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Zone 2 (rap group)

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Zone 2
OriginPeckham, London, England
Genres
Years active2016–present
MembersSee list
Past membersSee list

Zone 2 is a British hip hop collective based in Peckham, London.[1][2][3] The group has gained millions of views and streams through their music on YouTube and streaming platforms.[4][5] The group is noteworthy for its rivalry with Moscow17. The rivalry began around 2016 and has resulted in various diss tracks between the two groups, as well as physical violence.[6]

History

In December 2017, Zone 2 released the Known Zoo mixtape, later dubbed a 'classic' by DJ Mag.[7]

In August 2021, Kwengface released his debut mixtape, YPB: Tha Come Up.[8][9]

In June 2022, Kwengface released his second solo mixtape, YPB: The Archive, featuring CB, Dizzee Rascal, French the Kid, Dusty Locane, Squeeks and 26ar.

Current members

The list below includes confirmed members of Zone 2:

Former members

  • LrBabyOrBoo (or simply LR)[10]

In 2017, two members of Moscow17, Incognito (real name Sidique Kamara) and Jet Black or JB (real name Kevin Aka-Kadjo) were charged of the murder of Abdirahman Mohamed, a brother to a Zone 2 member, but later cleared of murder. Incognito was later stabbed to death in August 2018.[19][20][21][22][23][24] Moscow17 rapper, GB (real name Ryhiem Ainsworth Barton), was allegedly shot by a Zone 2 member. Although he survived the attack, he was later shot and killed in May 2018.[1][6]

In August 2018, a fight occurred in a children's playground in the Elmington Estate, Camberwell. The fight involved around 30 teenagers, some armed with knives. A 15-year old was 'disembowelled' during the event after being stabbed with a long-bladed knife, causing 'massive internal-bleeding'. The boy who was stabbed was alleged to be a member of Moscow17, and the fight was allegedly between Moscow17 members and Zone 2 members.[3]

In 2022, PS Hitsquad (real name Alieu Koroma) was sentenced to a total of 3 years and 7 months for being concerned with the supply of heroin and cocaine, as well as possession of a knife. According to the Essex Chronicle, he was found following a Metropolitan Police investigation into a missing 14-year old.[25]

Controversy

The group is notable for its rivalry with Moscow17 (based in the Brandon Estate, in Walworth[6]). These rivalries are expressed in the form of diss tracks, such as "Zone 2 Step" in response to Moscow17's "Moscow March",[26] and sometimes physical violence.[1][3][27][28]

The group, and drill music in general, faced increased scrutiny by authorities following an increase in violence in 2018. Artists within the group, such as Kwengface, were given 'rap injunctions', restricting the topics they could rap about. In a 2021 interview, Kwengface explained:[7]

The authorities interfered a lot, you know? Shows was getting locked off. We were doing things with Adidas and then they stopped working with us. A lot of artists didn't wanna work with us, labels wouldn't work with us [..] We were kind of just stuck. We were blacklisted, basically. I even took time out. I stopped releasing music for a while.

Following the lifting of rap injunctions against the group,[7] in December 2019, Zone 2 released a song titled "No Censor!". The song gained notoriety and became infamous on social media due to the uncensored nature of the song, with various claims of murders committed by the group as well as dead rivals being named outright and mocked throughout the song. Drill artists typically allude to people they are dissing as opposed to naming them outright. The song was taken off of YouTube in less than 24 hours of its release, but has since been reuploaded.[4][29][30] Kwengface stated the song was a reaction to previously being censored.[7]

Discography

Mixtapes[31]

  • Known Zoo (2017)
  • Hillside Zoo (2018)[32]
  • Karma - Anger Management (2019)
  • Karma & Trizzac - Demented (2020)
  • Kwengface - YPB: Tha Come Up (2021)[8]
  • Kwengface - YPB: The Archive (2022)[33]
  • Kwengface - The Memoir (2023)[34]
  • PS Hitsquad - Community Service (2023)[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Brouwer, Erik (22 January 2019). "Londen in de ban van rapmoorden". revu.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  2. ^ Paor-Evans, Adam de. "How grime music is sparking a seismic shift in public debate". The New European. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "'I just want to leave': Residents at Elmington Estate on the 'war zone' that used to be their home". meaww.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Drill video naming murder victims banned by YouTube". 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  5. ^ "What is drill music and why is it linked to violent crime in London?". Metro. 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Gangs of London - How globalisation and drill supercharged a surge in violence". Reaction. 3 June 2019. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "Kwengface: new horizons". DJMag.com. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Kwengface Premieres His Debut 'YPB: Tha Come Up' Mixtape". Mixtape Madness. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  9. ^ Dummy. "The 10 Best UK Drill Releases To Date, according to Kwengface". DummyMag. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "10 UK rap artists to watch in 2018". FACT Magazine: Transmissions from the underground. 4 January 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  11. ^ "FADER Mix: Gully Type". The FADER. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  12. ^ FlamboyEnt. "(Zone 2) Kiz X X Snoop – Violent Men (Music Video) @itspressplayuk | Flamboyent". Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Full Flow". Red Bull.
  14. ^ "Tiny Boost 'Street Dreams' out now". Voice Online. 22 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  15. ^ a b "Zone 2 X Skengdo & AM (410) Voice of The Streets Freestyle w/ Kenny Allstar". The Uk's No.1 For Urban Media WWW.WEGOINGIN.COM. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Zone 2 & Hitsquad join forces as Kwengface, PS Hitsquad, Snoopy & LR create 'Exit Wounds'". Melodic Motif. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  17. ^ "Zone 2 (P.S X Teej) X Karmakayos – GINNALS 2 (MM Exclusive) | @MixtapeMadness | OSM Vision". Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  18. ^ Hillside Zoo by Carns Hill & Zone 2, archived from the original on 10 December 2019, retrieved 10 December 2019
  19. ^ O'Connor, Mary (24 August 2018). "Gang friend of murdered drill rappers jailed after being caught with machete". Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  20. ^ "CAMBERWELL MAN APPEARS IN COURT CHARGED WITH MURDER OF TEENAGER IN SOUTHAMPTON WAY". Southwark News. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (7 August 2018). "Man charged with murder of drill rapper Sidique Kamara". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Stabbed boy held over rapper murder". 3 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  23. ^ "Man charged with murdering drill rapper 'Incognito' in Camberwell". ITV News. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  24. ^ "Man Charged With Murder Of Drill Rapper Sidique Kamara Appears in Court". HuffPost UK. 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  25. ^ Hume, Holly (5 July 2022). "Rapper PS Hitsquad used 14-year-old boy to run drugs from London to Clacton for county lines gang". Essex Chronicle. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  26. ^ "From Chicago to Brixton: The surprising rise of UK drill". FACT Magazine: Transmissions from the underground. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  27. ^ Tóth, Matúš (5 August 2018). "Mars pulls advertising from YouTube after its products appear alongside violent UK drill rap videos". Illicit Trade News Network. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  28. ^ Petridis, Alexis (7 December 2018). "'The British music industry needs to update': Paloma Faith, Nao, Sleaford Mods and others on 2018's music controversies". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  29. ^ "Drill group Zone 2's video pulled by YouTube after allegedly naming murder victims". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  30. ^ "Zone 2's 'No Censor' video removed: YouTube issue official statement". Capital XTRA. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  31. ^ "Zone 2 on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  32. ^ "MK The Plug and M1 On The Beat are UK drill's brightest hope". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  33. ^ Archibald-Powell, Naimah (27 May 2022). "KWENGFACE OFFLOADS 'YPB: THE ARCHIVE' PROJECT FEATURING CB, FRENCH THE KID & MORE". grmdaily.com. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  34. ^ Scott, Jimi (14 April 2023). "GIGGS, KNUCKS, SL & MORE JOIN KWENGFACE ON 'THE MEMOIR' MIXTAPE". grmdaily.com. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  35. ^ Daily, GRM (9 June 2023). "PS HITSQUAD UNVEILS DEBUT 'COMMUNITY SERVICE' MIXTAPE". grmdaily.com. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
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