UK-based Ghanaian Rapper Headie-One Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison

A court in North London has sentenced 25 -year-old Ghanaian rapper based in the UK Headie One to six months imprisonments for unlawful possession of blade.

The drill artist, who’s had two top 10 UK singles, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on 3 January.

Born Irving Adjei, Headie One was arrested last June but played at both Glastonbury and Wireless festivals after being bailed.

Headie One’s record label has no comment on his sentence.

The rapper is best-known for his track 18Hunna, which features Mercury Prize winner Dave and peaked at number six on the UK charts.

That and the chart position of his most recent track Audacity, which features on Stormzy’s new album, makes him the most successful artist from the UK drill scene.

The genre has received plenty of negative attention in the press, though, due to its often violent lyrics about drugs and gangs.

This isn’t Headie One’s first conviction.

The rapper was reportedly locked up for 30 months in 2014 after being caught with heroin and cocaine worth £30,000 in Aberdeen.

His lawyer at the time said he’d been acting as a drug courier to pay off debts.

Asked by the NME last year what his other convictions were for, he said “everything, really”.

“Drugs charges, violent charges. I’m lucky to be here today.”

Headie One is the latest UK musician to face jail time for carrying a knife, following on from Brit and Mercury Prize-nominated rapper J Hus, who received an eight-month sentence in 2018.

Drill artist Unknown T, meanwhile, has been remanded in custody since being charged with murder in July and is awaiting the start of his trial.

YouTube has previously banned drill videos at the Metropolitan Police’s request, and last year two drill artists were found guilty of breaching a gang injunction when they performed one of their songs.

Headie One completed a UK tour at the end of last year and had no upcoming shows planned.