Who is Real Artillery? All about prisoner-turned-rapper as he teams up with Dudley Youth Centre to mentor at-risk teens

Real Artillery, a British rapper from Brixton, who spent a decade in prison, has returned to music. He recently teamed up with Meadow Road Youth Centre in Dudley, as part of a project by the Community Skills and Knowledge Network (CSKN), according to a report in the Express and Star.

The three-week music project has been funded £12,000 grant from the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). This is part of its My Tomorrow campaign, which supports at-risk young people to shape their future through music. They are usually referred to by police, social services, or youth justice agencies.

Real Artillery is known as the pioneer of the UK rap industry. He described himself as one of the founders of UK grime in an interview with The Pit London. He is recognized as a member of the seminal group Roadside Gs, and also as a solo artist. He has supported the likes of Sneakbo and AM & Skengdo.

Here is more about the rapper.

Who is Real Artillery? Everything we know about the British rapper

Real Artillery spent 10 years of his life in 13 different prisons. After his comeback in 2018 to the rapping scene, he undertook the path of mentorship. He is now motivating the young people to avoid making the same mistake he made in his past.

The 39-year-old rapper is also an actor, film director, and influencer. He has released several albums, including Jim Brown (2020), Parabellum (2022). Some of his singles are Addams Family (2018), The Wrap Up series (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), The Legacy (2023), and Vendetta Freestyle (2025).

Speaking to Mixetape Madness in 2022 about his album, Real Artillery said:

“This one’s nothing but fire, bars, we’ve got grimy stuff, we’ve got drill stuff, we’ve got deep stuff. But like, hard sh*t though. This is ‘Parabellum’ part one. This is just a warm up and you should just wait and see what we’ve got for this year.”

In an interview reported by Express and Star, he spoke about working on a music project with the Community Skills and Knowledge Network (CSKN), which helps youth in troubled circumstances. Artillery said:

“I always said when I come out of prison I wanted to give back and show them the right way to live and they will listen to someone like me, because I’ve been through it and I’m in the industry.”

He added:

“It feels good that they’re using music to express themselves and then speaking to me, because when I was that young if I had someone like me that I could go to and say certain things to, it might have helped me sway a different way in life.”

He further said:

“I think sometimes the Government is sponsoring things that the kids don’t want to go to, but with something like this they are on us to come. They are ringing us up.”

The aim of CSKN is to mentor young people across the Black County who face serious challenges such as involvement in gangs, disengagement from school, or difficult family circumstances.

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