Layyah Crowned The Rap Game UK Winner, First Female Champion

The victor of the sixth season of The Rap Game UK has been revealed, following a six-week period featuring rigorous challenges, confrontations, and a live performance at the BBC Introducing Stage during Leeds Festival. Layyah emerged victorious over fellow contestants Haydog, CBliminal, and Only Zizou, securing her place as the program’s inaugural female champion and claiming the £20,000 cash award in the final broadcast on Tuesday evening. Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Layyah stated, “It is a dream come true.” She added, “I really do hold this title highly and I want to make the absolute best of it.” The announcement of her victory took place atop a London skyscraper, concluding an episode where the finalists participated in the Kenny Allstar Freestyle challenge on 1Xtra. The 1Xtra presenter was left “speechless” by Layyah’s freestyle rap, subsequently characterizing her as “special.” He commented, “She has the potential to be a generational talent.” Following her triumph, Layyah, a London native, remarked: “Young Layyah would be proud of me. It hasn’t been easy to become the version of me that I’ve become.” She attributed her significant win to the “strong females” who have inspired her throughout her life. Layyah elaborated, “My mum, my grandma, aunties, even my little sister, she’s so strong beyond her years.” She also conveyed to Newsbeat her aspiration that her victory will contribute to fostering change within the industry. According to Layyah, “In the music scene, there is a bit of a boys club.” She further explained, “The guys stick together, not so much the girls. So there should be more support for the females.” Among the musical artists she admires, she named US rapper Lauryn Hill and Mercury Prize recipient Little Simz. Layyah described her performance style, stating, “The way I perform is very real. You’re going to essentially feel what I’m feeling when you hear me, because it does come from the heart.” The three judges who mentored the aspiring rappers were DJ Target and the duo Krept and Konan. In September 2013, Krept and Konan achieved the highest-charting UK album by an unsigned artist, as their work Young Kingz reached position 19 on the top 40 Official Albums Chart. The judges believe that all four finalists possess the capacity to introduce novel elements to a music scene they perceive as “a bit samey.” Krept shared with Newsbeat, “You kind of hear sounds and everyone starts doing the same thing. Every time we come across new artists that do some completely new sounds it’s exciting.” Haydog further commented: “It’s probably the easiest time to cut through as an up and coming rapper. We have TikTok, people like DJ AG supporting us.” DJ AG and Mak 10 have been organizing open-mic sessions in public spaces, inviting anyone to participate and rap. This initiative has resulted in emerging artists gaining widespread attention, alongside well-known figures such as Skepta. DJ Target, who has hosted the program since 2019, expressed that he feels “it definitely represents a huge part of UK culture.” He elaborated, “It speaks to an audience that often are left out of the conversations.” Only Zizou indicated his agreement with this sentiment. Only Zizou remarked, “Six weeks of solely focus on music. Being able to spit our bars in front of these established artists is just crazy.” Although the contestants aimed to hone their rapping skills and secure the grand prize, many also sought to motivate others to participate, particularly given how social media can transform opportunities for aspiring rappers, especially those based outside London. CBliminal stated, “I’m putting it on for my city Nottingham.” He added, “It’s nice to be able to have the youngsters within my city look up to it and watch the show and think: ‘Well if he’s doing it then there’s no reason why I can’t do it’.” For Haydog, who hails from Wirral, Merseyside, the experience offered an opportunity to represent his local community. Haydog commented, “This is a massive opportunity. I do a bit of youth work, it’s good to be able to be the person that the youth are looking up to, especially in my area.” He concluded with a message: “Anybody that’s out there who’s got a dream. Don’t stop until you chase your dream. Never quit and stay focused.” The entirety of The Rap Game UK series six episodes can be accessed on BBC iPlayer. Newsbeat is broadcast live at 12:45 and 17:45 on weekdays, with previous broadcasts also available. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their policy on external linking is available.