Devonte Kasi Martin Perkins (born 21 October 1995), better known by his stage nameK-Trap, is a British rapper and songwriter fromSouth London.[1][2][3] He is known for his prominence in theUK drill scene, releasing notable mixtapes such asThe Last Whip (2017),The Re-Up (2018) andNo Magic (2019). Previously, K-Trap was widely known for wearing a balaclava to conceal his identity until June 2019 when he revealed his face for the first time in the music video for his single‘Big Mood’, promoting his mixtapeNo Magic.[4]
His fourth mixtape,Street Side Effects, was released on 13 November 2020. His mixtape collaboration withHeadie One,Strength to Strength, was released on September 22, 2023, reaching number 4 on the UK albums chart and 1 on the UK Hip-Hop and R&B albums chart.[5]
K-Trap started rapping at a young age, yet he only began to start taking music seriously in 2015.[4] Despite him just starting to take his career seriously, K-Trap was arrested and was in jail for two years before being found not guilty.[4] He entered the music scene in 2017 after being released from prison and was known distinctively for his choice of wearing a balaclava to hide his identity.[1] K-Trap independently released his debut mixtape,The Last Whip on June 25, 2017, featuring guest appearances fromBlade Brown,Headie One,Potter Payper, alongside several other artists. The mixtape would go on to be labelled as a cult classic of his. K-Trap released his second mixtape,The Re-Up on July 12, 2018, throughJust Jam Records and would include guest appearances from popular British artists such asLoski,D-Block Europe,Sharna Bass, andYxng Bane.[7] The mixtape marked K-Trap's first appearance on theUK Albums Chart, debuting at number 37.
In 2019, K-Trap signed his first record deal withBlack Butter Records before the release of his debut single, "Big Mood" which peaked at number 66 on theUK Singles Chart.[2] In the music video for the track, K-Trap revealed his face for the first time after removing his balaclava to promote his third full-length mixtape,No Magic.[8][9] The mixtape would eventually be released on June 27, 2019, and would peak at number 33 on the UK Albums chart.[10]
In a December 2020 interview withNotion, K-Trap would go in-depth into the reasons behind him revealing his face:[11]
Me taking off the mask… there wasn’t too much thought into it. Obviously the reason why I wore the mask in the first place, the circumstances just weren’t valid anymore. I felt like, to get to that next level and the level I want to get to, it’s something that I needed to do. And I got to the stage where I actually wanted to show the real me. Like, as much as in this game we play, and in entertainment, there’s a lot of people that act a certain way or they behave a certain way, or they put out an image that might not be them. I feel like the mask deep down isn’t me, I wasn’t too much of a fan of it and I just felt like it was that time to level up.
2020–2023: Mainstream breakout,The Last Whip II, andStrength to Strength
On October 26, 2020, K-trap shared the tracklist for his fourth mixtape,Street Side Effects.[12] The mixtape was preceded by the single "New Opp Block" featuring British drill rapper,Abra Cadabra.[13][14][15] The mixtape was released on November 13, 2020. It would make his second and final release under Black Butter Records.[16]
K-Trap's breakthrough single, "Warm" was released on May 13, 2021.[17] The track would eventually go viral on the video-sharing appTikTok for its catchy introduction. The track would later appear on K-Trap's fifth mixtape,Trapo released under his newly-founded independent record label, Thousand8.[18][19] K-Trap received his firstMOBO Award nomination for the Best Drill Act which he lost out toCentral Cee.[20]
On March 25, 2022, K-Trap andBlade Brown released the collaborative mixtape,Joints.[21] On August 28, 2022, K-Trap released the single "Spoilt" alongside announcing the release of his sixth mixtape, the sequel to his debut,The Last Whip II.[22] The mixtape was preceded by the singles "Busy", "Spoilt", and "Extra Sleeve" featuringHeadie One, release just a day before the mixtape's official release on September 30, 2022.[23][24]
Over a year after the release of the original, following an increase in popularity of "Warm" on social media, K-Trap recruited UK rap legendSkepta to appear on the remix of "Warm".[25][26] K-Trap won his first MOBO Award for the Best Drill Act at the2022 ceremony on November 30, 2022.[27]
On September 22, 2023, K-Trap released his collaborative mixtape,Strength to Strength with fellow UK drill rapper,Headie One.[28][29] The mixtape was preceded by three singles, "Catfish"[30] and "Park Chinois".[31][32][33] The mixtape was released on September 22, alongside the single "Triple Threat" withClavish.[34] The project proceeded to debut at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart.
K-Trap won his second consecutive MOBO Award for the Best Drill Act at the2023 ceremony on February 7, 2024.[35]
On April 18, 2024, K-Trap announced the release of his debut studio album,Smile?.[36] The album was preceded by five singles, "Heaven or Hell",[37][38][39] "Old School Era",[40] "Mobsters" with Blade Brown,[41][42] "Victory Lap",[43] and "Whistle".
