Headie One is among the figureheads of the U.K. drill scene, which emerged in 2019 thanks in part to his #6 single “18HUNNA” f/Dave. He subsequently tallied four more Top 10 singles and hit #1 with his 2020 debut album, Edna (named for his mother, who died when he was three). This year, Headie reached #5 on the U.K. album chart with Strength to Strength, his mixtape collaboration with fellow London rapper K-Trap. After cementing his reputation under the guidance of Sony U.K.’s Relentless Records, he’s now signed to Columbia.
Says Columbia U.K. President Dipesh Parmar: “What Relentless has done with Headie in a few short years is remarkable. Going from his early days on the streets of Tottenham to becoming one of the U.K.’s most prolific rappers globally is no mean feat. It’s now about bringing new energy to the project and working with Headie and his team to further cement his position as one of the U.K.’s finest.”
So what makes him special? “Authenticity,” Parmar offers, elaborating, “Headie is the rapper’s rapper; he’s the real deal. His lyrical ability and ability to remain culturally relevant, with admiration and respect from the likes of Drake and Fred Again.., to name but a few, is credit to the unfiltered reflection in his lyrics and his continued experimentation as an artist.” That respect has resulted in a variety of collabs, including “Ain’t It Different” f/AJ Tracey and Stormzy (U.K. #2), “Only You Freestyle” with Drake (U.K. #5) and “Charades” with Fred Again.. and tracks with Skepta and Young T & Bugsey.
The current plan is to build on recent momentum, which includes that generated by #9 single “Martin’s Sofa.” Parmar promises, “Ahead of new music, we’ll super-serve Headie’s core fans across his social-media platforms, strategically feeding them bespoke content tailored to each channel as we build his global following.” Next year will see a new album project, which One has already begun to tease, accompanied by what Parmar calls “elevated creative storytelling” and the opportunity to see him play his biggest live shows yet.
STATS
Streams: 2.3b
Charts: Four Top 10 singles; six Top 20 singles; debut album Edna hit #1 in the U.K. and charted in six countries; first U.K. drill artist to reach the Top 10, with “18HUNNA,” 2019
Awards: Two BRIT Award nominations; MOBO win for Best Male Act, 2020
Social media: 1.6m followers
Live: Wembley SSE Arena, O2 Academy Brixton
TEAM
Management: Lovelace Owusu-Sekyere, Adnan Masud, Mimi Oritse
Label: Columbia Records U.K.
Publisher: unpublished
Agent: Craig D’Souza, WME
