Essa

Few artists bridge worlds like Essa. With a poet’s soul and a lawyer’s precision, he crafts emotive hip-hop that resonates far beyond the surface. Raised in a leafy suburb, educated at a prestigious boarding school and qualified in commercial law, his path into hip-hop was anything but typical. Yet as Yungun , he became a defining voice of the UK scene’s golden era, alongside contemporaries Sway , Klashnekoff and Jehst , winning praise from Nas and Mark Ronson, recording with Guru and Inspectah Deck , and sharing stages with De La Soul , Slum Village and Pharoahe Monch . All this whilst building a high-flying legal career. But as his professional profile rose, his musical output slowed — until his return as Essa with The Misadventures of a Middle Man, a bold, reflective exploration of race, class, identity and masculinity. Fatherhood and seniority at work brought new challenges and another pause, before he re-emerged with Justice, a charity single released in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, supporting access to justice for marginalised communities. Re-energised, he followed with Resonance, a deeply soulful collaboration with elite producer Pitch 92 , delivering his most assured and accomplished work to date — proof that time has only sharpened his pen. His latest project The Fifth Foundation , blends soul, jazz and rap, with producer J-Felix and a collective of top-notch musicians. For fans of: Loyle Carner, Children of Zeus, Kofi Stone, Verb T, Coops, Jehst