Dappy

Dappy, born Costadinos Contostavlos in Camden, London, first rose to prominence as the lead singer of N-Dubz, the group he formed with his cousin Tulisa and close friend Fazer, which became one of the defining acts of the UK’s grime-and-pop-influenced urban scene in the late 2000s, scoring hits including «Number 1» with Tinchy Stryder. After N-Dubz split in 2011, Dappy launched a solo career with «No Regrets», which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and led his debut solo album Bad Intentions.

That album spawned further singles including «Good Intentions» and «Rockstar», the latter featuring Queen guitarist Brian May, reflecting Dappy’s willingness to cross genre lines between rap, pop and rock. His sound throughout has combined brash, energetic rapping with hooky pop choruses, a formula that carried through N-Dubz and into his solo work. Following a period marked by legal troubles and a public feud with UK rapper Scorcher, he released the Eros Apollo EP in 2015.

Dappy returned to wider attention with the afroswing single «Oh My» alongside Ay Em, adapting his style to newer strands of UK urban music. Tracks like «Trill», «Straight Facts» and «Spotlight» continue to show his blend of rap bravado and pop accessibility, cementing his place as a persistent presence across multiple eras of British urban music.