UK rap owes a considerable debt to Birmingham's Moorish Delta 7.

Formed in 1995, the trio of Cipher J.E.W.E.L.S, Jawar and Malik helped British rappers find their identity in a way that isn't talked about quite as much as it should. Pushing the use of UK accents was an ongoing struggle at the turn of the millennium and it's thanks to MD7, who proudly let the Brummie accent shape their flows, that all UK accents (not just London) are now worn like a badge of honour.

"The Rain"—originally released in 2004, given some crisp visuals by Luke Biggins, and then included on Life In The City in 2006—was one of their later releases, but it's also one of their best. There's a noticeable stateside influence here, but the polished beats are offset with their hallmark Birmingham accents, social commentary, and distinctly UK tales of street life.

Since going their separate ways, the three rappers mostly work behind the scenes now, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't put a little more respect on their names.