[Source: BBC]
After six weeks of intense challenges, clashes and even a live show on the BBC Introducing Stage at Leeds Festival, the winner of the sixth series of The Rap Game UK has been announced.
Layyah beat fellow rappers Haydog, CBliminal and Only Zizou to become the show’s first female winner, taking home the £20,000 cash prize during the final on Tuesday night.
The winning moment was revealed at the top of a London skyscraper, at the end of an episode which saw the finalists take on the Kenny Allstar Freestyle challenge on 1Xtra.
Layyah’s freestyle rap left the 1Xtra presenter “speechless”, who went on to describe her as “special”.
Immediately after her win, Layyah, from London, says: “Young Layyah would be proud of me. It hasn’t been easy to become the version of me that I’ve become.”
She credits the “strong females” in her life as the inspiration behind her big win.
She cites US rapper Lauryn Hill and Mercury Prize winner Little Simz as artists she looks up to in music.
DJ Target and duo Krept and Konan were the three judges guiding the aspiring rappers.
In September 2013, Krept and Konan had the highest charting UK album by an unsigned act – with Young Kingz getting to 19 in the top 40 Official Albums Chart.
They think all four finalists have the potential to add something new to a scene that is a “bit samey”.
Haydog adds: “It’s probably the easiest time to cut through as an up and coming rapper. We have TikTok, people like DJ AG supporting us.”
DJ AG and Mak 10 have been out on the streets putting on open-mic sets for anyone to rock up and rap.
It’s led to lesser-known artists going viral alongside established ones like Skepta.
DJ Target has been presenting the show since 2019, and feels “it definitely represents a huge part of UK culture”.
But while they were in it to develop as rappers and win the jackpot, many of them were there to inspire others to get involved at a time where social media can change everything for rappers trying to break through, especially outside London.
