South London rapper Ramz owned the summer of 2018 with the Afroswing earworm “Barking”, which climbed all the way to No. 2 on the UK charts. • Ramz grew up in Mitcham, South London, listening to artists like 50 Cent and Travis Scott. He started out playing the drums and performed at venues like the Royal Albert Hall. • In 2017, he dropped out of the University of Portsmouth, where he’d been studying sports science, to focus on music. • His first song, “On My Grind”, arrived in February 2017 while he was looking for a job after leaving school. It didn’t garner much attention. • In December 2017, he released the infinitely catchy “Barking”, which would peak at No. 2 early the following year. It held that position for three weeks—Eminem and Drake kept Ramz from claiming the top spot. • The rapper’s 2018 debut EP, Blockbuster, includes both “Barking” and “Family Tree”, which became his second Top 40 UK hit.