Crafty 893 - Step 1 (Single)
Picture Credit: Abs Films
Crafty 893 fast-tracks the official release of his iconic bars with Step 1, the verse that had DaMetalMessiah asking, “Best bar of 2024?” and has been hyping up crowds across London whenever Crafty performs. Fresh off a blistering Rinse FM set alongside fellow heavyweights JME, Blacks, Duppy, Cassie Rytz, FR4NKIE, Rolla and hosted by Oblig, the two-time BAFTA-winning producer, MC, and all-round creative force is not slowing down. No days off, no filler, just another ruthless dispatch aimed squarely at the amateurs.
“Step 1 is literally just a fun warning to other MCs. I don’t play games when it comes to this grime ting” - Crafty 893
His recent run of singles, Nothing Left and Anyway feat. Manga Saint Hilare, set the tone with strong support from Earmilk, New Music Fix on BBC Radio 6 Music, long-time champions at BBC Radio 1Xtra including DJ Target, Sian Anderson, and Sir Spyro, as well as acoverage across Rinse, GRM Daily, Wordplay, Rinse FM, Worldwide FM, from Lunar MC, and more.
Crafty is hailed as one of the faces of a new wave, "bringing grime back to the forefront" in DJ Mag’s feature, dubbed Grime 3.0, having championed the culture since its early days. With heavy involvement across the scene, he was recently spotlighted on the platform Handle Bars 360, the e-scooter freestyles in 360.
Since his debut with the Induction EP on Tru Thoughts, South-London-based Crafty 893 has been on a rapid rise, producing Big Zuu’s debut album Navigate, performing with JME on his Grime MC FM tour, creating adverts for brands like Adidas x Jacamo and Pret a Manger, and producing for artists such asFluffy on the reggaeton track Besame. As Crafty says, “Crafty 893 is a genre – no one tells me what to do; versatility is my best ability.” Recently, he produced soundtracks for Big Zuu’s Breakfast Show on ITV and Big Zuu’s Big Eats on Dave, the latter winning two BAFTAS.
His latest project, Boot It, showcases his multifaceted talent with no features, handling everything from writing and MCing to production, mixing, and creative direction. This LP followed his instrumental concept album Weapon X and the critically acclaimed Smart Dumb, praised by Mixtape Madness and Complex UK, cementing Crafty as a unique force in the UK music scene.