South London three-piece the Manor first came together in 2007 after meeting at Beckenham College. Made up of MCs Danny Graft, Scotty Stacks, and Jonny Dutch, the trio started performing at local pubs and clubs, building up a considerable fan base with their rowdy take on British hip-hop and grime. Although their lyrics dealt with the joys of drinking, partying, and smoking weed, the group also had a serious side, detailing social injustice, racism, and poverty, particularly in their local surrounding area.
Their first release came in September 2011 with the mixtape Welcome to the Manor, released for free. Videos on SBTV’s YouTube channel helped build their profile even more, and a year later, they released the Free Mixtapes Don’t Pay the Rent album, which featured the fan favorite “Alors en Graft.” Continuing to put on parties and gigs, particularly at their local pub the Beckenham, the trio also juggled university studies before deciding to put the group on hold in 2014. With airplay on BBC 1xtra and the Streets’ founder Mike Skinner singing their praises, however, the Manor returned in 2015 with their third mixtape, Don’t Do What We Did. Snapped up by Parlophone in 2016, the group released their first proper EP, Weak Days, Strong Nights, while also playing some of their biggest gigs to date, including a sold-out show at one of Camden’s most popular venues, Koko. The Manor scored a minor hit with 2017’s “The Sesh” then returned in 2018 with singles like “Out ‘Ere” and “Ibiza.”