The spoken word intro to Meekz’s 2022 anthem ‘Respect The Come Up’ sums up his journey so far: “Respect when you see someone who comes from nothing / And turns it into something / Now that’s everything”. One of the UK’s hottest young rappers, he’s catapulted from dropping viral freestyles like 2019’s ‘Hoods Hoodest’ to shooting lavish music videos that see him soaring over London in a chopper. An ambassador for the Manchester rap scene, Meekz is known for polished production and a confident, crisp vocal delivery that echoes road rap stalwarts like Blade Brown or Fredo but hinges on a proud, distinctly Mancunian grit.
At the London date of his ‘Can’t Stop The Come Up’ tour, it’s soon clear why he’s so highly rated. Tonight, Meekz presents a slick, hour-long set, interspersed with outfit changes and guest appearances, while the sense of occasion is heightened by frequent spoken word passages that boom out of O2 Academy Islington’s sound system.
Despite the hook of his explosive Dave collab ‘Fresh Out The Bank’ claiming “I do my little bop / I don’t know how to dance”, Meekz moves fluidly throughout the show, bouncing across the stage with real energy. On multiple occasions, he disappears behind a black curtain after a track, playing on his masked identity by returning in a fresh outfit and balaclava almost every time.
These breaks are also used to introduce special guests; at one point, Meekz vacates the stage altogether, leaving east London Afroswing crew NSG to deliver 2019 hit ‘OT Bop’, before UK drill star Unknown T enters and drops solo bangers ‘Fresh Home’ and ‘Homerton B’. Surrendering the stage to popular local artists is a move likely informed by Meekz’s fairly small back catalogue – but it works.
Hits like a (sadly) Dave-less ‘Fresh Out The Bank’ and ‘More Money’ go down well, and between tracks Meekz talks eloquently about receiving support from big UK rappers, connecting with fans through big statements. “We’re all related tonight through music”, he says at one point.
For someone who’s still honing his live show, there’s a real swagger to Meekz’s performance that affirms the belief he has in his ability. Yet with an undeniably heavy set of UK rap bangers to his name, who can blame him?