{"id":1876013,"date":"2026-04-10T12:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876013"},"modified":"2026-04-10T12:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:21:00","slug":"the-rise-of-rico-ace-in-5-tracks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876013","title":{"rendered":"The rise of Rico Ace in 5 tracks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/512\/0-126-512-341\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443179.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/70068\/1\/the-rise-of-rico-ace-in-5-tracks-esdeekid-uk-ug\" data-article-id=\"70068\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.8\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"o93qmN0TwiQOv-7W2fYfE\" class=\"img\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/512\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443179.jpeg\" width=\"512\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Rico Ace <span class=\"nowrap\">promotional image<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T12:21:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>The rise of Rico Ace in <span class=\"nowrap\">5 tracks<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As the viral EsDeeKid collaborator releases his debut album, Blackjack, we look back at the unadulterated rap sonics that have defined his rise over the last <span class=\"nowrap\">three years<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T12:21:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T12:21:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\">Solomon Pace-McCarrick<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69665\/1\/is-rap-music-dead-hip-hop-k-pop-reggaeton\">Proclamations of rap\u2019s death<\/a> have been circulating for a while now. And while this discourse overlooks the gargantuan influence rap and hip-hop artists have had on mainstream music as a whole, it\u2019s true that many of the genres\u2019 biggest stars today have increasingly strayed from straightforward lyricism in favour of more melodic, genre-diffuse sounds. Perhaps the biggest exception to this trend, however, is Liverpudlian duo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/esdeekid\">EsDeeKid<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ricoace_\/\">Rico Ace<\/a>, who became two of 2025\u2019s breakout stars by doing one thing above all: rapping.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is particularly true of Rico Ace, whose success \u2013 unlike EsDeeKid\u2019s \u2013 wasn\u2019t boosted by rampant speculation about his identity or by Americans discovering the Scouse accent for the first time. Instead, much of Ace\u2019s appeal has come from the way he folds familiar rap wordplay and storytelling techniques into the new UK Ug world of distortion and time-warping drum patterns. This played a crucial role on EsDeeKid\u2019s explosive debut album, <em data-start=\"478\" data-end=\"485\">Rebel<\/em>, last year, grounding the masked rapper\u2019s abrasive vocals and producer Wraith9\u2019s Drain Gang-descended soundscapes in a structure older heads could latch onto. But on Ace\u2019s debut album, <em data-start=\"671\" data-end=\"682\">Blackjack<\/em>, that same familiarity takes centre stage, and ultimately feels slightly less interesting because of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The last two decades of rap loom large over <em data-start=\"78\" data-end=\"89\">Blackjack<\/em>. Its central EsDeeKid-featuring single, \u201cDope Boyz\u201d \u2013 which looks set to be the project\u2019s most enduring cut \u2013 samples the chorus of Soulja Boy\u2019s 2007 classic \u201cI\u2019m So Dope Boy\u201d, while other tracks sound like a collision of 2016 Chief Keef, 2018 Skepta and 2026\u2019s distorted 808s. Ace is steady throughout, delivering tightly rapped tales of jetting to and partying at fashion shows around the world. It might not have the same impact that <em>Rebel<\/em> had last year, but it\u2019s nonetheless a powerful reminder of the rich talent that the UK Ug still has to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, we explore the rise of new-gen rapper Rico Ace in five tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>\u201cEVISU JEANS\u201d<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"ARv-jChW2WQ\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ARv-jChW2WQ\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Despite being released less than three years ago, Rico Ace sounds virtually unrecognisable on \u201cEvisu Jeans\u201d. With its bouncy synths and crisp mix, the track harks back to the upbeat alt-rap scene that was making waves in the UK around the pandemic \u2013 and couldn\u2019t sound further from the dystopian UK Ug style Ace would later surf to virality. It was a different time: Ace\u2019s next single, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@fentnewsug\/video\/7583428221400665366\">\u201cHim Again feat. Dualspines\u201d<\/a>, released in April 2024, has since become Exhibit A in the many conspiracy theories surrounding EsDeeKid\u2019s previous musical alias. On it, Ace trades bars with a white rapper with a thick accent. Sound familiar?<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cSKATTI\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Qy31KRwQ8VM\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qy31KRwQ8VM\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>It\u2019s here that the Rico Ace listeners now know begins to take shape. Sporting a Union Jack beanie in the track\u2019s music video \u2013 basically part of the UK Ug starter pack at this point \u2013 \u201cSkatti\u201d introduces the murky distortion and jerk drum patterns that would soon become staples of his sound. The track\u2019s artwork, meanwhile, pays homage to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/staypeckish\/\">Stay Peckish<\/a>, the Liverpudlian rap collective that helped facilitate both Ace\u2019s and EsDeeKid\u2019s emergence before they moved to London.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cPALACES\u201d \u2013 ESDEEKID FEAT. RICO ACE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"rO_cvdao0rM\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rO_cvdao0rM\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>This track was instrumental in the rise of both Rico and EsDeeKid. As the first collaboration between the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the UK underground, \u201cPalaces\u201d contains many of the elements that would define <em data-start=\"255\" data-end=\"262\">Rebel<\/em>\u2019s later success: EsDeeKid\u2019s violent Scouse fricatives, Rico Ace\u2019s rapid-fire delivery, and an alternative synth line that feels decidedly left-field within an otherwise familiar UK rap track. Then came \u201cLV Sandals\u201d, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n<p><span>Ace\u2019s verse here, however, is particularly notable for being an eye-wateringly graphic description of him sleeping with a taken woman. <\/span><em><span>\u201cMid-sex man enters the room, she\u2019s telling me \u2018shh\u2019 so I tell her don\u2019t panic,<\/span><\/em><span>\u201d goes one of the track\u2019s more family-friendly lines.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cCHILLI\u201d \u2013 SINN6R FEAT. RICO ACE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Ix4_g6IfW4Y\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ix4_g6IfW4Y\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>While he hasn\u2019t yet replicated the same level of virality, London-born, US drill-flipping rapper Sinn6r is closely associated with the rise of Rico Ace and EsDeeKid. Across the latter half of 2024 and 2025, the trio appeared on many of the same AuxLDN live line-ups and, together, came to represent the more dystopian end of UK Ug sonics. Released as one of the lead singles from Sinn6r\u2019s <em data-start=\"423\" data-end=\"432\">Federal<\/em> album, \u201cChilli\u201d arrived at the height of EsDeeKid\u2019s rise, but the track remains defiantly underground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On it, Rico Ace and Sinn6r trade X-rated lyrics about doing copious amounts of drugs over an instrumental that collides a sample from 2021 UK drill hit \u201cBody\u201d by Russ and Tion Wayne (the one that led Brighton rapper Arrrdee to stardom) with the violent OG US drill sonics of Chief Keef. Herein lies a time-warping blend that is distinctive to Rico Ace and Sinn6r\u2019s generation: fusing the pill-addled subject matter of Juice Wrld\u2019s emo rap with the aggressive delivery of drill music. \u201c<\/span><em><span>You take X, I take worse, pop pills \u2018till I can\u2019t converse,\u201d <\/span><\/em><span>raps Ace on the track.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cDOPE BOYZ\u201d \u2013 RICO ACE FEAT. ESDEEKID\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"LW95vzpGBn4\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LW95vzpGBn4\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Given the foundational role Rico played on EsDeeKid\u2019s <em data-start=\"88\" data-end=\"95\">Rebel<\/em> last year, it\u2019s only natural that EsDee returns the favour on today\u2019s <em data-start=\"166\" data-end=\"177\">Blackjack<\/em>, appearing on three of the album\u2019s ten tracks. Most notable is standout single \u201cDope Boyz\u201d, which, in characteristic UK Ug fashion, flirts with nostalgia by sampling the chorus of Soulja Boy\u2019s 2007 hit \u201cI\u2019m So Dope Boy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It might not offer anything particularly new from either Ace or EsDee, but it does deliver exactly what anyone wanted from the album in the first place: speaker-shattering production and fresh material from the UK underground\u2019s star duo. The fact that the track also arrives with a new music video is just the cherry on top, with the Liverpudlian pair smoking a spliff so huge they have to ash it into a baking tray, alongside grain-saturated shots of EsDeeKid for fans to scour for clues about his real identity. Spoiler: his face is more obscured than ever.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SY3, SLEEPWALKER\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1200-798\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442864.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">10 great albums you may have missed in the last three months<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69992\/1\/lamb-overkill-electronic-lyrical-venice-beach-interview-la-2026\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DSC08074\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-894-2000-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442589.JPEG\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Lamb is making \u2018electronic lyrical\u2019 music that sounds like no one else<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69966\/1\/arabic-shoegaze-duo-kiss-facility-sega-bodega-mayah-alkhateri\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"KISSFACILITY0774 copy\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2912-1937\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442815.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Arabic shoegaze duo Kiss Facility speak a language deeper than words<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70009\/1\/nazis-cant-dance-photos-london-house-against-hate-protest-rave-far-right\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"003186440014\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2990-1989\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442729.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018Nazis can\u2019t dance\u2019: Photos from London\u2019s House Against Hate protest rave<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69983\/1\/best-new-music-2026-cameron-winter-grace-ives-jackzebra\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Untitled design (3)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/189-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442530.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">5 tracks you can\u2019t miss from March 2026<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69665\/1\/is-rap-music-dead-hip-hop-k-pop-reggaeton\">Proclamations of rap\u2019s death<\/a> have been circulating for a while now. And while this discourse overlooks the gargantuan influence rap and hip-hop artists have had on mainstream music as a whole, it\u2019s true that many of the genres\u2019 biggest stars today have increasingly strayed from straightforward lyricism in favour of more melodic, genre-diffuse sounds. Perhaps the biggest exception to this trend, however, is Liverpudlian duo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/esdeekid\">EsDeeKid<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ricoace_\/\">Rico Ace<\/a>, who became two of 2025\u2019s breakout stars by doing one thing above all: rapping.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is particularly true of Rico Ace, whose success \u2013 unlike EsDeeKid\u2019s \u2013 wasn\u2019t boosted by rampant speculation about his identity or by Americans discovering the Scouse accent for the first time. Instead, much of Ace\u2019s appeal has come from the way he folds familiar rap wordplay and storytelling techniques into the new UK Ug world of distortion and time-warping drum patterns. This played a crucial role on EsDeeKid\u2019s explosive debut album, <em data-start=\"478\" data-end=\"485\">Rebel<\/em>, last year, grounding the masked rapper\u2019s abrasive vocals and producer Wraith9\u2019s Drain Gang-descended soundscapes in a structure older heads could latch onto. But on Ace\u2019s debut album, <em data-start=\"671\" data-end=\"682\">Blackjack<\/em>, that same familiarity takes centre stage, and ultimately feels slightly less interesting because of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The last two decades of rap loom large over <em data-start=\"78\" data-end=\"89\">Blackjack<\/em>. Its central EsDeeKid-featuring single, \u201cDope Boyz\u201d \u2013 which looks set to be the project\u2019s most enduring cut \u2013 samples the chorus of Soulja Boy\u2019s 2007 classic \u201cI\u2019m So Dope Boy\u201d, while other tracks sound like a collision of 2016 Chief Keef, 2018 Skepta and 2026\u2019s distorted 808s. Ace is steady throughout, delivering tightly rapped tales of jetting to and partying at fashion shows around the world. It might not have the same impact that <em>Rebel<\/em> had last year, but it\u2019s nonetheless a powerful reminder of the rich talent that the UK Ug still has to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, we explore the rise of new-gen rapper Rico Ace in five tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<h1><span>\u201cEVISU JEANS\u201d<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"ARv-jChW2WQ\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ARv-jChW2WQ\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Despite being released less than three years ago, Rico Ace sounds virtually unrecognisable on \u201cEvisu Jeans\u201d. With its bouncy synths and crisp mix, the track harks back to the upbeat alt-rap scene that was making waves in the UK around the pandemic \u2013 and couldn\u2019t sound further from the dystopian UK Ug style Ace would later surf to virality. It was a different time: Ace\u2019s next single, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@fentnewsug\/video\/7583428221400665366\">\u201cHim Again feat. Dualspines\u201d<\/a>, released in April 2024, has since become Exhibit A in the many conspiracy theories surrounding EsDeeKid\u2019s previous musical alias. On it, Ace trades bars with a white rapper with a thick accent. Sound familiar?<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cSKATTI\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Qy31KRwQ8VM\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qy31KRwQ8VM\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>It\u2019s here that the Rico Ace listeners now know begins to take shape. Sporting a Union Jack beanie in the track\u2019s music video \u2013 basically part of the UK Ug starter pack at this point \u2013 \u201cSkatti\u201d introduces the murky distortion and jerk drum patterns that would soon become staples of his sound. The track\u2019s artwork, meanwhile, pays homage to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/staypeckish\/\">Stay Peckish<\/a>, the Liverpudlian rap collective that helped facilitate both Ace\u2019s and EsDeeKid\u2019s emergence before they moved to London.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cPALACES\u201d \u2013 ESDEEKID FEAT. RICO ACE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"rO_cvdao0rM\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rO_cvdao0rM\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>This track was instrumental in the rise of both Rico and EsDeeKid. As the first collaboration between the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the UK underground, \u201cPalaces\u201d contains many of the elements that would define <em data-start=\"255\" data-end=\"262\">Rebel<\/em>\u2019s later success: EsDeeKid\u2019s violent Scouse fricatives, Rico Ace\u2019s rapid-fire delivery, and an alternative synth line that feels decidedly left-field within an otherwise familiar UK rap track. Then came \u201cLV Sandals\u201d, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n<p><span>Ace\u2019s verse here, however, is particularly notable for being an eye-wateringly graphic description of him sleeping with a taken woman. <\/span><em><span>\u201cMid-sex man enters the room, she\u2019s telling me \u2018shh\u2019 so I tell her don\u2019t panic,<\/span><\/em><span>\u201d goes one of the track\u2019s more family-friendly lines.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cCHILLI\u201d \u2013 SINN6R FEAT. RICO ACE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Ix4_g6IfW4Y\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ix4_g6IfW4Y\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>While he hasn\u2019t yet replicated the same level of virality, London-born, US drill-flipping rapper Sinn6r is closely associated with the rise of Rico Ace and EsDeeKid. Across the latter half of 2024 and 2025, the trio appeared on many of the same AuxLDN live line-ups and, together, came to represent the more dystopian end of UK Ug sonics. Released as one of the lead singles from Sinn6r\u2019s <em data-start=\"423\" data-end=\"432\">Federal<\/em> album, \u201cChilli\u201d arrived at the height of EsDeeKid\u2019s rise, but the track remains defiantly underground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On it, Rico Ace and Sinn6r trade X-rated lyrics about doing copious amounts of drugs over an instrumental that collides a sample from 2021 UK drill hit \u201cBody\u201d by Russ and Tion Wayne (the one that led Brighton rapper Arrrdee to stardom) with the violent OG US drill sonics of Chief Keef. Herein lies a time-warping blend that is distinctive to Rico Ace and Sinn6r\u2019s generation: fusing the pill-addled subject matter of Juice Wrld\u2019s emo rap with the aggressive delivery of drill music. \u201c<\/span><em><span>You take X, I take worse, pop pills \u2018till I can\u2019t converse,\u201d <\/span><\/em><span>raps Ace on the track.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cDOPE BOYZ\u201d \u2013 RICO ACE FEAT. ESDEEKID\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"LW95vzpGBn4\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LW95vzpGBn4\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Given the foundational role Rico played on EsDeeKid\u2019s <em data-start=\"88\" data-end=\"95\">Rebel<\/em> last year, it\u2019s only natural that EsDee returns the favour on today\u2019s <em data-start=\"166\" data-end=\"177\">Blackjack<\/em>, appearing on three of the album\u2019s ten tracks. Most notable is standout single \u201cDope Boyz\u201d, which, in characteristic UK Ug fashion, flirts with nostalgia by sampling the chorus of Soulja Boy\u2019s 2007 hit \u201cI\u2019m So Dope Boy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It might not offer anything particularly new from either Ace or EsDee, but it does deliver exactly what anyone wanted from the album in the first place: speaker-shattering production and fresh material from the UK underground\u2019s star duo. The fact that the track also arrives with a new music video is just the cherry on top, with the Liverpudlian pair smoking a spliff so huge they have to ash it into a baking tray, alongside grain-saturated shots of EsDeeKid for fans to scour for clues about his real identity. Spoiler: his face is more obscured than ever.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70068\/1\/the-rise-of-rico-ace-in-5-tracks-esdeekid-uk-ug&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/512\/0-126-512-341\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443179.jpeg&#8221;] Rico Ace promotional image April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Lists Music \/ Lists The rise of Rico Ace in 5 tracks As the viral EsDeeKid collaborator releases his debut album, Blackjack, we look back at the unadulterated rap sonics that have defined his rise over the last three years April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1876013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1876013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876013\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1876013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1876013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1876013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}