​​Rooftop Assembly are a grime & folk fusion project from London, blending rap poetry with old-school songwriting, accompanied by swooning strings and dubby beats. Their music brings together a plurality of voices and influences in true London style, taking influence from instrumental hip-hop and grime like the Fugees, Roots Manuva and Avelino, folk & soul songwriters like John Martyn and Joni Mitchell, as well as a strong element of highlife and dub influence, & orchestral pop in the vein of Clean Bandit. The band’s story began during lockdown in 2020, when folk singer James Riley & grime MC Kayes Mensah joined forces, playing live-streamed gigs on a north London rooftop to raise cash for food banks. The concerts attracted national media coverage, funding from the Arts Council, inspired a large mural, and prompted an outpouring of community support. The shows culminated with James & Kayes collaborating with a full string quartet and drummer Emanuela Monni in a live concert that went viral on social media, prompting coverage from the BBC, and invitations to perform at festivals including Glastonbury. Their debut EP ‘Storeys’ dropped in January ‘24 with a sold-out launch show in London. The new record showcases the ensemble’s groundbreaking fusion of styles; from highlife-infused grooves, to mythically-inspired grime balladry and the orchestral splendour of lead single “The Lanes” - a nostalgic rap paean to the band’s roots in Tottenham.