Now somewhat of a veteran in the scene, MIK (Music Is Knowledge), has been a grime MC since 2002. He was a founding member of Lewisham collective Family Tree, and has since gone on to join Tizzy Gang alongside longtime collaborator Merky ACE among others.

MI has been at the forefront of pushing new boundaries for grime. He released the Contrast EP in 2012 as the first vocal release on Starkey’s label, Slit Jockey, which aimed to bring grime to a US audience. He also teamed up with British future garage producers Asa and Sorrow for ambient track “Omega” in 2013.

He’s known for his relentless workrate, his expansive collection of Nike Air Force Ones, his clash with midlands MC PRessure on Lord of the Mics 4 (2012), and for countless signature lines and phrases such as “ergh”, “DD” (“don don”), “money upfront” and “duppy and leave”.

His lyrics and flows have become so popular in the grime scene that MI has labelled himself the “Ghost Writer”, even naming a 2014 album after this. In 2016, after releasing four EPs in a year, he announced an intention to stop making music, ending the year with the New Year’s Eve drop Last of the Real.

After a year-long hiatus, he returned to the scene at the end of 2017 with the announcement of a new EP, Died Yesterday, and shared a number of songs from it. He also released two war dubs for DJ Argue’s Hell in a Cell 2 clash, taking on a number of MCs including Ten Dixon and Shxdow in his lyrics.

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