Under the Radar: LOTOS

The new EP from rapper LOTOS is a winning blend of drill, grime, hip hop and afrobeat, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon
LOTOS PIC: Lewis MilneLOTOS PIC: Lewis Milne
LOTOS PIC: Lewis Milne

Born and raised in Edinburgh and influenced by her Nigerian heritage, LOTOS was Scotland’s first female rapper and the first unsigned Scottish hip hop artist to be recognised by the MOBO awards.

LOTOS boasts an impressive and consistently genre-bending back catalogue, ranging from her 2009 debut album The Last Piece of The Puzzle and last year's Home, produced by Edinburgh-born artist, DJ and producer Show N Prove (Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, J Hus, Yungblud) to her most recent EP Check Mate.

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She’s toured the world with hip hop legends such as Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, The Roots, Estelle, Skeptar, Busta Rhymes, The Game and Roots Manuva, had a music video nominated for a Scottish BAFTA and been championed by BBC 1Xtra.

Check Mate offers an expert blend of drill, grime, hip hop and afrobeat featuring Edinburgh-based MC Revelations, Glasgow’s Rudi Boy and London-based reggae sensation Izreal, with production credits including Mazza and Fumez The Engineer, see https://www.lastoftheoldschool.com

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide visit www.borntobewide.co.uk

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