NE-O: The Newcastle Rapper Redefining the Grime Scene in 2024

Newcastle-based artist NE-O is a multi-faceted talent who has carved out a unique path in the music industry. From supporting grime legends to headlining shows at the North East's iconic Glasshouse ICM and sharing stages with bass heavyweights, his journey showcases a diverse and evolving catalogue. Yet, through all his growth, his humble grime roots remain a consistent thread.

NE-O's sound has evolved to incorporate elements of UK Rap, but his live performances continue to proudly echo his grime origins, never missing a Rhythm n Gash freestyle. After a brief hiatus in 2023, NE-O is back stronger than ever with unprecedented industry backing. Just months into 2024, he has performed his biggest show to date, secured bookings at iconic venues, and has exciting projects on the horizon.

Having started his musical career in 2017 as a former member of NE Dons, NE-O has since released four EPs and earned accolades such as Track Of The Week from BBC Introducing, a MOBO grant, a Maida Vale cypher feature, and airplay on BBC 1Xtra and BBC Radio 1. Every step of NE-O's journey has been leading up to 2024, which promises to be the pinnacle of his career thus far.

1. Your career has taken you from supporting grime legends to headlining shows and sharing stages with bass heavyweights. How have these diverse experiences influenced your musical style and performance approach?

  I took a lot of inspiration from the artists that I met and supported in the early stages of my career. They all told me the same thing, and that was the importance of consistency in the music industry. I kind of made it a point to be as prolific as possible and make sure that nobody in the local scene could deny my presence. As for my performance approach, I’ve always been an energetic performer. My main goal on stage is to make sure the crowd gets as into it as possible, so I can feed off their energy.

2. Despite evolving your sound to include elements of UK Rap, you’ve maintained a strong connection to your grime roots, especially in your live performances. What is it about grime that continues to resonate with you and your audience?

Grime’s been my favourite genre since I was in school. I think it resonates so well because of it’s simplicity and raw energy. There’s nothing that gets a crowd more hyped than the beat switching and an MC catching the drop perfectly, and that’s something that I’ve always included in my live sets. It helps that grime’s always seemed to remain popular in the northeast despite losing some of its shine nationwide, I’m one of many MC’s that stuck with it and kept on pushing the sound at gigs.

3. After a hiatus in 2023, you've come back stronger than ever with significant industry backing. What motivated your return, and how has the support you've received impacted your current projects and goals?

My close friends in music just wouldn’t let me quit. My best friend Eyeconic was always trying to get me to come round and write with him, and thankfully I did. We wrote and recorded our most recent collab ‘Isit’ in 1 sitting, then booked a joint headline show not long after which sold out. That gave me the motivation to fully come back, and I came into 2024 with a level of optimism that I don’t think I’d had before. But I didn’t expect to receive the support that I have. When Nrthrn Baby asked me to perform at The Glasshouse, it was the biggest moment in my career so far, as it was a venue that I’d always dreamt of performing at. So to headline a show there was massive for me. I’ve also always received a lot of support from the local BBC Introducing show, but when I got told I’d been selected for Reading & Leeds I was blown away. It’s made me realise that all my hard work might actually pay off, and it’s motivated me to a level I’ve never felt before.

4.  Starting in 2017 with NE Dons and now having released four EPs, you've achieved numerous accolades, including BBC Introducing's Track of the Week and a MOBO grant. Which of these achievements stands out to you the most, and why?

Out of those listed, I’d say the MOBO Grant felt the biggest at the time, it was the first time I’d actually received funding for my music, after doing unpaid gigs and spending all my own money on my music. It felt good to have some sort of financial backing and really allowed me to focus just on the music, and not so much on how I was gonna do it. But my biggest achievement so far is definitely the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds. I can’t wait to represent the Northeast properly at one of the UK’s biggest festivals.

5. 2024 is set to be a pivotal year for you, with your biggest show to date and more projects on the horizon. Can you give us a glimpse into what fans can expect from you this year and how you plan to make it the pinnacle of your career?

I’ve been making music pretty much nonstop for the last few months, and I plan on just being as consistent as ever with my releases. I started producing beats this year, and plan to drop my first ever self-produced single in the coming months. Other than that, I’m gonna perfect my set for R&L, alongside my DJ Pirata and Eyeconic. It’s definitely going to be a massive moment for me, and hopefully the rest of my local scene.