Knucks | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ashley Afamefuna Nwachukwu |
| Born | (1994-11-12)12 November 1994 (age 30) |
| Origin | Kilburn,London,England, UK |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | NODAYSOFF |
Ashley Afamefuna Nwachukwu (born 12 November 1994), better known by his stage nameKnucks, is a British rapper and record producer.
Knucks was born Ashley Afamefuna Nwachukwu on 12 November 1994 in London, and is of Nigerian Igbo descent. In the early 2000s, whilst living in inner-city London, Knucks became interested ingrime music, and would perform 8-bar relays with friends during and after school. In year 8, Knucks went to a Nigerian boarding school, where his love of music developed further. When he returned to London at age 14, Knucks discoveredNas'sIllmatic, andCurren$y's music, and transitioned from grime to hip-hop.[1]
He performed in front of an audience for the first time at age 16 or 17, at an open mic night hosted by Regent Studios inSouth Kilburn. He has gone on to release over 10 singles and his breakthrough into UKhip-hop scene.
In 2014, he released his debut mixtapeKillmatic, the title being a play on his hometown Kilburn and theNas albumIllmatic. The next year, he released the song “21 Candles” onSoundCloud.[2] The song was a minor breakthrough for Knucks, with its music video premiering onSB.TV in March 2016. Between 2015 and 2018, Knucks would continue to release a series of singles, including "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Turnover", "Vows" and theNot3s-assisted single "Hooper".
In 2019, Knucks signed a record deal with Young Entrepreneurs Records andIsland Records,[1] releasing his debut extended playNRG 105 later that year in May. Titled in honour of Knucks' late manager Nathan "NRG" Rodney,[3] the EP was supported by the singles "Rice & Stew" and "Wedding Rings" and featured ten tracks (four of which were skits), with guest appearances from Oscar #Worldpeace andWretch 32. "Home", the closing track of the EP, was certified Silver by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2023.[4]
Knucks left the label in 2020 and returned to being independent, releasing his second extended playLondon Class in September 2020. Inspired by the South Korean television seriesItaewon Class, the EP featured twelve tracks (four of which were skits, similar toNRG 105), with guest appearances from Sam Wise, KXYZ,Loyle Carner, Venna and Kadiata.
In 2021, Knucks released "Los Pollos Hermanos", a single inspired by the fictional fast food restaurant chainLos Pollos Hermanos.[5] The single was a breakthrough for Knucks, and was certified Platinum by the BPI.[4] In May 2022, he released his debut albumAlpha Place, which featured guest appearances fromSL, Youngs Teflon,M1llionz, Sainté andStormzy. "Los Pollos Hermanos" was included as a bonus track.[6] Seven months later, on December 9, the deluxe version ofAlpha Place was released with the previously-released Kwengface-assisted track "Lucious" and a new track titled "Don’t Look Up".Alpha Place was certified Silver by the BPI in July 2023.[4]
Knucks appears at the end of 2023 on the titleQui ? with La Fève on his album24.[7]