PRS Presents 50 Years of Hip Hop with ENNY, Graft, Queen Millz and Shortee Blitz

We celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop at Brixton Jamm in south London on 27 September, with special performances coming from ENNY, multi award-winning DJ Shortee Blitz and PRS Foundation grantees Queen Millz and Graft.

Check out a selection of some of the best images from what proved to be a night to remember.

About the artists:

ENNY

ENNY is a creatively gifted, soulful lyricist with a story to tell. Ever since childhood, when she was taught to play several instruments by her father, the rapper and singer has understood the power of music, drawing great influence from jazz, hip hop and gospel music during her formative years. Further honing her craft with the community at the Hackney-based music collective, recording studio and record label Root 73, ENNY was able to build the sufficient momentum that led to the release of her debut single, He’s Not Into You, in April 2020.

Her breakthrough moment, though, arrived six months later in the form of Peng Black Girls, which was later remixed with a new verse from Jorja Smith that the two artists subsequently performed for the popular YouTube music channel Colors (the performance has racked up over 26 million views since). ENNY followed this success up by releasing her debut project Under 25 in July 2021, as well as picking up two awards (Best Independent Track and One To Watch) at the AIM Awards 2021.

ENNY has continued this upward trajectory ever since, earning two nominations at the AIM Awards 2023 (Best Independent Track and Best Independent EP/Mixtape) and dropping her latest EP We Go Again. Amid these achievements, ENNY has continued to eschew popular trends in UK rap to instead focus on soulful, narrative-heavy music that frequently shines a light on important social issues across the country.

Graft

Graft, winner of MOBO Unsung and BBC Three's The Rap Game UK, has propelled himself to national recognition for his unwavering sense of self and musical talent. Hailing from the vibrant city of Leeds, Graft takes inspiration from genres such as Hip Hop, Neo Soul and Alternative Rap. Graft’s topical and poetic approach to songwriting has seen him grace the stage at the acclaimed Reading and Leeds Festival, and has collaborated with esteemed brands such as Adidas, Virgin Media, Boohoo and Leeds United. Now with this national acclaim, Graft prepares for the release of his highly anticipated EP, coming soon! With his raw talent and unwavering drive, Graft is unquestionably poised to become one of the most thrilling and influential musicians in the global music scene!

Graft was awarded PRS Foundation’s Power Up grant and also performed PRS Presents as part of PRS Members’ Day Manchester in 2022.

Queen Millz

Hailing from Leicestershire, Queen Millz’s music is an expression of the many emotions she has experienced in her life. Growing up in a musical house that was filled with the sounds of reggae, R&B, hip hop and house, the rising artist has since been able to fuse her musical talent with her natural sense of confidence. She’s loud, unruly and doesn’t care about the rules – she’s Queen Millz.

Following the release of her debut mixtape Causing A Scene in 2022, Queen Millz has received significant public support from the likes of DJ Semtex, Kojey Radical and Sigma – she collaborated with the latter in 2022 on the drum’n’bass single Little Things. The track is emblematic of how much of an explosive all-rounder Queen Millz can be – and she's now ready to take on the world.

Earlier this year, Queen Millz made her SXSW debut at the British Music Embassy after receiving PRS Foundation funding by means of the PPL Momentum Fund and the International Showcase Fund.

 

Shortee Blitz

Shortee Blitz is a name that has commanded respect and excitement across the music industry for decades. The multi award-winning DJ, producer and radio host cut his DJing teeth in 1992 as part of a sound system, which he soon followed up by DJing for the legendary late London MC Ty and landing a hip hop-specialist slot on KISS FM, where he still DJs to this day. Nearly 30 years later, Shortee is continuing to carve out an important place within the fabric of UK hip hop; his ear fine-tuned to fresh sounds that marry brilliantly with his own distinct sonic identity.

Having already toured clubs all over the world, presented hip hop radio shows on both sides of the Atlantic, and worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Nas and De La Soul, Shortee has also started to release his own music over the past 18 months. Back in February, he followed up his 2022 debut EP … 1st Step with his latest production project Unafraid To Fall, which featured the likes of Royce Da 5’9” and Talib Kweli.