Headie One

Headie One
Adjei on Mixtape Madness in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Irving Ampofo Adjei[1]
Born	(1994-10-06) 6 October 1994 (age 26)[2] Tottenham, London, England
Genres	British hip hop trap UK drill
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Relentless Epic[3] One
Associated acts	RV OFB Fred Again Drake
Website	headie.one

Irving Ampofo Adjei^[4] (born 6 October 1994), known professionally as Headie One, is a British rapper. In 2018, he released the mixtape The One, which included the single "Know Better", featuring rapper RV, that became an "underground hit".^[5] He is a member of the drill rap group OFB.

Headie One is best known for his track "18Hunna" featuring rapper Dave, which peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. He has released seven mixtapes, four solo mixtapes and three mixtapes with fellow OFB rapper RV. In 2019, Headie One released his seventh and first mainstream mixtape titled Music x Road, which peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart. He has since released Edna which peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart, an album which pays homage to his mother, Edna Adjei.^[6][7]

Early life[]

Adjei grew up on the "infamous"^[8] Broadwater Farm housing estate in Tottenham, London.^[9] He is of Ghanaian origin.^[10]

In his youth he was "obsessed" with football and played for local team Haringey Borough F.C.^[11] He was due to have a trial with Stevenage F.C. before an ankle fracture led to his exit from the sport.^[11] Adjei is an avid supporter of Manchester United.^[12]

He first began rapping in his early teens, though only began focusing on it after his first release from prison.^[13] His moniker derives from a childhood nickname due to his head's resemblance to a 50p coin.^[9]

Career[]

Adjei began releasing music in the early 2010s under the name Headz, including as part of a group named Star Gang.^[2][14] In 2014 he released his only mixtape under that alias, titled Headz or Tails.^[15] Also part of Star Gang was fellow Tottenham rapper RV – he and Headie One became frequent collaborators, including co-releasing the mixtapes Sticks & Stones (2016) and Drillers x Trappers (2017).^[16] Together they formed part of OFB, a British drill crew based in the Broadwater Farm estate.^[8]

In February 2018, he released his next solo mixtape as Headie One, titled The One. This included "Know Better" with RV, which became an "underground hit".^[5] This was his first release that was signed to Relentless Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.^[17] In May he was featured on "Missing", a Belly Squad track that peaked at number 84 on the UK Singles Chart.^[18] This was followed by another solo mixtape, The One Two, in June 2018, which entered the UK Albums Chart at number 32.^[19] In November he performed on his first national UK tour.^[20]

In January 2019, his single "18Hunna", featuring Dave, entered the UK chart at number 6 – the highest a drill artist has ever charted.^[6][21] In March Adjei released his sixth mixtape, and third with RV, Drillers x Trappers II.^[22] It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 21.^[23] "Match Day", the first single from the mixtape, entered the Singles Chart at number 86.^[6] In July he featured on the "I Spy" single by Krept and Konan, which peaked at number 18.^[24]

In August 2019 Adjei released his seventh mixtape in five years, Music x Road.^[7] The release was praised by critics,^[7][25][26] and was noted for being a move away from his usual sound - with NME describing it as being "often far from drill".^[25] It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 5 – his highest chart placing to date.^[6] Other than the previously-released "18Hunna", several tracks from the mixtape also charted, such as "Back to Basics" with Skepta, "Rubbery Bandz" and "Both".^[6]

In December 2019, he featured on Stormzy's new album Heavy Is the Head on the song "Audacity".

In July 2020, he released a single featuring Drake called "Only You Freestyle" produced by M1onthebeat.

In October 2020, his debut album Edna topped the UK charts.^[27] The album was dedicated to his late mother of the same name. It has garnered plenty of praise within the music world. NME praised the "melancholy, minor-key trap beats requisite of in-vogue modern hip-hop",^[28] while The Times described Adjei as the "breakout star of drill".^[29]

Controversies[]

As a teenager Adjei had been imprisoned three times,^[9][13] including for dealing crack cocaine and heroin, most recently in 2014.^[17][30]

In January 2018 he was reportedly attacked by rivals at the University of Bedfordshire.^[9][20] A video of the assault was posted on Snapchat and then YouTube, resulting in an "all-out gang war".^[30] Headie responded with a diss track "Know Better".^[9]

In March of that year, his concert at the Barbican Centre was shut down by the Metropolitan Police.^[9] The police had previously "singled out" his music in connection with rising knife crime in London.^[31] In an interview in April, Headie claimed that "Only a fool would say that drill music is the root of the problem of violence in the capital."^[31] Associations between London gang culture ("the war between Tottenham and Wood Green"), drill music and social media were examined in a BBC Radio Four programme File on Four 8 March 2020, focused on three violent murders.^[32][33]

On 8 January 2020 Adjei was sentenced to six months for possession of a knife and imprisoned for a fourth time.^[1] He was released early in April 2020.^[34]

On 17 November 2020 Adjei was involved in an altercation with rapper Tion Wayne on board a flight from Dubai to London shortly after boarding.^[35]

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Mixtapes[]

Singles[]

As lead artist[]

As featured artist[]

Promotional singles[]

Other charted songs[]

Guest appearances[]

References[]