The United Kingdom is one of Europe‘s most well-known cultural centers – in terms of the arts, history, and general way of life. This tradition extends to music, which dates back to the classical era.
In terms of global music, the UK has had a significant impact and held its unique culture against the might of music hubs around the globe.
We have to take our time to point out the work of notable music producers from the United Kingdom who are undoubtedly responsible for a large portion of the UK‘s musical impact.
Hop on the ride as we highlight the Top 8 Music Producers in the UK.
P2J
P2J, also known as Pro2Jay, is a Nigerian-born London-based producer who has specialized in afro-pop, afro-house, afro-rap, and afro-jazz since his debut.
He received an inflow of musicians reaching him in attempts to collaborate after shooting his shot and flying to the United States with his manager seven years ago. P2J became one of the go-to producers for singers wishing to add the Afrobeats flavor to their music after landing a spot on Chris Brown‘s Heartbreak on a Full Moon.
In 2019, his biggest collaboration was with Beyoncé on the Lion King: The Gift soundtrack album, for which he produced six songs and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.
He also had some credits on Burna Boy‘s album “Twice As Tall”, where he earned his first Grammy award for Best Global Music Album in 2020.
Along the way – same year – P2J was the primary producer for Wizkid‘s Grammy-nominated album “Made In Lagos“, which featured the song “Essence.” In 2021, the song became the first Nigerian song to rank on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200.
Jae5
Jae5, the British-Ghanaian producer, who is behind melodic singles like Dave and Burna Boy‘s “Location“, J Hus‘ “Did You See“, NSG‘s dance tune “Options“, and his own hit single “Dimension” featuring Skepta and Rema. These tunes are proof that the producer is the scene’s genre-shifting originator.
You know, along the way, his distinctive blend of rap production, layered minimalism, and Afrobeat instrumentation has earned him accolades, honors, and recognition internationally.
Jae5 has been nominated for and received multiple honors, including a Grammy for his work on Burna Boy‘s blockbuster album “Twice As Tall“, for which he is credited with selling hundreds of millions of tracks.
At the GRM Daily Rated Awards and the MOBO Awards, he was nominated for and won “Producer of the Year“. Jae5 has also received nominations for the Ivor Novello Awards, the Brit Awards, amongst other awards.
Skepta
Skepta made beats for Meridian, a London Grime crew, before becoming one of the UK‘s most well-known MCs. If you dip it, that skill is evident in the way he rides every beat, from pounding club basslines to British Grime‘s dramatics and American Rap‘s more plain boom-bap.
He combines powerful delivery with catchy songs and evocative, brilliant wordplay, whether rhyming about closing down clubs, experiences with attractive chicks, or keeping it honest as an OG.
Skepta‘s style has been co-signed by Drake, Diddy, and Kanye, making him one of a select group of UK Hip-hop artists to have true traction across the Atlantic.
The British Grime MC recently announced to followers via Instagram Story that he will be taking a break from releasing new music.
He revealed in the post that All In is “all the music I have to give. I have no unreleased music, feels good to clear the outbox”. He also added, “Sure you all know, I’m a producer at heart and I have so many ideas that I want to work on with other artists. Upcoming and established, young and OG. Skepta on production. It’s that time.”
Steel Banglez
Steel Banglez is a British record producer and musician of Indian Punjabi heritage who goes by the name – Pahuldip Singh Sandhu. He is currently signed to Warner Bros. Records.
The musician is most known for his production work with musicians such as Mist, MoStack, J Hus, and Wiley. The producer had his first chart hit as a lead artist in February 2018 when his song “Bad” reached the Top 30 on the UK Singles Chart.
“Fashion Week,” which Steel Banglez co-wrote with British rappers AJ Tracey and MoStack peaked at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart – making the song his highest-charting single.
At the 2017 GRM Daily Rated Awards, he was named Producer of the Year. Steel Banglez also received Best Non-Traditional Asian Act at the Brit Asia TV Music Awards (BAMA) in 2018, an award he repeated in 2019.
Juls
Julian Nicco-Annan is a British-Ghanaian record producer, disc jockey, and musician who goes by the stage name Juls. He is regarded as one of the first diaspora producers of African music, notably in Afrobeats circles.
He is well known for producing songs by Mr. Eazi, such as “Bankulize” and “Skin Tight“, which have over two million views on YouTube; Show Dem Camp‘s “Feel Alright“, Stonebwoy‘s “Rudebwoi Love“, and Burna Boy‘s “Gwarn“.
He has worked on A&R for Mr. Eazi‘s album “Life Is Eazi” and partnered with labels including BBnz Live, Toko Beatz, Stereofly Records, Cosmic Harmony, and Lost Ones.
Juls‘ versatility as a producer and his place in the international rise of African music makes him one of the remarkable UK music producers to notice.
TSB
Despite having nearly a decade of expertise, TSB considers 2019 to be the year when his name began to get traction. TSB, on the other hand, created “Spirit” for J Hus‘ “Common Sense” two years prior, an album that defined 2017 – catapulting J Hus’ career and setting the tone for the years to come.
Since then, he has risen at a breakneck pace, TSB collaborated on four tracks with J Hus for his second studio album, “Big Conspiracy“, and supplied beats to Dave‘s “Psychodrama“, MoStack‘s “Stacko“, and singles for M1llionz, NSG, Headie One, Loski, Stormzy, Tion Wayne, DC, and a slew of other artists.
TobiShyBoy, now a Platinum-selling producer, has stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight this year with his own track, “Jagged Edge.”
Swindle
Swindle, a London producer, is known for making two kinds of music: one that spreads pleasant feelings and another that encourages people to ask difficult questions — this is why he’s become so popular over time.
The producer is simply hinting at what’s to come, whether it’s releasing conversational, good-feeling music like “Lost” with Loyle Carner, Kojey Radical, and JNR Williams, or motivating tracks like “Knowledge” with Kiko Bun and Eva Lazarus.
“Stories for me, come before the music. All I ask for is the guidance from those stories to help deliver the music honestly”, Swindle was quoted in an interview with Complex.
He believes that cutting down the list of musicians he wanted to include was the most difficult challenge. He might have sought out the most well-known musicians, but music comes first, and that is a philosophy he adhered to.
Swifta Beater
The soft-spoken, sought-after beatmaker from Birmingham is the crème de la crème of Grime, the brains behind several indisputable bangers and a seasoned veteran spanning various underground UK genres. In today’s world, his instantly recognizable catchphrase, flavored with an annoying Brum twang, denotes impending craziness.
Swifta Beater has collaborated with some of the greatest names in UK grime, releasing his own music and producing tracks for Bugzy Malone, Giggs, JME, Kano, and Wiley, among others. Bassline, drum and bass, hip-hop, grime, and UK garage are among his musical influences.
JME feat. Giggs‘ “Man Don’t Care“, produced by Beater, gained critical acclaim and sold over 250,000 copies. He also collaborated with Giggs on his “Landlord” album, which debuted at No. 2 in the UK, and produced “3 Wheel-Ups” by Kano feat. Giggs.
