Equipped with a Deadpool mask, a blistering delivery and lyrics so gruesome they’d make the actual Deadpool blush, Hackney’s V9 is a colourful member of the UK’s expansive drill scene. Raised in Homerton, the mysterious V9 seemingly popped up out of thin air with his 2018 song, “Charged Up”. While the track features savage imagery and the hammering beat typical of UK drill, it also drops refreshing references to cartoons like Courage the Cowardly Dog. In 2019, Homerton Sensei doubled down on the violence while showcasing sharp flows and wordplay as memorable as the carnage. Building on the buzz that powered him to freestyles with Tim Westwood, V9 unloaded his second project, Yūdokuna, in 2020. Merging a distinct sound with quirky visuals and the commitment of a lifelong performance artist, V9 is a natural foil to trite rap stereotypes—an anti-hero in the truest sense.