Name: Ashbeck

Where He’s From: North-West London

Genre: Mellow Trap

File Next To: Sam Wise, Rushy, Joe James

When He Started: “I began properly dropping music in 2018.”

Sounds Like: “I would say it’s mellow, chilled out, but it can also be bumpy and energetic at times too.”

First Music That Inspired Him: “I remember hearing ‘Robes’ by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib for the first time when I was around 14 or 15 years old. It was at that time I had really fallen in love with hip-hop. I was definitely inspired by Freddie and Madlib’s album, Piñata.”

Ashbeck’s first official song, “Tango”, was released in 2018 but, as he tells TRENCH, he used to “rap on voice memos, record some bars written over instrumentals, and started posting rough recordings onto SoundCloud before ‘Tango’.” The rising star from North-West London had also made music in school alongside his long-time friend and collaborator, El Londo, a producer who would also show him the ropes behind the boards.

When Ashbeck began his rap journey, he wasn’t the biggest fan of his alias and was under the impression that he would find something better later on; he was named after the Tesco-branded water, Ashbeck, which was something he would buy on days out skating with friends. Every other alias he thought of didn’t hit the same and, eventually, he chose to keep the name—which is fitting because, much like the water, he’s bringing a refreshing touch to the UK rap scene. Ashbeck’s distinct approach to lyricism makes it difficult for him to describe his sound; he argues that “people are usually better at navigating my music” as no song is ever the same. He credits his dad as a huge inspiration on his career, having exposed him to a wide range of music early on—especially during car journeys. “He had a huge CD and vinyl collection,” he explains, and this appreciation for music shows in every release.

Earlier this year, Ashbeck supported fellow rap riser Lord Apex on tour across the UK. “It was crazy going to all these different cities and seeing people rap my lyrics back,” he says, “especially because I was supporting Apex and it wasn’t my own show, so it was a mad feeling to know that people came to hear me as well.” His own tour kicks off soon and it’s going to be the first time he performs to his own audience. Ashbeck’s next set of goals are to “keep on getting bigger, and eventually do a couple of international shows and tap into different places like France, Australia and America.” But for now, he wants to dedicate his time to the brilliant BEEZY—his recently released, 12-track project—and enjoy the present.