Whether or not he wants to accept the title, Mowgs is Birmingham’s new prince of rap.
While his relationship with the second city has been rocky over the years—from both a music and street-level standpoint—Mowgs’ contributions to its music scene have been integral to its growth since the release of his breakout single, “Erdz Boy”, in 2017. “In Birmingham, the city’s all against each other so it’s kinda hard to prosper,” Mowgs tells me over Zoom. “London’s a lot bigger than Brum, so even though people have disagreements, you’re still able to do your thing comfortably. But here, there’s just a lot of politics. My advice for any up-and-coming rapper in Birmingham is just stay in your lane, keep your head down, and you will be alright.” This pushback comes from experiences that haven’t always been so great for him. The 24-year-old artist has been shot and stabbed in the place calls home—with the effects of that trickling over into his music business—so, understandably, it hasn’t been so easy for Mowgs to put his ends on his back with complete confidence. For fans of his music, however, he’s flying the flag high for that authentic, pain-fuelled rap in a scene full of drillers and inconsistent 0121 legends.