Why UK Poo Is Here To Stay
A new music genre has emerged once again, thanks to the ever-churning algorithm of social media platform TikTok. It all started in June 2026 when the Nottingham-based musician, Michelin Lz, released her song ‘Lately’ on TikTok, and Twitter user, Cashyams, posted on X about her song, calling it ‘UK Poo’. The (hilariously named) genre essentially makes fun of bad-quality British music with questionable lyrical choices - often random and missing context. As the founder of the genre addressed in an interview with Dazed about what makes a video considered to be UK Poo, he states, "It needs to be filmed on an iPhone, preferably outside of a corner shop or your local pub, and if you can get a lime bike or a Nike Tech fleece in there, too – great!”
The growing accessibility of editing apps like CapCut has transcended the music industry’s rigid boundaries. Emerging artists have leveraged media affordances to craft distinctive, meme-ready personas, intentionally absurd and perfectly attuned to viral brainrot content. This mobilised era of freestyle rap was popularised by the ‘Big Three’, better known as FamousAK, Savvytgc, and ODSection. All three have made music with outrageous lyrics from “shake your bum bum” to “come slap me again” and “I went from the rich life to the broke life” that have reached millions of views. Lyrically, the three sit outside the traditional confines of the music industry, reinventing the face of acceptable sound.
The August 2026 UK Poo live show held in South London’s The Hatch Club cleared a new path for the UK rap industry; beyond purely sharing short clips on social media every week, attendees immediately transformed the concert into a meme-worthy spectacle, posting upwards of 50 videos on TikTok. The concert created a unique, light-hearted setting, celebrating online interactions by bringing them to life. One user commented, "In all seriousness, the UK Poo scene is what the UK needs instead of just imitating what’s popular in the US" (User @npc_ang3l under a TikTok video). At the same time, the scene functions as a pointed commentary on the inaccessibility of the British music industry, where studio time, PR teams, and industry connections often gatekeep who gets heard. By embracing minimal production, deliberately “bad” lyrics, and meme-first distribution, UK Poo artists claim visibility without conforming to expensive norms of polish and professionalism. In this light, the genre is less a passing joke than a critique of who is allowed to be taken seriously in UK music.
Why, in this cultural timeline, are these UK Poo artists comparably just as popular as mainstream rapper names like Nettspend and Fakemink? Predictions that focus on the downfall of UK Poo may be short-sighted. For those who attended, the concert was about the opportunity to participate in an online phenomenon, not caring about how the “Big Three” can turn less than one-minute lyrics into a four-hour concert.
I myself decided to attend the concert held in London and am pleased to say it was an amazing night witnessing the jokes I consume on my screen come to life. Standing in a crowd of excited people, I understood the hype around UK Poo is shared amongst people from all backgrounds. For those who attended, the concert was about the opportunity to participate in an online phenomenon, not caring about how the “Big Three” can turn less than one-minute lyrics into a four-hour concert. I got to meet both Savvytgc and FamousAK backstage – although I had not bought VIP tickets, FamousAK asked security to let me and my boyfriend backstage while ODSection performed. There I got to witness other producers networking, artists’ families cheering on, and performers cycling on and off stage. We were even invited to take pictures with the UK POO artists and speak as if we were long-time friends rather than random attendees. Compared to their online personas, where they perform ‘brainrot’ one-liners that identify them as larger-than-life meme figures, in reality they are relaxed and friendly, similar to ordinary people pursuing a successful career through strategic methods. It was clear that, without professional marketing controlling engagement with fans, personal interactions can strategically deepen our affection for viral artists.
Though many predict UK Poo is bound to die down soon, I argue otherwise. The show paved a new route for the UK rap industry; the concert created a unique, light-hearted setting for celebrating our online social interactions beyond our screens. The UK Poo scene has the potential to open doors to a new realm of music – it is here to stay, already creating new opportunities for small and emerging artists to gain fame beyond traditional class barriers.
Edited by Music Co-Editor, Mahak Naddafi
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