Repping his East London home with debut mixtape The Upper Clapton Dream, British rapper Rimzee established himself in the U.K. scene with tales of his home city's gritty underbelly. Though legal issues kept him out of the music game for an extensive stretch, he returned triumphantly to the scene in 2020 with sequel tape The Upper Clapton Dream 2.

Born to a single mother of five in E5's Upper Clapton, Ricardo Miles grew up far from cushy settings -- a struggle that manifested in his music under the alias of Rimzee. Honing his skills with freestyle after freestyle, the rapper was first brought to the public's attention with "2010 FREESTYLE," a series of street-level boasts delivered with Miles' effortless swagger. Through the subsequent years, Rimzee carved out a lane for himself in the U.K. rap landscape: "Here I Am" (2011) delivered an outlandish statement of self, "I'm On" (2011) proffered "real rap" stories of lavish living, and "Hometown" (2012) delivered a gritty homage to his harsh lifestyle. Rimzee's early singles culminated in a debut mixtape, The Upper Clapton Dream (2012), a passionately delivered set of bold boasts, introspective narratives, and candid reflections. Despite his upward momentum, the musician's career was stunted significantly by weapons charges brought against him; following the release of his debut tape, he was given a 13-year jail sentence.

Released in late 2019 after serving six-and-a-half years behind bars, Rimzee picked up exactly where he left off, returning to the music game with the singles "Go Time," "2 Do 1," "Down Below," and "Rapper Trapper." Adapting to a variety of trap-based stylings, his new output fused the sturdy vocals and defiant lyricism of his early career with the sounds of the modern rap landscape. After paying homage to his absence with "2020 Freestyle," Rimzee re-established his name with appearances on freestyle platforms Voice of the Streets, Tim Westwood, and Daily Duppy ahead of the release of his sophomore mixtape. Issued in December 2020, The Upper Clapton Dream 2 added modern stylings and greater introspection to his signature approach. ~ David Crone, Rovi