Devlin Essentials
Apple Music
James Devlin, better known as simply Devlin, launched his career with the grime collective O.T Crew before his viral hit “London City,” a sneering but affectionate ode to his hometown, led to the 2010 solo debut Bud, Sweat & Beers. Devlin raps with a sense of urgency on protest songs like “Community Outcast,” but the strength of his writing is in his conversational eye for detail and profane sense of humor. He embraces big melodic hooks on tracks that made him a crossover star, like "Runaway" and his cover of “(All Along the) Watchtower,” featuring Ed Sheeran.