How rising artist Len represents the new era of UK rap

While some lament its current state of affairs, citing a lack of originality among other factors, UK rap is undoubtedly in an interesting place. There’s a growing audience branching out of the mainstream and tapping into a dynamic new scene of innovative artists doing things their own way. ‘Underground’, ‘alt’, ‘new wave’, whatever you want to call it, these hyperlocal scenes are thriving online as well as in more tangible spaces too. Stockwell’s very own Len is a key player in this bubbling undercurrent of new music that is defining the contemporary British landscape.

Len’s sound is hard to encapsulate in one word as the 23-year-old artist deftly traverses a range of sound, from dark trap to more jubilant Afro-inspired cuts. Citing influences as wide-ranging as Freddie Mercury and Max B, his music represents a melting pot of references. Whether it’s a viral clip from one of his electric live performances or a series of unreleased snippets gaining traction on TikTok, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore Len as his desire to become “unavoidable” materialises. He has amassed a cult-like following enamoured by his captivating stage presence, tongue-in-cheek bars and overall effortless style. The tight-knit community he’s fostered is emblematic of a new way of engaging with fans in the internet age, extending across social media from Twitter to Discord. And while his online community spans the globe, his heart is very much at home in London, with visions to build a studio in the area he grew up in.

When we caught up at a Colombian spot he frequents in Brixton Village, it was evident that Len is in album promo mode, brimming with enthusiasm for the project despite being fresh off the back of the tedious challenge of manually uploading song lyrics to Spotify. His upcoming project Lehgoland is described as a place ‘where nightmares come to die’, so we discussed how Len found himself there and how he plans to bring us with him.

Let’s start at the beginning as we’re not too far from where you grew up. How did growing up in Stockwell shape you and your sound?                

Len: Growing up in the hood, you don’t really realise it’s the hood until you get older. You talk to people outside of the ends and realise a lot of things that were normal to me weren’t normal to them. Even though there was some dark stuff, I was always surrounded by a sense of community and love which balanced me. As much as a lot of the stuff I was doing was dangerous, I was always surrounded by love and I was always around fun. That shaped my ting and made me want to make the dark shit fun and the fun shit edgy at the same time.

There’s a really exciting scene developing right now which you’re a key part of, and what makes it even more exciting for fans is the amount of collaboration between you guys. What would you say is driving the movement?

Len: I can’t speak for everyone, but I feel like everyone contributes differently to this unit we’re creating. We’re not the first people to do the alternative thing, but I don’t feel like the generation before us utilised the connections – and that’s not to shit on anyone. If you deep it, House of Pharaohs and Lancey Foux are both pioneers, but we don’t have a Lancey Foux and House of Pharaohs song. I’m not saying they made a mistake ‘cause they’re pioneers, and I’ll always show love to them, I’m just saying that you can’t think of many collaborations in the alt space before our ting. But we’ve got to credit them for paving the way. I think we’re lucky to have so many people making music at the same time and pushing each other.

It’s amazing to see how your snippets always seem to have fans fiending for your releases, reciting lyrics word for word before the track even drops. Is this an intentional strategy?

Len: Snippets are important. You see what people are rocking with. With shows you do pre-sale, with songs you do pre-save. You’ve more or less got a guarantee that this song is gonna blow. I’ve been doing the snippet ting for a minute but I’ll be real: a lot of the time it’s ‘cause I’m bored and I wanna show people new music –I’m a very impulsive person.

Something that sets you apart is your live performances. How did you go about honing that aspect of your craft and what are your favourite songs to perform?

Len: The first time I had a show I remember losing my breath really quickly and I was like ‘Wow, this isn’t as easy as it looks in the videos.’ So I started training my body and watching performers like Freddie Mercury – seeing his crowd control made me realise what I had to do to better my ting. I wanna be one of the best performers in the UK, so it’s something I’ve worked on. That’s why I always start my shows on a high – I learned that from watching Travis Scott. I’d say my favourite songs to perform are ‘Rackistan’ and ‘Jet-Li’ freestyle, people started getting that one a bit later but it’s definitely a favourite.

Let’s talk about LEHGOLAND. I’ve seen it described as a place ‘where nightmares come to die’, what’s the essence of this project?

Len: LEHGOLAND is a place where everything’s fun, and where you’re not worried about anything. It’s your escape. You’ve got to take it back to Methmuzik 2 which was very dark and grimy – even if you look at the cover art you see the zombies from the Methmuzik cover have found a portal to LEHGOLAND. With this project, I was just trying to make sexy and fun music. I make music based on how I feel and I just want to have fun. It’s summer and I want everyone to dance. I want this to be a pivotal moment in summer where people are like, ‘This is what we were bumping that summer.’ I want this to be a moment.

You’ve got some hotly anticipated collabs on the album, namely Lancey Foux and Unknown T, how did those come about?

Len: They came about mad naturally. I met Unknown T at a shoot for IAMDDB’s merch and she was showing him my music and he was messing with it. He invited me to his boiler room and the next day he said, ‘Let’s go studio.’ He’s always showing mad love. With Lancey, we’ve known each other for ages – he invited me to my first studio session and I’ve learned a lot from him. Last week he DM’d me asking when the tape’s dropping and when I told him, he said he needed to be on it so we made it happen.

Please share the most recent note from your Notes app.

Boat party guestlist.

The most recent picture/screenshot on your camera roll.

The last meme you saved?

Your favourite Cornershop snack?

Len: Sour Patch Kids watermelon.

The worst advice you’ve ever been given?

Len: To rest. I don’t have time.

The pettiest thing you’ve ever done?

Len: Got some people removed from a guestlist ’cause I didn’t like them.

What’s your star sign and are you a typical one of that star sign?

Len: Sagittarius sun, Scorpio moon, Cancer rising. Yeah, I am… I don’t know what any of this means but I am.

Any recurring dreams?

Len: I’ve been dreaming about the London leg of the tour.

What’s on your For You Page right now?

Len: The Reddit confessions being told over Minecraft gameplay, music snippets, baddies.

Len’s new project LEHGOLAND is out now.