Krept and Konan are the rapping duo from Thorton Heath, South London, with the general proximity of their hometown somewhat of a hot bed for talent for urban UK music in recent years, spawning the likes of Stormzy and Yungen.
In 2011 they supported Skepta on his Wedding Bells tour, and supported Devlin in 2012, after already creating quite a buzz for themselves in the UK rap scene. They dropped their debut mixtape Young Kingz in 2013 to much acclaim, although, not many people would have predicted the new heights that duo would reach, who would soon be making tracks with the likes of American R&B giant Jeremiah.
The commercial success of Krept and Konan is something to be taken note of. In 2014, the same year they supported Tinie Tempah, they were nominated and awarded Best International Act: UK at the BET awards, pushing their careers to a new level. They released their debut album The Long Way Home in July 2015, which saw them win a Rated Award for Best Project and MOBO for Best Hip-Hop act in the same year. Off the back of the success of The Long Way Home, last spring they toured the UK with TY Dolla Sign opening up for them.
The duo have had somewhat of a meteoric rise in their career dominating the UK and the US and with their brand new 7 Days and 7 Nights mixtapes out now, we thought it would be good to reminisce on their iconic careers and give you some of their essential tracks at a time when the UK scene is popping.
“Otis”
This is probably the song that really put K and K on the map. Jumping onto Kanye West’s “Otis” instrumental for a couple of fire verses featuring a myriad of punch-lines and metaphors, this is truly a UK rap classic and had to be included in the list of essential Krept and Konan tracks.
“Robbery Remix”
Probably the hottest track of 2016, K and K’s “Robbery” remix dominated the year as the two team up with Abra Cadabra to remix his defining track. The remix is fire, with the trio combining to produce one of the most gassy UK rap tracks of all time, period.
“Paranormal Activity”
“Paranormal Activity”, produced by Dice, is one of the most popular tracks from the duo. Krept really showcases his lyrical talent in this sick track, bringing spooky vibes on this OG SONG released back in 2011. This and the following tracks on the list display how the two are capable of producing bangers on their own as well as the plenty of hot tracks they have made together.
“Last Night In LA”
Konan’s “Last Night In LA” released last year on GRM Daily, is definitely one of the coldest UK rap songs ever made, let alone K & K track. Konan absolutely bodies the slow trappy production by adorskits, spitting and flowing straight fire. As expected, Kaylum Dennis also did bits with the visuals.
“Last Night In Lagos”
Released in 2015, Krept’s “Last Night In Lagos”, which preceded Konan’s “Last Night In LA”, and again really showcased Krept’s sick lyricism and flow, as he spills his heart over the emotive production. Plus adding to this track are the greasy visuals to accompany with Krept and his crew baped out.
“Don’t Waste My Time”
Released in 2013, “Don’t Waste My Time” is probably their most famous song and it was difficult to chose between the original banger and the star studded remix which came out in 2014. This track is a certified UK anthem, still popping off years later with the straight gassy vibes Krept and Konan so effortlessly bring.
“Fire In The Booth (part 2)”
Many fans of urban UK music look to Charlie Sloth’s Fire In The Booth freestyles to assess how good rappers are. Well, if Krept and Konan’s FITB part two is anything to go by, the duo are firmly at the top of their game as they shell down the set with ease.