British Rapper Mist Is Blowing Up With Memorable Videos and Street Anthems

From Sir Spyro’s subtly surreal take on a DIY video shot in the neighborhood (“Side By Side”) to Skepta’s U.K. style as fashion editorial (“Shutdown”), there have been a lot of memorable British rap videos in recent years. Birmingham artist Mist might have just outdone them all with his video for “Hot Property.”

Heading out to Iceland for a visual extravaganza, Mist and director Oliver Jennings pack memorable scene on top of memorable scene in just under two minutes—from a plane wreck to geysers and jet skis, there are endless GIFable moments. Mist even puts his chain on a husky, in what may be the video’s best moment.

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Stunning videos in exotic locales are starting to become a habit for Mist, with last year’s “Ain’t The Same” shot in Dubai, but even when he’s on home soil, he pays close attention to the way he presents himself visually.

“I feel visuals are the realest way of putting my music to my fans,” Mist explains. “I give them the tracks and then follow up with a movie-like visual, which should always take them on a journey. My videos show me accomplishing goals I always wanted to achieve as a kid so they are seeing my life goals via my music.”

My videos show me accomplishing goals I always wanted to achieve as a kid.

Don’t wait until you can fly out of the country to make a memorable video though. As Mist points out, “We now live in a time where technology has advanced so even the up and comers with cameras can make the visual look incredible. I guess its just lucky that I now have the means to film out of the country in some epic locations.”

The focus on his videos is well deserved, but don’t think for a moment that Mist is all style and no substance. He’s a thoughtful, honest rapper, reflecting on his life in the streets but striving to make his situation better through music for himself, his crew, and his daughter. The death of Mist’s mother comes up often, as does his time in jail, on reflective tracks like “Madness” and M I S to the T EP tracks “Karlas Back” and “Smokey.” 

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Mist’s clear, precise rap style and honest lyrics have won him fans all over the U.K., no easy task for a rapper from the city of Birmingham in central England, as media attention and the music industry remain concentrated in London.

“I grew up in a place which is multicultural, meaning I’ve had the chance to see life in many different forms,” Mist explains. “Growing up I was around many Asians and they taught me a few words, which I now use in my music. Birmingham has been my home, had loads of ups and downs but that’s life. Wherever you spend a great amount of time it shapes you without you even knowing.”

Next up: Taking his sound to the rest of the world. At a time when much attention in America is being paid to grime, Mist—a rap artist not a grime MC—is already at an advantage. His slower flows and vocal-sample heavy beat selection (frequent collaborator Steel Banglez includes a lot of melody in his productions) have much more in common with current US rap, but regardless of sonics, Mist wants listeners hearing him for the first time to “know it’s real life rap.”

I don’t have to sound American for them to know my music bangs.

“I don’t have to sound American for them to know my music bangs,” he continues. “I speak with my accent and my sound and already from my sold out tours I’ve seen people in the crowd from all different walks of life. If they can wave to my music then that shows people across the waters can do so to!”

With millions of view on YouTube and a sold out U.K. tour already in the books in 2017, Mist is in a great spot. He dropped his debut EP in 2016, so maybe there’s an album on the way? Mist isn’t giving too much away yet, telling us his plans for this year are, “Touring the world. Making more music. More life.”

Listen to more music from one of the U.K.’s most compelling rappers below and follow him on Twitter here.

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