Offie Mag

Those of you familiar with our Music Of The Month playlist — or even our short music reviews — will surely recognise the name Fakemink. And if you didn’t discover him there, chances are you’ve seen him all over Instagram. Drake — ever keen to insert himself into the UK scene — brought out the Essex rapper during his Saturday headline set at this year's Wireless Festival. Say what you will about Drake as an artist or a person, but there’s no denying it: this is a massive moment for the next wave of UK rap.

Mink — formerly known as 9090gate — has built a cult-like following online. Even before his major viral moments, any post involving him would be swarmed by his almost manic fanbase. That same energy has spread to his friends and collaborators, who receive a similar level of adoration. I’ve personally never seen anything quite like it. Especially early on, his rise felt completely organic: the sheer volume of music, the off-the-wall fashion, the haircut that would get most sent home from school — all of it coalescing into one figure who, from the outside looking in, seems to have built a scene around himself from scratch.

For a while, I wondered whether this sound had the legs to make it out of the underground. Jerk has been slowly drip-fed through the scene over the past few years, often in a predictable “chill UK rap” format. It’s the same songs as before — just with the snares in different places. To say Fakemink is making jerk would be a misreading. In an interview with No Bells, he explains that he just liked the snares in Drake’s “Headlines”— which, coincidentally, happen to match jerk’s.

He’s not consciously making the same music as his US contemporaries — xaviersobased, nettspend, and phreshboyswag — the American sound leans far more into hyperpop than Mink’s variant, but the States have embraced it nonetheless. A link-up with phreshboyswag during his time in London and performances at Borough events landed him on Mowalola’s radar. From there, the rise has been prolific. It’s not exactly organic anymore, but the result is still extraordinary.

Fast forward just a few months, and he’s starting to make waves in LA — receiving support from figures who’ve been instrumental in the careers of artists like Playboi Carti and Lil Yachty. That momentum peaked with the release of LV Sandals. Mink’s hook on EsDeeKid’s track is solid, but it was Jack Harlow’s co-sign that catapulted him further up the rap food chain.

I think this was when I realised we’re not dealing with a flash in the pan. The industry has grabbed hold of him, and they don’t look like they’re letting go. He’s out with Ecco2k and PinkPantheress, riding around in Maybachs, but the music hasn’t stopped. The releases keep coming. There’s definitely more quality control now, but that might just be down to him improving as a producer and artist.

For a while, it felt like this scene carried an “if you know, you know” energy — and if you didn’t, then maybe you just weren’t cool enough to get it. But it’s not just the music: it’s the fashion, the social media presence, the whole attitude. And it’s clearly resonating with young people — the ones going to the shows and discussing it all on subreddits. You might not understand it, but it’s real. And it’s time to recognise it.

Words by Louis Rowland