The U.K. metal/grime quintet Hacktivist were formed in 2011 by guitarist Timfy James a few months after he left his former band Heart of a Coward. Unsure about what to do next, James retreated into his studio, where he passed the time by producing music for his friends. Grime MC Jermaine J Hurley was one such performer to utilize James' studio space, at which point James played him a metal track he had been working on. Hurley already had some experience rapping over diverse genres, so he offered to have a go at rapping over James' particular form of metal, the highly technical yet rhythmic metal subgenre known as djent. The djent/grime crossover worked so well that they chose to pursue the sound with a full band.

By 2012, Hacktivist had released their debut single, "Unlike Us," which shot to the top of the iTunes metal chart within hours of its release. In 2013, the band was asked to support Enter Shikari on their European tour, which raised its profile even further. When it came to recording the debut full-length Outside the Box in 2016, Enter Shikari's lead singer Rou Reynolds returned the favor by appearing as a guest vocalist. ~ Liam Martin, Rovi