From Telford to Crystal Palace: Rapper Monroe opens for Busta Rhymes

A rapper from Telford has been inspiring the next generation after performing one of the most memorable gigs of his career in London. Monroe, a local musician, recently opened for hip-hop legends Busta Rhymes and Redman at Crystal Palace’s South Facing festival.

The artist, who has been releasing music for some time, has seen his career build up to this moment. A few years ago, he was booked to appear on BBC Three’s The Rap Game UK by ‘Eurgh,’ the owner of the well-known rap battle platform ‘Don’t Flop.’ Since then, Monroe won the Shropshire Music Award for Best Hiphop and Rap Artist and has performed at a number of festivals, including Springbreak in Amsterdam, Reading Freshers, and Colour Clash in Wales.

These performances led to a text message asking Monroe to battle fellow rapper ‘Doberman’ at the Busta Rhymes show. The bill featured iconic names like Big Daddy Kane, DJ Premier, Talib Kweli, and Charlie 2na. Monroe and the other supporting acts were tasked with warming up the crowd for the main artists.

He described the experience as amazing and surreal, saying it was a huge moment to think he was “just a lad from Telford creating music in my room” who ended up sharing a dressing room with Busta Rhymes and Redman.

Monroe is set to release a new single in late September and has a rap battle dropping soon on the PenGame Rap Battle Platform.