Rodney P is a Battersea-born MC from the United Kingdom who enters the UK hip hop scene in the 1980s. He is also known as da riddim killa and is linked to dub-heavy music shaped by the reggae he hears while growing up as a second-generation West Indian immigrant.

Career

Rodney P starts out as a member of London Posse, one of the UK’s first home-grown hip hop acts and a group that is highly influential in the genre’s development. In 1986, London Posse is invited by Mick Jones of The Clash to support Big Audio Dynamite on a UK tour. A recording contract with Big Life Records follows.

He goes on to support N.W.A. and Soul II Soul in the early 1990s. He also chooses to protect his creative control by establishing his own label, Riddim Killa, in collaboration with Low Life Records, which is one of the leading labels in the growing scene.

Collaborations and recordings

Rodney P is introduced to DJ Skitz through a mutual friend from the Deal Real workshop in the West End, and he appears on Skitz’s albums Countryman and Homegrown Volume 1. He and Skitz also host a show on BBC 1Xtra.

His work extends into radio documentaries, including a programme recorded in Johannesburg about the aftermath of apartheid. He also records with producers and DJs including The Nextmen, Mystro and Plus One, and with fellow MCs Roots Manuva, Skinnyman and Dynamite MC.

His collaborations also include dance acts Roni Size and Freq Nasty, as well as Björk, Nitin Sawhney and the Greek hip hop crew Active Member.

Live work

Rodney P remains a regular live performer on the UK circuit and with artists from the United States. His appearances include the MF Prince’s Trust Concert with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, the United Nations Habitat Charity Concert with Jazzy Jeff, Dead Prez and Mos Def, and regular sets at London’s Fabric live nights.