YT (rapper)
YT | |
|---|---|
.png) YT in 2026 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | Oluwatola Joseph Fola-Alade May 5, 2001 |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Rapper, songwriter |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Label | Independent |
| Website | tolafola |
Oluwatola Joseph Fola-Alade (born May 5, 2001), known professionally as YT, is an English rapper and songwriter from Romford, East London. He first gained popularity in 2021 with his viral single "Arc'teryx", and is considered a pioneer of the jerk and UK underground rap scenes.
Early life and education
Fola-Alade was raised in a Nigerian family in East London. He attended Harrow School and later studied Philosophy and French at the University of Oxford, graduating in 2023.[1][2][3]
Career
In 2016, YT began making music as a teenager, recording on GarageBand and voice memos, while rapping on "type beats" found on YouTube.[1] Later attending the University of Oxford, YT continued releasing material.[2]
YT's wider public breakthrough came with the 2021 single "Arc'teryx", referencing the Canadian clothing company of the same name.[2] The song went viral online, with Pitchfork selecting the single for its "The Ones" spotlight that same year.[4] In 2023, YT released the mixtape #STILLSWAGGIN and later the album Real Life.[5][6] Directly following his graduation period, he also released the single "The One (Just Got My Degree)".[7][8]
In late 2024, YT released "Black & Tan" (featuring Lancey Foux), which was followed by a music video that garnered attention online due to its use of Y2K aesthetics.[9][10] The song was described by NME as a "boisterous new-age jerk classic", and was followed by the single "Prada or Celine".[10][11] In 2025, Dazed described YT as one of the leading artists of the "new UK rap revolution",[12] "owning UK rap's swag" by the Fader,[2] while Washington Square News labelled him "the future of UK rap".[13]
On March 6, 2025, YT appeared alongside UK rap contemporaries Len, Fimiguerrero, Jim Legxacy and Kwes e on a Twitch live stream hosted by PlaqueBoyMax.[14] On March 20, 2025, PlaqueBoyMax released 5$tar Sessions: London, an EP that included "1000 (spin again)," the song YT recorded on the live stream.[15]
On March 28, 2025, YT released the mixtape OI!.[16][17] The album was produced by fellow UK rapper/producer Kwes e. Dazed Magazine said OI! was "at the cutting edge of UK rap sonics,..." but "also a big old throwback."[11] Kyann-Sian Williams rated the album four out of five stars wrote for NME that OI! "is YT at his most electrifying" but that "five mixtapes deep, that same rush is starting to feel like it could soon start to pack less of a punch."[17]
Artistry
Influences and musical style
YT is one of the faces of the 2020s UK underground hip-hop scene and has been compared to his peers in the genre.[2][17] YT's digital sound is similar to other British artists like Fimiguerrero, Len, and Lancey Foux. His music often draws from American 2010s jerk rap, with other influences from rage and plugg rap.[11] The first music YT grew up listening to was gospel music, but he says that all types of music inspire him.[18] YT credits the 2016 XXL Freshman Class and SoundCloud rap era as being the impetus for his desire to make music.[19] He began making music while bored in the summer and rapped over "type beats" he'd find on YouTube and use GarageBand on his mom's laptop when she was away to make songs to post to SoundCloud.[1] YT says some of his biggest individual inspirations in music are Playboi Carti, Xaviersobased, Yhapojj, Young Sam, The Rej3ctz, Marvel Inc and Kanye West.[18][2][1]
Visual style
YT, along with much of the UK underground hip-hop scene, is often associated with Y2K visual aesthetics. The 2023 music video for "#PURRR," directed by British video director Lauzza, borrows heavily from American music videos of the 2000s and early 2010s.[9] Other Lauzza directed videos, including "Prada and Celine", "MVP" with Fimiguerrero and "Black & Tan" featuring Lancey Foux, borrow from Frutiger Metro aesthetics, with the former being based on menus and gameplay from the 2005 basketball video game NBA Street V3.[9][10]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Cul De Trap |
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| e.t: volume one |
|
| Tmilli |
|
| Real Life |
|
Mixtapes
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| #STILLSWAGGIN |
|
| OI! |
|
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Unprotected Flex |
|
| Game Over |
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| Sss < / 3 |
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| Unprotected Flex Vol. 2 |
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| Sss2 < / 3 |
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| C2rcn |
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| Nowhere to Go |
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| #SWAGRENAISSANCE |
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| #B4OI! |
|
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work(s) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOBO Awards | 2026 | Best Newcomer | Himself | Nominated |
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Meet YT – I didn't even have an Arc'teryx jacket when I made that song". Gaucho World. 15 September 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "YT owns U.K. rap's new swag". The Fader. 12 May 2025. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "YT Interview: Black & Tan, UK, Fimiguerrero & Lancey, A$AP Rocky Cosign, Graduating Oxford, Jerk". YouTube. Fimiguerrero. 21 November 2024. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "The Ones: YT's "Arc'teryx"". Pitchfork. 1 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Our rap columnists' favorite records of 2023". Pitchfork. 19 December 2023. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Peterson, Alex (20 March 2025). "YT announces new album 'OI!'". The Needle Drop. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Listen to YT's "The One (Just Got My Degree)": The Ones". Pitchfork. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Dazed (2026-01-14). "When did UK underground rap get so Christian?". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- 1 2 3 Pierre, Alphonse (2025-03-21). "Y2K Nostalgia Is Everywhere, and UK Rappers Can't Get Enough of It". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2025-07-01. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- 1 2 3 DAILY, GRM (2024-11-19). "YT reveals nostalgic video for "Prada Or Celine"". GRM Daily. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- 1 2 3 "OI! The rise of YT in 5 tracks". Dazed Digital. 28 March 2025. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Dazed (2025-02-28). "9 underground artists leading the UK's rap revolution". Dazed. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ↑ "Review: YT is the future of UK rap". NYU News. 8 April 2025. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Pace-McCarrick, Solomon (7 March 2025). "5 highlights from Plaqueboymax's UK underground livestream". Dazed. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Seavers, Kris (20 March 2025). "Plaqueboymax Drops '5$tar Sessions' EP". Complex. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Selenou, Serge (7 April 2025). "YT: OI! Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 7 July 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 Kyann-Sian Williams (2 April 2025). "YT – 'Oi!' review: underground rap star makes his biggest bid for mainstream success yet". NME. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- 1 2 "YT Speaks On Going Viral, Oxford University and Debut Mixtape 'Real Life' | @yungtolz". 9bills Blog. March 14, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ Kids Take Over (2024-11-21). YT Interview: Black & Tan, UK, Fimiguerrero & Lancey, A$AP Rocky Cosign, Graduating Oxford, Jerk. Retrieved 2026-05-21 – via YouTube.