Deno

Deno is a British rapper and singer from Brixton, South London, born in 2002. He first gained widespread attention in 2016 as a teenager through the UK culture and meme page imjustbait, where his acoustic covers of songs like Yxng Bane's «Fine Wine» and WSTRN's «In2» went viral for his distinctive melodic voice. The exposure quickly caught the attention of major figures in UK music, including Stormzy, who publicly co-signed him early on.

Deno's career accelerated when he met fellow young artist AJ Tracey at a fan meetup, and the pair formed the duo AJ x Deno, signing to Columbia Records UK in 2017. Together they released tracks including «London» and appeared on the collaborative hit «Pumpy» in 2018, helping bring a melodic, hook-driven strand of UK rap to a wider mainstream audience. His sound blends rap and R&B with an emphasis on catchy, sung hooks rather than pure bar-for-bar rapping.

Deno stepped out as a solo artist in 2018, finding major success with «Advice (Dele Alli)», a collaboration with fellow rapper Cadet. The two had also worked together as actors in the «Shiro's Story» film series. When Cadet died in a car accident in February 2019, Deno released the tribute song «First Days» in his memory. He has since continued as an independent voice in the UK rap and R&B scene, known for his soulful delivery and youth-driven rise to fame.