HERITAGE: Scousematic's Aystar Delivers Nothing But Ferocious Bars In This Lab TV Freestyle (2012)
UK rap is booming in 2020, dominating every corner of the country and making its influence felt across the US and Europe. At the start of the decade rap had a healthy underground scene and rappers from Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham were making their mark, but there was still a long way to go.
One artist who played a pivotal role in rap's evolution through the 2010s is Liverpool's Aystar. Back in 2012, when he was working as part of Star9z alongside AyDoe and Rico Don (and still occasionally going by the name Twigdog), Aystar was consistently banging out freestyles that balanced rugged street talk with socially aware commentary. His tireless work for the scene did eventually pay off, but we can't help but feel he still doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves.