* En anglais uniquement
British rapper
Kano emerged during the mid-2000s as one of the most skilled MCs associated with the fledgling grime scene, then continued to grow artistically as well as commercially over the coming decades. Drawing from U.K. pirate radio as well as American rap, he possesses a dense, articulate rhyming style, ably switching between serious and light-hearted lyrical subjects with ease. First establishing his name with underground hits such as 2004's "P's and Q's," he made his full-length debut the following year with
Home Sweet Home, one of grime's fundamental early releases. Following the more commercial 2007 effort London Town,
Kano guested on tracks by artists such as
Gorillaz and
Chase & Status while releasing several underground mixtapes and independent albums in addition to pursuing his acting career. After a lengthy gap between albums, he returned in 2016 with the U.K. Top Ten-charting, MOBO-winning
Made in the Manor.
Kane Brett Robinson was born in East Ham, London in 1985. Prior to becoming known in the U.K. mainstream as a solo artist, he was a member of N.A.S.T.Y. Crew, which also included future grime stars
Jammer,
D Double E, and
Ghetts. His first single, "Boys Love Girls," was an underground hit that served as a springboard for his solo deal with the Warner-supported 679 Recordings. The 2004 track "P's & Q's," produced by
DaVinche, was his first release for the label. "Typical Me," a collaboration with
Fraser T. Smith, was issued the following February, reached number 22 on the U.K. pop chart, and set up the highly acclaimed, moderately successful
Home Sweet Home, an album that also involved productions from
Diplo,
Mike Skinner (aka
the Streets), and
Paul Epworth. He subsequently took the 2005 MOBO Award for Best Newcomer.
Kano and
Smith worked even closer together on London Town, a 2007 follow-up propelled by the number 18 U.K. pop hit "This Is the Girl," featuring
Craig David.
The MC went independent with the less commercial 140 Grime Street (2008) and
Method to the Maadness (2010), albums that nonetheless reached the Top 50 as he sustained his profile with appearances on tracks by
Chase & Status,
Gorillaz, and
Lethal Bizzle. After several other collaborations and mixtapes, as well as roles in the film Tower Block and the first two seasons of the Channel 4 series Top Boy, a deal with Parlophone enabled the release of the fifth proper
Kano album,
Made in the Manor, in 2016. The release was his biggest success to date, reaching number eight and winning Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards. The rapper returned in 2019 with sixth album
Hoodies All Summer, previewed by singles "Trouble" and "Class of Deja." ~ Vincent Thomas & Andy Kellman