As the TV drama returns, UK rap’s elite give young London a compelling voice

The return of Top Boy to TV is a vital cultural moment in the UK and—thanks to its new executive producer Drake—beyond. The 6 God pitched the show to Netflix after having found it online only to discover it had been cancelled in 2013. Across two seasons that ran from 2011 to 2013, the unflinching drama gave an authentic—and rare—voice to young lives being lived among deprivation, oppression, and violence on London’s housing estates. As the third season arrives, that voice is enriched by this collection of tracks inspired by the show. Featuring Dave and Little Simz, who star in the new season, plus Fredo, Headie One, and many more of UK rap’s elite, it’s a set of stories that demand to be heard. Simz delivers a fierce takedown of misogyny on “Venom,” while Avelino offers an unfiltered portrait of the struggles “in a safari” like Top Boy’s Summerhouse Estate (“Belly of the Beast”). Dave’s two contributions are reliably outstanding, and Drake throws in his Link Up TV freestyle “Behind Barz” as a bonus.