Potter Payper is one of the most influential UK rappers of the 2010s. Born Jamel Bousbaa to a British Irish mother and Algerian father in 1991, Payper was raised in the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, East London. While Payper hustled to survive, he idolised Eminem and UK rappers like Skinnyman and Klashnekoff, all of whom inspired his deep lyrics and his barking, battle-ready delivery. His 2013 mixtape, Training Day, and an early flurry of viral freestyle videos laid the foundation for the captivating mix of harrowing street narratives and incisive punchlines heard on 2020’s Training Day 3. Payper’s fame was only magnified after signing a record deal with London’s 0207 Def Jam and releasing 2021’s Thanks for Waiting. With features from rising UK rappers like Unknown T and Digga D, Payper’s both influencing the next generation and bringing them with him.