Everyone knows Liverpool for The Beatles or for football, but there is A new wave of rappers from Liverpool's working-class areas is gaining international recognition. Unlike the polished, welcoming image often projected by the city, this underground scene paints a gritty, raw picture of Liverpool. The music is characterised by the distinct Scouse accent described as breathless, aggressive, yet casual and diverse.
Personally, I find this shift fascinating. For years, the UK rap scene has been dominated by London accents and slang. Scouse rappers like Mazza L20 and Young LS are finally breaking the mold. Listening to tracks like Murdaside, you don’t hear the friendly “Liverpool FC” version of the city, you hear a voice that has been ignored. In my opinion, the aggressive delivery isn’t just for show, it feels like a real release of frustration, especially on Tik Tok where snippets of these songs are going viral.
It is important to look at the facts behind this anger. This music is not coming from nowhere. Liverpool has historically suffered from high levels of poverty and neglect. According to a recent report, the Liverpool City Council has faced budget cuts of 35% over the last 14 years. When you look at the music with that in mind it isn’t just “gangster rap”, it becomes a form of social commentary. They are rapping about their everyday lives.
It's not just about the big picture. It is the specific details in the lyrics that really grabbed my attention. They are rapping about what they see every day, and they do it on their own terms. For example rappers like Kasst 8, use “Scouse Backslang” in their tracks, a coded language used to keep conversations private from the police. That isn’t something you hear on mainstream radio. It shows how deep the divide is between their world and the rest of society. They aren’t trying to make it easy for outsiders to understand. They are speaking directly to their own people.
Critics might argue that the violence in the lyrics is problematic. This is the same criticism people always make about the wider UK drill genre, However, I believe that silencing these artists would be a mistake. They are documenting their reality. THe rise of the “Scousemix” where rappers from rival areas collaborate shows a unity that politicians often fail to achieve.
Ultimately, this new sound is vital. It is loud, it is uncomfortable and it is undeniably Scouse. If you are tired of the same old chart music, I highly recommend diving into this scene. It might just change how you see the city.
References:
Evans, N. (2025, July 9). Scouse Rap: Inside Liverpool's raw, rowdy underground scene. Dazed. https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/68212/1/murdaside-liverpool-gritty-scouse-rap-mazza-l20-essdeekid-young-ls
Thapar, C. (2019, May 16). Drill music is not the enemy – it's a symptom of a divided society. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/16/drill-music-knife-crime-violence-london
Google. (2025). Gemini [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com