There have been many freestyle series that have spawned over the last two decades, it’s because there’s something great about watching one of your favourites rhyme without the constraints of a three minute track; the freeform barrage of bars is truly a joy to behold.
SB TV’s legendary F64 (Fresh 64) was the first to introduce this format to a host of hungry UK MCs, and many have followed, but none have taken the mantle quite like Daily Duppy. Over the last nine years, anyone who’s anyone has graced the Daily Duppy set – from the early days of the simply shot lyrical onslaughts, to the high production value, razor sharp editing that the last season brought; Daily Duppy has truly taken the format to the next level. Expect the bar(s) to once again be raised when Daily Duppy makes it long awaited return this weekend. To celebrate the return, we’ve of course compiled a list of some of the most iconic Daily Duppys to date.
Ghetts
Picking a “best” or “hardest” Daily Duppy is an impossible task, but One Daily Duppy that is frequently mentioned in the bubbling comments section is undoubtedly Ghetts’ insane offering. Criminally, it has only just surpassed the one million views mark, but this is no reflection on the quality of the bars, even with the editing; several listens to catch them all is most definitely required.
Swiss
The groundbreaking So Solid Crew and its many members have continued to make waves long after the group. Ashley Walters (Asher D) has obviously continued to make strides on both the big screen and the silver screen, most recently appearing on the hugely popular TV series Bulletproof which he also created alongside Noel Clarke. Swiss has kept it musical by spinning UKG bangers wherever you’re lucky enough to catch him on set. Although, its important that we do not forget just how deadly Swiss is behind the mic. Swiss’s Daily Duppy contains some of the hardest rhyme schemes you’re likely to hear today, packed with more punches than a Manny Pacquiao fight, Swiss proves that the old guard can still box with young guns.
Potter Payper
Daily Duppy always brings out the best in the lyricists that bless the mic. Potter Payper’s Daily Duppy is no different as he spits one of his hardest most truthful verses. Although on the shorter side in comparison to some of the other Daily Duppys, it makes a big impact in those three harrowing minutes in which Potter gives us an insight into his mind’s eye.
Skrapz
One of Ice City’s hardest, Skrapz aptly delivered one of the coldest Daily Duppys in early 2015. Skrapz’s laid back flow fused with his hard lyrical content has always made him one of the standout lyricists in the UK rap scene, and we get all of what makes Skrapz so great in this Daily Duppy.
Wretch 32
Another one of the kings of lyrical wizardry is Wretch 32. Wretch has done the something his team haven’t – He’s done the treble. He’s gone on to have one of the top rated freestyles with his F64, FITB and of course his Daily Duppy which of course closed out the last season.
Stormzy
Stormzy has gone on to do so much outside of music, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that it is precisely the music that has afforded him these luxuries. Philanthropic exploits aside, let’s not forget that Stormzy can bar with the best of them. His passionate delivery on part one of his two part Daily Duppy certainly make it one of the most memorable.
Bugzy Malone
The King in the North came hard with his Daily Duppy back in summer 2015. Since then he’s taken huge strides, recording his debut album with features ranging from Not3s to Rag N Bone Man; unsurprisingly the album charted. Bugzy has provided many naysayers wrong by elevating everything from his visuals to the lyricism, it’s clear we’re definitely going to be seeing a lot more from the man from Manny.
Showkey
A bright star was sadly dimmed. Showkey clearly an artist who had a lot of potential was sadly killed before he could see his Daily Duppy do bits. The beauty of creating something is that your legacy is able to live on long after you’ve departed this finite world.
AJ Tracey
One of West London’s finest barrers, AJ Tracey didn’t disappoint when he stepped up to the iconic Daily Duppy mic. His trademark rapid fire flows tore the beat a part as he rolled from punch to punch effortlessly, how many football references can you clock?
J Hus
Although in recent times we may have become more familiar with J Hus’ afrobeat offerings, we need only to refer to his mixtape The 15th Day to remind ourselves just how hard J Hus can spit; or we could simply fling on his Daily Duppy, which is one of the most heartfelt lyrical onslaughts we’ve seen from the Hustler.
Krept & Konan
Krept & Kones have been pushing the boundaries of lyricism since they came on the scene with their punch heavy rhyme schemes. The pair have continued to do the unthinkable, most recently selling out the iconic Alexandra Palace on their own. As usual with K&K the bars will have you wheeling up the video in order to catch all the clever rhymes.
Morrisson
Another hard road rapper to bless the Daily Duppy microphone is Morrisson. Morrisson comes with the flames as he goes hard over Drake’s “Started From the Bottom” instrumental. Unlike most of our other Daily Duppys Morrisson isn’t going in solo, and is surrounded by his click.
Hunt, Propane & Squeekz
One of the Daily Duppys that has sadly been lost to the ages, but when you’ve got bars this hard the visuals are secondary. It’s incredibly rare to have three MCs going in equally as hard as one another, and it’s really hard to decide who takes this one. The wavey instrumental is made up of a sample from the ’97 track “Free” by Ultra Nate which was originally handled by one of the GOATs Nas; on his track “Film”.
Giggs
The landlord laid down his fire Daily Duppy two years ago and it has most certainly stood the test of time. The Daily Duppy was actually a tune entitled “Dirty Bastard” as the legendary Wu Tang Clan member is someone frequently referenced by Giggler in this barrage.
Akala
Akala’s exquisite rhymes have been hitting our eardrums for well over a decade now. This one is from the archives, and sees Akala comfortably bring us his political critiques over a grimey instrumental. Akala’s blend of braggadocio and wisdom make him incredibly entertaining to listen to, check out this classic Daily Duppy to see exactly what we mean.