Unknown T
- British hip hop
- UK drill
- Rapper
- singer
- songwriter
- A Stay Solid Music
- Island
Daniel Richie Lena (born 17 August 1999), known professionally as Unknown T, is a British rapper. His post release album Rise Above Hate (2020) was a major hit on the UK music scene, with the album reaching the top of the charts in its first couple of weeks.
Career
His debut single, "Homerton B", peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart in October 2018.[3] Though it was originally released without a label,[4] its chart performance led to him being signed by Island Records through Universal Music Group[5] and appeared at Wireless festival in 2019.[6] It was included in a number of publications "best of 2018" lists, including The Guardian,[7] Mixmag,[8] and Complex.[9] In March 2019, "Homerton B" became the first UK drill track to be certified Silver by the BPI.[10] Follow up tracks "Throwback", "Meat" and "Leave Dat Trap", the latter featuring AJ Tracey, have accumulated over 5 million views.[11]
Unknown T's first mixtape Rise Above Hate was released on 17 July 2020 and peaked at 14 on the UK Albums Chart.[12] On 7 January 2021, Unknown T released the single "WW2".[13] On 10 June, the second single "Wonderland" featuring M Huncho was released.[14] On 25 June, he released the third single "Goodums".[15][16] On 15 July, he released the fourth single "Driller sh!t".[17] On 30 July 2021, Unknown T released his second mixtape Adolescence, including guest appearances from Digga D, M1llionz, Potter Payper, and Nafe Smallz.[18]
Personal life
Lena is of Ugandan and Congolese descent. Lena is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.[19]
Legal issues
In 2017, aged 17, Lena was cleared of hiding a 4 mm revolver and ammunition under his bed after claiming the gun was foisted upon him by a stranger.[20] More recently Lena was cleared of murdering Steve Narvaez-Jara, 20, at a house party near Old Street, Islington, London in the early hours of 1 January 2018.[21] Speaking to the Guardian in 2018, Lena complained that the drill scene – long the subject of criticism in the media – was being unfairly attacked. "They don't understand the reality," he said. "It's not about the music, it's about what's behind the music. You can't blame the music, or say you're giving a helping hand with no aid. They're pointing the finger at us but forgetting there's three fingers pointing back."[22]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
UK [23] | UK R&B/HH [24] | ||
Blood Diamond |
| 61 | 2 |
Mixtapes
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
UK [23] | UK R&B/HH [24] | IRE [25] | ||
Rise Above Hate |
| 14 | 3 | 74 |
Adolescence |
| 8 | 3 | 88 |
Extended plays
Title | Details |
---|---|
Before the Smoke |
|
Compilation albums
Title | Details |
---|---|
Class of 98s (with 98s) |
|
Singles
As lead artist
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [26] | UK R&B/HH [27] | ||||
"Homerton B"[28] | 2018 | 48 | 27 |
| Non-album singles |
"Throwback" (with Crazy Cousinz)[30] | 2019 | 63 | 38 | ||
"Meat"[31] | — | — | |||
"Leave Dat Trap" (featuring AJ Tracey)[32] | 53 | 32 | Rise Above Hate | ||
"Fresh Home"[33] | 2020 | 55 | 36 | ||
"Squeeze & Buss"[34] | — | — | |||
"Daily Duppy" (featuring GRM Daily)[35] | — | — | Non-album single | ||
"Deh Deh"[36] | 80 | — | Rise Above Hate | ||
"Main Squeeze" (featuring Young T & Bugsey)[37] | 99 | — | |||
"WW2" | 2021 | 42 | 23 | Adolescence | |
"Wonderland" (featuring M Huncho) | 52 | 17 | |||
"Goodums" | — | — |
| ||
"Driller sh!t" | — | — | |||
"Double Tap" (with Abra Cadabra) | 64 | 21 | Non-album singles | ||
"Often" | 2022 | — | — | ||
"Just Landed (Freestyle pt. I)" | — | — | Who said drill’s dead? | ||
"Batty & Bench (Freestyle pt. II)" | — | — | |||
"Right Hand" (with Knucks) | 2023 | 70 | — | Blood Diamond | |
"Free Slime / Sexy Girls" (with Lancey Foux) | — | — | Before the Smoke | ||
"Adolescence" (featuring Digga D) | 90 | — | Blood Diamond | ||
"Hocus Pocus" (Unknown T featuring Loyle Carner)[38] | 2024 | — | — | ||
"–" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
As featured artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"9er Ting" (Kay-O featuring Unknown T)[39] | 2018 | This Sh#ts Ments |
"Medusa" (WSTRN featuring Unknown T)[40] | 2019 | Non-album singles |
"Dumpa" (Ill Blu featuring M24, Unknown T)[41] | 2020 | |
"Kate Winslet" (NSG featuring Unknown T) | TBA | |
"Jagged Edge" (TSB featuring M1llionz & Unknown T) | 2021 | Non-album singles |
"Roberto C" (Young T & Bugsey featuring Unknown T) | Truth Be Told | |
"Packs and Potions (Remix)" (Hazey featuring M1llionz, Digga D & Unknown T) | 2022 | |
"PRAYERS"(OBLADAET featuring Unknown T)[42] | 2023 | PLAYERS CLUB 2 |
Guest appearances
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Turn"[43] | 2019 | RV, Headie One | Drillers x Trappers II |
"Raise Hell"[44] | V9 | Homerton Sensei | |
"Black & Proud" | 2020 | AJ Tracey | Reprise: A Roc Nation Album |
"Excuse Me" | SL | Different Dude | |
"Double Trouble"[45] | GRM Daily, D Double E | GRM 10 | |
"Drip Drip" | V9 | Yūdokuna | |
"Under Surveillance" | Frosty | Under Surveillance | |
"Ughh!" | 98s, Jimmy, Kay-O | Class of 98s | |
"98 Degrees" | 98s, Stally, DA, Hitman, V9, Mazza | ||
"Medicine" | 2021 | Deno | Boy Meets World |
"Mon Cher" | Gazo, Pa Salieu | Drill FR | |
"Eastender" | Potter Payper | Thanks for Waiting | |
"Anger Problems" | V9 | Murk With A Mouth | |
"Tied Up" | Kay-O | Fine Line | |
"Went Jail" | 2022 | Groundworks, Digga D | The G Tape: Volume 1 |
"Darjeeling" | FKA twigs, Jorja Smith | Caprisongs | |
"Giddy Up" | wewantwraiths | HeartBrokeChild |
References
- ^ "Rapper Unknown Thomas released from prison after murder case Online". 16 July 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "ADDICTS FEAT M HUNCHO". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "Homerton B". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ Gorton, Thomas (10 September 2018). "I can't stop listening to Unknown T's 'Homerton B'". Dazed. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ Renshaw, David (8 November 2018). "Unknown T rules, and here's the proof". The Fader. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ "Unknown T – 7th July". Wireless Festival. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (3 December 2018). "The top 100 songs of 2018". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ "The Top 50 Tracks of 2018". Mixmag. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ "Complex UK's Best Songs Of 2018". Complex. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ Davey, Jacob (11 April 2019). "Interview: Unknown T Is Doing Homerton Proud". Complex. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Home". Unknown T. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "rise above hate | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "Unknown T Drops New Single 'WW2'". Clash Music. 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Unknown T and M Huncho connect on "Wonderland"". Revolt. 14 June 2021.
- ^ "Unknown T Announces New Mixtape 'Adolescence'". Clash Music. 28 June 2021.
- ^ "UNKNOWN T HITS THE COLORS STUDIO TO PERFORM BRAND-NEW SINGLE "GOODUMS"". GRM Daily. 25 June 2021.
- ^ "UNKNOWN T IS ON HIS "DRILLER SH!T" IN VISUALS FOR NEW STREET HEATER". GRM Daily. 15 July 2021.
- ^ "Unknown T drops 'Adolescence' project". Revolt. 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Rising 11: Unknown T". GAFFER. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Drug dealer cleared of stashing Turkish revolver". 8 September 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Rapper Unknown T is cleared of murder". BBC News. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; agencies (18 February 2020). "Drill rapper Unknown T cleared of murder of student". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ a b "UNKNOWN T | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b Peaks on the UK R&B Albums Chart:
- Rise Above Hate: "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40: 24 July 2020 - 30 July 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- Adolescence: "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40: 6 August 2021 - 12 August 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- Blood Diamond: "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40: 19 January 2024 - 25 January 2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "irishcharts.com - Discography Unknown T". irishcharts.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Unknown T | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Peak R&B/HH chart positions in the UK:
- For "Homerton B": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 16 November 2018 - 22 November 2018". Official Charts Company. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- For "Throwback": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 22 February 2019 - 28 February 2019". Official Charts Company. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- For "Leave Dat Trap": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 5 July 2019 - 11 July 2019". Official Charts Company. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- For "Fresh Home": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 6 March 2020 - 12 March 2020". Official Charts Company. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- For "WW2": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 15 January 2021 - 21 January 2021". Official Charts Company. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- For "Wonderland": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 18 June 2021 - 24 June 2021". Official Charts Company. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- For "Double Tap": "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 5 November 2021 - 11 November 2021". Official Charts Company. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Homerton B – Single by Unknown T". iTunes. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ a b "BRIT Certified – bpi" (To access, enter the search parameter "Unknown T"). British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "Throwback – Single by Unknown T & Crazy Cousinz". iTunes. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Meat – Single by Unknown T". iTunes. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Leave Dat Trap (feat. AJ Tracey) – Single by Unknown T". iTunes. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Unknown T – Fresh Home". Genius. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Unknown T – Squeeze & Buss, retrieved 10 July 2020
- ^ Unknown T (Ft. GRM Daily) – Daily Duppy, retrieved 10 July 2020
- ^ Unknown T – Deh Deh, retrieved 10 July 2020
- ^ "Unknown T (Ft. Young T & Bugsey) – Main Squeeze". Apple Music. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Unknown T delivers magic with "Hocus Pocus" visuals". GRM Daily. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "9er Ting (feat. Unknown T) – Single by KO". iTunes. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Medusa (feat. Unknown T) – Single by WSTRN". iTunes. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Dumpa (feat. M24 & Unknown T) – Single by iLL BLU". Apple Music. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "PRAYERS OBLADAET (feat. Unknown T)". iTunes. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Drillers x Trappers II by RV & Headie One". iTunes. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Homerton Sensei by V9". iTunes. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "GRM 10 by GRM Daily". Apple Music. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.