Credit: Youtube
Active in his early days under the name Headz, drill rapper Headie One has taken the UK underground by storm with tracks like "18hunna" and mixtapes like "The One" and "The One Two". The Londoner has remained true to the drill over the years, but he has long since left the underground. Especially in his home country, he has the status of a (sub-)genre great - his album "Edna" made it to the top of the charts there. More and more German rap aficionados are also celebrating tracks like "Ain't it Different" (featuring AJ Tracey & Stormzy) or "Cloud". Headie One was born Irving Ampofo Adjei in London in 1994. There the Brit with Ghanaian roots grows up in Tottenham in the north of City . His home there is the Broadwater Farm Housing Estate, which will later give its name to the drill crew OFB (Original Farm Boys), whose best-known members are Headie One and RV. The rapper, who was originally dedicated to trap, released his first mixtape "Headz or Tails" in 2014. It was followed by "Sticks & Stones" and "Drillers and Trappers" - both collaborations with RV. 2018 sees the release of "The One" and "The One Two", the first solo tapes as Headie One. With the release of "18hunna" (featuring Dave) from the mixtape "Music x Road" Headie One achieves the final breakthrough in the UK. Forging the iron while it's still hot, the freshly baked drill star immediately follows up with the quite experimental "Gang" tape due to the collabo with producer Fred Again. This is not the only release in 2020: In October of the same year, the long-awaited album "Edna" with the hit singles "Ain't it Different" and "Only You Freestyle" (featuring Drake) hits the shelves - and promptly catapults Headie One to pole position in the UK charts. At the latest now it is clear: The UK Drill has a new figurehead.Also on the success of "Edna" Headie One rests by no means and follows up in 2021 with another mixtape called "Too Loyal For My Own Good". The series of regular releases continues in 2022, for example with the singles "Can't Be Us" together with OFB bros Abra Cadabra and Bandokay" or the solo track "Illegal". Especially outside the UK, things are just getting started for the Londoner. Headie One has certainly not yet reached the end of his personal ladder of success.
