Authenticity is key for an artist and a man, and DEACON has made that a priority throughout his career. The twenty-six-year-old South London emcee would begin writing poetry in his early years while participating in local youth clubs before discovering hip-hop as he grew older. The likes of Kendrick Lamar and the gems from the golden age inspired him to turn his prose into lyrics as he gained an opportunity to grow within Akala’s Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company. DEACON would become the artist he was born to be in the program and stay true to his story, a facet of his music many listeners have gravitated towards over the years. Filled with a compelling mix of confidence and vulnerability, DEACON is refreshing with his honesty while still maintaining the braggadocios core of the genre with the occasional boast and witty wordplay. The culture has always been where his heart resides, and it played a big part in his debut EP. Cotton Wolf was released in 2018, a four-track project that showed DEACON as one of the UK’s finest wordsmiths while being able to bring forth thought-provoking concepts from past and modern eras. The follow-up mixtape, 2020’s Polaroid Nudes, gave a more in-depth look at the man behind the mic as he excelled with his first full-length project. With his name buzzing around London and his sound arching further past the pond, DEACON is poised to become the country’s next breakout star!