Learn more about Rachel Chinouriri, Jessy Blakemore, DAMEDAME*, ktmelodies and Lil Macks, and listen to their playlists celebrating Black music.
Every October, UK Black History Month celebrates Black people of African and Caribbean heritage by amplifying histories, highlighting injustices, and celebrating the rich tapestry of identities, stories and accomplishments of the Black British community. One of the great pillars of British life is the evolution of Black British music, a transformative force. Black artists have created genres and produced artists that have inspired the world for centuries.
Since the post-war Windrush generation brought Caribbean soundsystem culture to UK shores, Black Brits have imprinted their enormous musical influence onto British life; from the dub reggae, rocksteady and blues of the 1950s and ‘60s to ragga, dancehall, bashment and hip-hop in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Blending diasporic sounds into evolving British perspectives, Black British artists innovated their own takes on these genres. By the 1990s, that innovation exploded: from trip-hop to jungle, drum & bass, garage and soul, artists like Massive Attack, Goldie and Sade forged new sonic pathways.
Since the millennium, electronic genres like grime, dubstep and funky house, and Afro-diasporic sounds like Afroswing, have been forces of mainstream crossover appeal, making stars out of Dizzee Rascal, Skepta, Central Cee, Stormzy, J Hus, Little Simz, Jorja Smith, Pa Salieu, Dave and more. Today, the scene is more sonically diverse and inspiring than ever. From rappers to DJs, producers to vocalists, across drill, Afroswing, jungle, R&B, soul, pop, jazz and more, Black British music is in full bloom.
In honor of UK Black History Month 2025, we’re highlighting some of the most exciting Black British artists of today: Rachel Chinouriri, Lil Macks, DAMEDAME*, ktmelodies and Jessy Blakemore. Read more about their creative processes and musical journeys, check out their original tracks, and listen to their playlists of their favorite Black artists, exclusively on SoundCloud.
RACHEL CHINOURIRI
Rachel Chinouriri started making music in her bedroom when she was 17 years old, with only a borrowed laptop and a £20 microphone. In 2016, she uploaded an early track, “Weight of the World,” to her SoundCloud; that same year, the track became part of the collection, ‘Bedroom Tales,’ a “diary of songs” that she posted exclusively to SoundCloud. She also attended The BRIT School, the London performing arts school that counts Adele, RAYE and Amy Winehouse as alumni. “Being surrounded by creative kids who had a hunger for their craft and success truly inspired me,” she remembers. “My peers always rooted for me and supported me — and they still do.”
Rachel’s music is inspired by her British favorites — Oasis, The Noisettes, Lily Allen — and her Zimbabwean heritage. “I was always the odd one out because of being such a Londoner…but I was so deeply embedded in my culture at home,” Rachel tells SoundCloud. “The work ethic I have, the harmonies I have, the ideas I get, my aesthetic, and even how I do my make-up, comes from being raised by Zimbabwean women. I wouldn’t have half the flair or uniqueness I have if I weren’t Zimbabwean.”
Her distinct perspective captured the imagination of her online fanbase, and she developed her sound through releasing EPs, mixtapes and other projects. When Rachel dropped her 2024 debut studio album, ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events,’ it fuelled her ascent; picking up two BRIT Award nominations, touring with Sabrina Carpenter and performing at Glastonbury Festival. In 2025, she dropped her latest EP, ‘Little House,’ and she’s currently working on her second album, too. “I see her,” she teases, “but I need to bring her pieces together.”
LISTEN TO RACHEL CHINOURIRI'S PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
KTMELODIES
Growing up in a Nigerian family in South East London, “Black heritage shaped my creativity and artistry in a very unique way,” says producer and vocalist ktmelodies. “A lot of the bounce that I have in my music derives from African descent. As a Nigerian, rhythm is in our blood,” he continues. “As somebody who took a liking to Afrobeats and African musical influence early on, this pushed me into a very experimental means of creating music.”
From his church choir-singing mother to his childhood playing of acoustic guitar, ktmelodies was surrounded by music from an early age. Later on, he drew from UK street sounds and house music to create his dynamic, catchy beats. ktmelodies made his debut in 2023 with the track “drive safe,” which he followed with a series of tracks that flip rap and R&B vocals into club tracks. Blending lo-fi house and Afrobeats into his groovy sound, ktmelodies brings a loose and chill vibe to the function — but always with an ear for punchy basslines.
“I believe that there is so much power in the words that we speak,” ktmelodies tells SoundCloud. “I cannot wait for my supporters to fully grasp this vision that I have to bring to life. I dream for my music to inspire the next generation; that they can achieve anything that they want in this life.”
LISTEN TO KTMELODIES' PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
JESSY BLAKEMORE
When Jessy Blakemore dropped her debut tracks “burna” and “shiloh type beat” in June 2025, the impact was immediate. The British singer-songwriter’s tender R&B vocals and guitar-playing captured the attention of Atlanta rapper Russ, who linked with Jessy to sample “shiloh type beat,” record his own verses and drop his “Recognize” remix. Alongside this collaboration, Jessy’s work has travelled online through her growing SoundCloud fanbase; her debut was celebrated on a SoundCloud billboard in London.
It’s been a whirlwind for Jessy, whose natural shyness meant that, until recently, she sang and played guitar mostly in her bedroom — inspired by Lauryn Hill’s iconic MTV Unplugged performance — and practiced piano between lessons at school. “I realized that I’m a very emotional person,” Jessy tells SoundCloud of her process, “so writing gave me this freedom to say anything and everything I felt like I couldn’t. Being so vulnerable with myself gave me this weird strength that carried me through the tough, awkward years.”
That vulnerability shines through on her latest track, “2seater,” which features on her forthcoming debut EP, ‘if you need me, i’m a few missed calls away,’ on Black Butter Records. Across the EP, Jessy draws from a rich tapestry of influence; from Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin, to Frank Ocean and Bon Iver. “Black artistry [is] this abundant resource of resilience and innovation that continues to spur on worldwide culture,” Jessy tells SoundCloud. “I’m so grateful and inspired to have heritage and ties connected to that. People don’t celebrate Black women enough for me,” she continues passionately. “They are overlooked and often underpaid, whilst continuing to be the innovators and trendsetters — they are the blueprint!”
LISTEN TO JESSY BLAKEMORE'S SELECTED BY UK BHM PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
LIL MACKS
Somali-British rapper Lil Macks first came on the scene in 2021 with his tracks “Protect Me,” “Barbados” and “Oslo,” showcasing a blend of heartfelt lyricism and a playful sonic palette that’s garnered praise from UK tastemakers like DJ Target, Dave and Central Cee. Growing up in Milton Keynes, a city midway between London and Birmingham, Lil Macks absorbed UK Black street music with fervor, exposed to genres like drill, grime and road rap, as well as sounds from the Caribbean and US. On his debut mixtape, 2023’s ‘Leaked 2.0,’ he surfs over riddims with a smooth confidence beyond his years; on 2025’s ‘Sorry 4 The Wait’ EP, a nod to the Lil Wayne release of the same name, he fuses US-inspired autotuned trap and R&B vocals with UK-style beats, with a keen eye on his crossover potential.
Music was a vehicle for Lil Macks’ childhood expression and escapism, as street life affected him and his music-loving brothers. “I feel like music has allowed me to relate to a lot of other Black teenagers, in terms of their upbringing and how a lot of their futures were decided for them, due to the crime and violence that was quite literally at their doorstep,” Lil Macks tells SoundCloud. “This has allowed me to make my music as personal as I want, knowing hundreds of thousands of young Black men and boys would understand where my feelings and lyrics stem from.”
Always connected to his roots, Lil Macks hopes to use the momentum of his artistry to push his other great passion in life, football. “A big dream of mine would be to better place young Somali boys into football,” he says. “This would hopefully include building well-funded projects that allow them to focus on their studies and football,” he continues. “Knowing that extenuating circumstances stopped me from being able to pursue [football] properly, it makes me want to eliminate those problems for kids that grew up like me.” Until then, there’s more music to come — his debut full-length, ‘Blocc Baby,’ is on its way.
LISTEN TO LIL MACKS' PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
DAMEDAME*
You might not have heard of DAMEDAME* before, but if you’re plugged into modern Black British music, their fingerprints are all over your favorite playlists. Barbara and Shiloh have worked closely with Jorja Smith for years having met in their native Birmingham; Smith’s 2023 album, ‘Flying or Falling,’ is loaded with their sensual mix of Afropop, R&B and soul.
Their sound is informed by their African heritage — a mix of Beninese, Congolese and Ghanian between them — and hearing Black artists like Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Angelique Kidjo, Daddy Lumba, Kofi Nti and Tic-Tac. As teenagers, they leaned into Black American acts like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson. This rich tapestry of Black art has informed their work as DAMEDAME*: “I never felt any limits on what I could create,” Shiloh tells SoundCloud. “If I heard it, I believed I could try it.”
Fast forward to now, DAMEDAME* have released original tracks — 2023’s “A STRANGER” and 2025’s “PROMISE” — as well as producing and writing for artists such as Calvin Harris, Jim Legxacy, Brent Faiyaz, Tems and WizKid. This summer, they returned to their collaboration with Jorja Smith on “FREEDOM,” a bumping track that features Smith’s lilting vocals with layered instrumentation and a catchy bassline.
LISTEN TO DAMEDAME*'S PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
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