “Wasted Youth,” and “XOXO,” which are all a tad catchy. Even though they might blend together, with some trite lines here and there, the songs are still very fun.

It stumbles in spots, but the highs hit hard enough to make the project worth a listen.

Project Type: EP

Release Date: January 29, 2026

fakemink has easily become the most talked-about UK rapper in the underground, second perhaps only to EsDeeKid, and much of that buzz comes from his effortless, hilarious, and fearless approach to music. Whether he is promoting his album through a sock puppet show or going live on Instagram while his neighbor tells him to turn down his music, mink continues to be unapologetically himself. On his new EP, The Boy Who Cried Terrified ., that personality remains front and center.

The project serves as a preview for his upcoming album, Terrified ., and it feels like mink is revisiting and innovating on sounds he has experimented with before. The opener, “Blow the Speaker .” co-produced with Wraith9, carries the same snare-heavy rhythm as “LV Sandals,” complete with “ok” tags floating through the mix. As mink cranks the bass up, it peaks in your headphones, making for a strong and abrasive opener.

“Mr. Chow.” and “Dumb.” carry the same energy as many of the singles he delivered in 2025, with chaotic beats full of whiny synths and mixes that would make seasoned engineers shed a tear. Yet they remain entertaining, as mink’s high-pitched flow anchors the chaos. fakemink dives back into his “London’s Saviour” bag on “The Mercer .” as he talks about a potential love interest in New York City. Similarly, “Milk & Honey.” leans into electroclash, pairing dissonant synth tones with heavy, sloshy drums.

The project is brief, but mink is clearly preparing listeners for his mysterious full-length album by serving a very solid appetizer.

Project Type: Album

Release Date: February 20, 2026

skaiwater’s latest album has gone through delays, cover art changes, leaks, and different titles, before finally arriving as Wonderful. The 18-track, two-disc release opens with “as above so below,” a deceptively delicate introduction. Upcoming talent Ti Steele’s careful singing glides in after skai’s auto-crooned vocal runs, layered over start-stop sample chops. The result is a genuinely beautiful opening, with skai’s Nottingham accent on full display, something that has not always been the case on their previous projects.

The album then pivots into the distorted beats one might expect from the US underground. Ginseng helms production on “SKINS,” where trippy synthesizers and choir vocals float over overwhelming bass while skai raps across the instrumental. “blink twice” is co-produced by Ye’s daughter, North West, who has taken a liking to the underground scene. The beat leans into a Jersey club approach, layering Japanese vocal samples for a genuinely enjoyable listen.

skai also taps into the new generation of Atlanta by featuring Tezzus and diamond* on the project, and both deliver strong performances. On “ZOOT,” diamond* raps over an ethereal beat featuring electric guitar riffs that are executed well. “DOG” is another standout with Tezzus, who handles the chorus while he and skai trade lines about their sexual escapades over another explosive instrumental.

The album ultimately feels like an abstract painting. skai throws oil onto the canvas and turns it into beautiful chaos, breaking rules in rhyme, mixing, and even music theory.

Project Type: Mixtape

Release Date: February 26, 2026

Lancey Foux has been a major topic of conversation after experiencing very public label issues that led to the cancellation of his EU tour. He then released “Eagle Eye” as an open letter calling out the music industry. After nurturing the next generation of talents like YT, Len, and Fimigurrero, allegedly attempting to sign them while also collaborating on features and joint projects, it appears he was still wronged. On First Degree 2nd Charge, he continues the thesis first introduced on that track. The project was released exclusively on [untitled] under his own imprint, Cultain Records, bypassing his label entirely.

The album’s tone is immediately set by “MADE ME A MONSTER,” which begins with a clip of Prince discussing exploitative record deals during a 2001 interview with Jay Leno, setting the stage for Lancey’s grievances with the industry. Lines like “I'm beefin' the label, I'm turnin' the table” directly reference his decision to circumvent the system by releasing the project independently. That theme continues on “TABLES TURNT,” where he warns younger artists chasing money and chains while also shouting out his new venture, Cultain Records.

Across the album, Lancey offers a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes tensions of the music business, pairing sharp commentary with more lyricism than is typically heard in the UK underground. On “EVERYTHING GOOD YEAH?” he interrogates the illusion of success, questioning the followers, money, and status that once deceived him. Meanwhile, on “BETTER BE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE,” Lancey frames himself as the “blueprint, underground JAY-Z” for the new generation of rappers, a lofty yet arguably accurate claim.

Sonically, the project does not push into new territory. Instead, it finds the Stratford rapper refining his established blend of cloud rap and rage in the vein of Playboi Carti, with production from architects of the genre such as Jay Trench and F1lthy, among others. Tracks like “PIONEER,” “FOR SURE,” and “KEEP ME ALIVE DOG” showcase a range of vocal inflections that could sound like different rappers to an untrained ear.

Release Date: March 18, 2026

Fresh off her breakout track “LEGACY,” which sounds like a Pi’erre Bourne beat on steroids, PIXY delivers a sticky hook that blew up on TikTok, soundtracking a hazy camcorder video. Hailing from Northwest London, she has emerged as one of the UK underground’s most intriguing voices.

Her EP XY only raises more questions. On the opener “DEMÔNITA,” she raps the entire song in Portuguese, again delivering a catchy hook as you can almost envision a sinister smile while she proclaims herself a “demoness” over a cloud-rap-infused baile funk beat.

“SHINIGAMI” offers some context for PIXY’s interests, as it is filled with references to anime, beginning with a soundbite of Ryuk from Death Note. As the 808s rattle, PIXY raps about rocking a G-string, with the “death god,” or shinigami, acting as a negative influence as she gets into hedonistic mischief. Despite the complex rhythm of the beat, she effortlessly delivers a catchy flow.

She demonstrates her versatility by switching up the vibes on “DILATING,” delivering a soft pop-rap ballad showcasing her heavenly voice as she sings lines like “we’re both floating up and away.” Her airy vocals drift over an aquatic, futuristic beat, creating an out-of-body euphoria. “PASTEL SKIES” scratches that same melodic itch over a slow-burning trap beat, with dissonant flute layers as her pitched-down voice flows over candy-coated synths.

“CULTO” returns to the world of “LEGACY,” with an amped-up beat where she blends Portuguese and English over a dramatic, droning distorted bassline. The song leans slightly theatrical, almost like an end-credits track after an adventure through genres.

XY covers a lot of ground in just six tracks, moving through jerk, rage, hyperpop, and funk without losing herself in the mix. By locking in with the versatile engineering and production duo Badbadbad and leaning into her bilingual delivery, PIXY stands out in the UK underground, showing a range most artists cannot even approach. She is still shaping her sound, but this feels like an artist worth tapping into early.