Devlin's new album A Moving Picture hits the shelves on Monday and sees the latest addition to a rising group of British rappers that are hitting success both on the urban scene and mainstream charts.
For many a year, the UK rap scene was seemingly content to live in the shadow of it's more illustrious and glamorous American cousin. Letting the likes of Eminem, 50 Cent and Jay-Z dominate the charts, only really Mike Skinner's band The Streets stood proud from the UK community, with their far earthier and more home-spun songs connecting with a massive audience.
A couple of years later though, the emergence and massive success of Dizzee Rascal would prove the spark that would get the UK rap world more and more attention, as over the last two years it's been home-grown urban talent that's been making the most waves in the charts.
The charts have seen not just a drip, but a flood of new and exciting hip-hop artists taking centre stage, be them the more traditionally styled Wretch 32 or K Koke or the more electronic and pop influenced sound of Lanbrinth or Tinie Tempah.
These were musicians with new, fresh and highly individual styles, with Plan B in particular sounding like just about nothing else out there either from home or abroad. It's gotten to the levels where only the most creative and original of America's hip-hop fraternity can keep up with the batch coming out of London.
What's especially impressive though is that these rappers may have been influenced by the American greats, but still very much have a British identity and style. Their rhymes are clearly influenced by London more than LA, and that's something to be praised in a worldwide music scene where it would be easy to imitate what has made US rap so successful.
This is mainly reflected in the slight self-deprecating style of UK rap. While the urban music worlds will always be filled with people blowing hot air, much less air time is given to diamond rings than it is to the problems of inner city youth. When have you ever heard Plan B prattle on about how many Maybachs he has? Never, he's far more interested in storytelling. This is what rap is really meant to be about.
This is something that's been very much embraced by music fans in the UK, hungry for more rappers evoking memories of their own lives, instead of simply going on about ostentatious wealth or why they're the greatest thing since sliced bread.
With an entire group of established acts and 2013 looking like it could see the emergence of at least one massive new rap star in the form of K Koke, the future looks bright for UK hip-hop scene.
Tagged in Dizzee Rascal Plan B Tinie Tempah Wretch 32 Labrinth