It’s been a whirlwind few years for Aitch, from first blowing up with ‘Straight Rhymez’ to the cover of The Face. In that short time, he’s had six top 10 smashes, a string of brilliant collaborations including Stormzy, Young T and Bugsey, Russ and Tion Wayne, Ed Sheeran’s worldwide hit ‘Take Me Back To London’ (or ‘Take Me Back to Manny’, as Aitch’s contribution cheekily rechristened it) and last year’s BRIT-nominated smash ‘Rain’ with A J Tracey, whose LA- shot video now has 43m views online. Plus a Brit nomination, MOBO Award, Global Award, and countless other accolades. “Everything’s been a blur,” says 21-year-old Aitch, (Harrison Armstrong to his mum, “I’m still a mummy’s boy”). “It all happened so fast I feel like I just blinked and I arrived here, but in another way I look back and it feels like ages ago, when I first blew up, ‘cos so much has happened since then. Everything just gets bigger and better. Everything is times ten now.” The Face were only the latest to chart the unstoppable rise of this Northern star, anointing Aitch and NQ, the musical family he was incubated in as singlehandedly making Manchester once again the focal point of the UK scene. Coming out of lockdown, Aitch is coiled like a spring, using his time to put the finishing touches to a debut album he’s cocksure will back up all the hype and cement his position as a major musical force. Not just in the UK, but internationally. Make no mistake, the ambition of Aitch is bigger than the UK scene, it’s global. Northern roots, Global influence. “This whole next year is about showing I’m back and I’m better. Aitch 2.0. A thousand, million per cent better.”
