Rampage, the legendary UK-born soundsystem, has been a staple of Notting Hill Carnival for over 30 years now, but they still feel like the young guns, eagerly embracing new sounds and new talent. The idea of multi-genre soundsystems embracing not just Caribbean music, but the global sounds that spawned from it, is still a somewhat controversial subject—but Rampage were early pioneers. Their welcoming approach to all Black music has secured their legacy in Carnival history, a uniquely British descendant of Caribbean soundsystem culture that couldn’t have happened anywhere else in the world.

Mike Anthony and Rampage co-founder Richie P first started DJing under the Rampage banner as music-obsessed teenagers, spinning at house parties all over Golders Green in North-West London. Under the mentorship of Mike’s uncle, Alistair of the Rapattack Sound in the 1980s, they started to build a rep locally and quickly dominated the house party scene. By the early ‘90s, Mike was living on Coleville Square, right next to the spot held by Jazzie B and Soul II Soul and, by that point, Rampage were at the heart of a soundsystem scene outside of Carnival that was starting to gather pace. They were also booking acts like Naughty By Nature, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre to play their first London shows. When Soul II Soul didn’t return to Carnival one year, Mike petitioned BASS (British Association of Sounds Systems) to let him set up a soundsystem there and in 1993, Rampage officially debuted as a soundsystem at Notting Hill Carnival.

Inspired by forebears like Mastermind, Rapattack, Norman Jay and Good Times, who had carved out a place for hip-hop at Carnival, Rampage set out to solidify the connections between modern-day hip-hop and dance music, and the soundsystem culture that spawned them in the late ‘70s. Rampage is also one of the go-to spots for grime at Carnival. In 2017, they linked up with Boiler Room to stream a special set with Masterstepz on the decks and Wiley, Maxsta, K9 and others on the mic. It was the perfect lightning-in-a-bottle snapshot of Carnival’s essence: capturing the beating heart of what was going on in Black Britain, while staying deeply rooted in Carnival’s very reason to be. It was just the next logical step from Tippa Irie and the like toasting on Saxon Sound in the old days.

Today, Rampage Sound consists of founder Mike alongside DJs Maurice and Treble T. Over the years, their stage has become THE stage for Carnival-goers and A-list performers alike and has been the catalyst of countless iconic moments, with guests like Ms. Dynamite, Dizzee Rascal, Giggs, Bashy, Wiley, Stormzy (when he only had one EP out), Idris Elba, Sean Paul, Swizz Beatz, Mark Ronson and Buju Banton all performing sets at Rampage—and they’ve all been a literal roadblock. One year, they even had to turn Mary J. Blige down when she offered to perform at the insistence of the authorities who thought the crowd would get out of control if she turned up.

Rampage’s contributions to Black British culture extend beyond Carnival, of course. In fact, back in 1998, when the BBC decided to launch the first national Black music station, it was Rampage they came to, and by 2002, BBC Radio 1Xtra was on the air. Bringing U.S. artists over and introducing them to Carnival, launching 1Xtra and finding a place at Notting Hill Carnival for all Black music is all part of the same mission to celebrate the culture as one unified, but multifaceted, entity.

Thank you, Rampage, for all that you do.