What is the UK Rap Map?

The UK Rap Map began life as the UK Hip-Hop Map back in 2018. As more artists have been added, the scope has changed to include other styles where rap is at the forefront such as grime, drill and jungle.

The project started as part of a Masters thesis looking at whether it was possible to map hip-hop and rappers in London. Since then it has grown to cover the whole of the UK and include rappers, DJs, producers and groups spanning a period of 43 years from 1982 to now.

The aim of the UK Rap Map is to provide a means for people to explore and discover rap music in the UK through the medium of a map. The project aims to develop a digital resource to explore the range of artists around the UK with an interactive map as the user interface rather than a database like many other music discovery websites. Why a map? Hip-hop is one of the few styles of music where geography is an important marker for where an artist is and the community they represent. References to place have always been in the music, the map is just there to try and visualise them. At the heart of the project is the desire to combine detailed research into the creative practice of hip hop performers and the communities around them with technological approaches that until now have not been brought together.

The project is always developing, so will likely change many times as things move on and ideas develop and is always being added to. So far there are 1108 artists represented on the map from 242 different places.

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