There’s nothing wrong with cultivating an air of mystery, but UK rapper K-Trap realized in 2019 that he would need to ditch his balaclava to get mainstream gatekeepers interested in his brand of London drill.
• K-Trap has been writing raps since he was 11. He began recording himself as a teen on Mixcraft software. • He entered the spotlight with his grimy 2016 single “David Blaine,” a song about cooking and selling drugs—not performing magic. • His most notable guest appearance came in 2019, when he joined frequent collaborators Headie One on Krept & Konan’s bristling “I Spy.” The single reached No. 18 on the UK charts. • Around the time of 2019’s No Magic mixtape, K-Trap ditched the balaclava, which he’d worn to maintain a degree of anonymity after a prison stint. • The rapper’s 2020 debut album, Street Side Effects, features a collaboration with UK rap pioneer Giggs.