Name: Kwengface

Where He’s From: Peckham, South-East London

When He Started: “I think it was in 2012... The song was called ‘Money Over Everything.’”

Genre: UK Drill

File Next To: Headie One, K-Trap, Digga D

Sounds Like: “I just define my sound as UK rap or UK drill.”

First Music That Inspired Him: “I don’t really have a first song—I think it’s just music in general. I’ve always just enjoyed sounds. And I feel like I’m the type of person who likes to try new things, even if I’m not good at it initially.”

Born and raised in Peckham, South-East London, to a Ghanaian mother and a Ghanaian father, Kwengface—born Ninian Martin Agyemang Fosu—grew up in a household where R&B artists like Alicia Keys and Chris Brown were regularly played, many of whom he is still a big fan of today... You wouldn’t know it from listening to his past drill stuff, but when we get into some of his more recent drops—such as the house-tinged “Freedom” and the bass-laced “Freedom 2”, both featuring soulful vocals within their production—we’re starting to see that there’s a different side to Kweng than what meets the eye.

“I’d say Drake has had the biggest influence on me, musically,” he tells TRENCH. “He’s versatile, and can jump on any genre, any beat, and he’s still managed to have a long and successful career. Also, Lil Durk: his influence is a bit different because he’s from the streets—he speaks about things that I can relate to. It took him a while to find himself and I feel like that’s what’s happening with me. When he found himself, he became one of the biggest rap artists in the world, and I feel like that’s what my path will be like as well.”

Kwengface first came to prominence as a masked member of the UK drill crew Zone 2, joining them in 2015. A lot of their songs, such as “No Censor”, were so street-level raw that they eventually got taken down from YouTube in the name of censorship and injunctions from the police. But he ascended above it all, later signing with Empire and releasing a trilogy of mixtapes: YPB: Tha Come Up, which included his viral hit “Tetley”; YPB: The Archive, featuring Dizzee Rascal, Dusty Locane, CB and 26AR; and The Memoir, featuring collabs with the likes of Giggs and Reekz MB.

In 2023, Kweng decided to do an epic face reveal to his song “Freedom” on the COLORS platform, which shook the scene and gave his career a new lease of life. The song title made plenty of sense, too, as he would also reveal his likeable character in interviews (most of them viral) and show the world all of the humour and GQ-readiness that was hiding under that mask after all these years.

Unfortunately, in between these fun times, Kwengface did some time in prison after accepting a plea deal for a conspiracy charge. He was released earlier this year and had previously received a 25-month sentence, managing to be let out four months earlier. Since coming out, Kweng has shown a new drive and passion for his craft, recently releasing the introspective Victim Of Circumstance project—his most honest offering yet. The standout track is arguably “Parallel Theory”, a track in which he explores alternate realities and the ‘what ifs’, i.e. if he had been born in more fortunate circumstances.

“How I’ve managed to stay relevant for this long, with good streaming numbers and link-ups with the likes of Ed Sheeran, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far,” he says. And so he should be. Having hit two Glastonbury stages earlier this year alongside “Freedom 2” producers Overmono and Joy Orbison, Kwengface says that he’s on a “new, positive path” to even greater success, and despite the feds shutting down his headline show and banning him from performing at Giggs’ Somerset House gig recently, nothing will stop this diamond from the rough from shining