AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey is a British rapper and grime MC. His father, a former rapper, hails from Trinidad, while his mother is a Welsh former drum and bass DJ. Residing in Ladbroke Grove, West London, AJ made a name in the pirate radio scene in 2014, though his earlier work as Looney dates back to 2011.

In an interview with GRM, AJ explained the origin of his stage name:

"When I used to shot, I couldn't use my real name. I wore a lot of Armani, so I named myself AJ. The Tracey part comes from a guy called Stacey in my area. Everyone was/is scared of him, so I figured if he could be intimidating with a girl's name, maybe I could do the same and be THAT guy."

From sets on Rinse or Radar Radio with his crew, My Team Paid, to street singles with talents like Dave and Reeko Squeeze, and collaborations with artists such as Gorgon City, Tinchy Stryder, and P Money, AJ has established himself as a notable artist over the years.

In 2016, he won Best Breakthrough Act at the Rated Awards and earned nominations for Best Newcomer and Best Grime Act at the MOBOs. After releasing his "Lil Tracey" EP in December, he was included in the BBC Sound of 2017 longlist, the Independent’s Ones to Watch 2017, and the VEVO dscvr Ones to Watch 2017 list. He toured the UK and US throughout 2017.

In October 2017, AJ released the "Secure the Bag!" EP, with guest vocals from Jme, Denzel Curry, 67, and Craig David. This eight-track project marked his first entry into the UK Albums Chart, hitting number thirteen.