1. A rapper from… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists who use the name Devlin:
1. A rapper from London, signed to Island Records.
2. A gothic metal band from Sweden, last signed to Napalm Records.
1. Rapper from United Kingdom:
It’s taken a handful of years for Dagenham resident Devlin to take his deep, dedicated lyrics out of the confines of East London and prove his worth across the North/South border. It’s now not unusual to watch Devlin causing carnage on stage in Northampton or booking shows in Amsterdam.
At 18 years of age Devlin has what can only be described as a cult following of supporters that value his intelligent and evocative lyrics, in a pool of MCs that all too often spawn monotonous and lacklustre rappers. A diamond in the rough, Devlin’s road to success began at O.T. Recordings where he still currently resides with label-mates Dogzilla, Shotz, Syer, Rachet, and Deverlish amongst others.
Devlin was first brought to O.T's attention when he hit the airwaves on a local radio station at jus 13; even then it was easy to see he had real talent. Devlin would go up radio as much as he could with whoever would let him on, he was also writing and recording songs with friends and local producers at a very young age. It wasn’t very long before he built up a good reputation in the area. A few years later he was brought to Dogzilla's attention again, this time by a mutual friend, Dogzy decided to give Devlin a chance and took him to the studio to check him out and lay some vocals. At the time the Danny Weed's (Roll Deep) "Heat Up" was one of the most popular tracks around, Devlin jumped on it and didn’t disappoint, spitting a high level of content at a good speed and at the same time displaying a style and flow well beyond his years.
Devlin was soon introduced to the rest of the O.T Crew and Dogzy wasted no time in organising a radio slot on Flava FM. Flava was a well known breeding ground for new talent, the management at Flava have had almost every big name in the scene on there at some point so it was the perfect place for Devlin to start his membership with O.T. The sets on Flava FM were massive, every week the phone line would jam when Devlin touched the mic. He soon made the switch to Rinse FM where he was an instant hit. Still only 16 Devlin had shown he could mix it with the big boys; he even managed to do a set with the legend that is DJ Slimzee before his departure from radio.
His relentless progression continued with each track Devz featured on. The combination between Dogzilla and Devlin on tracks was deadly and a freestyle from producer Rootz showed just how far Devlin had come, and in such a short space of time. The Rootz track along with eight other tracks featuring Devlin was to appear on O.T Recordings fist mixtape release.
The London Borough of Barking & Dogenham Mixtape was released in Feb. 2006 and received great critical success. (Check Blog - Reviews/Interviews). One of the stand-out tracks on the CD was Devlin's Ghetto Kyote Remix freestyle which was produced by O.T Recording's Deverlish. The track was played right across the board, from pirate stations like Rinse to commercial radio stations such as 1Xtra and Kiss Fm. Devlin has performed live sets on both commercial stations; with DJ Logan Sama at Kiss100FM and DJ Cameo at BBC 1Xtra. He has also appeared on The Media Gang's Practice Hours DVD and Target's Aim High, Risky Roadz and Rinse FM's Rinsessions mixtape.
2006 saw Devlin hit the shops twice with the O.T Recordings mixtape, vinyl release April Shower from O.T producer Shotz and Firein produced by production talent Rachet. Devlin also featured heavily on Broad Street Stories and the uber-successful Shot City Mixtape.
More recently Devlin joined The Movement; a group of some of the very best MCs and producers in the grime scene including Ghetto, Scorcher and Wretch 32. Tempo Specialists was released in 2007 and proved that the best MCs in the scene had formed a strong alliance.
Devlin's first solo mixtape entitled Tales From The Crypt was released in November 2006. It featured collaborations with O.T and The Movement members and was considered one of the best grime mixtapes of 2006.
Since Devlin’s first solo release, the young MC is gearing up for his second effort ‘Blood, Sweat and Beers’ and the Devlin E.P as the talented MC garners more press attention and support throughout the UK and Europe.
http://www.officialdevlin.com/
2. Gothic metal band from Sweden
Members:
Marcus Ehlin - Instruments, vocals (Siebenbürgen, Grand Illusion, Maledictum, A Canorous Quintet)
Lexi - Vocals
http://www.myspace.com/unofficialdevlin
Freestyle
Devlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
I'll just let everyone spit when I lie low
Then strike when the time feels right
Self instructed, fuck your advice
I don't want much but a slut for a wife
Money in the bank piled up would be nice
We're all after a luxury life but the ugliest sights are corrupting our minds
Until your brain can't think for itself, it's just driven by the rage inside
Some man are sharp to react like Arabian knights
I'm at a stage in my life
Where I don't care for the hype
I just wanna better my career
If you've got a vendetta though, I'm here
We can make arrangements right
No snake, I'm a crane in flight
The dangerous heights
Painting a page like Damien Rice
When it's late and I'm high
Tryna bring the painting to life
Like my boy Rawz Artilla, I can do what I want, I can say what I like
I can make dead ravens fly
In the jaded sky when I spray these rhymes
I got pointed a gun at my lyrics
Clicked on the trigger then I waved goodbye
I'll put the bar in the sky
I ain't alive, and dead men don't die
Tell them all that it's Devlinstein
Infecting minds 'til they're F'd like mine
When I'm in effect I'm electric
I'm like Jay Fox, I'm electrolive
But there ain't no Spiderman
They try to defy the plan, I'm insighting this fiery land there's no hiding here
Come and find me right where I stand
No budging, faking, bluffing, all I can do is play with a hand
I was given in a place called Britain, where the sun don't shine when the rain comes down
I ain't no liar
Doggzy and Siah
All the first man in grime are the fire
That make me feel like taking a wire
I'm wrapping it around your neck when I step
Dev's the messiah
Hybrid fire
Cloning my genes with the genie of hire
Understand I'm gonna wreck this set
I bite, I don't bark, get a tetanus check
Whoever you select or dissect in so many sets when I send these threats
I'll treble any bet that you've set
Wait until my lyrics start taking effect
Breaking the spirit of the jaded
Backslash faded, and new-comers with the rep
'Cause I'm watching, so watch it
I'm clocking every goddamn step
Mic check, if you wanna be in set well stiffen up your Exoskeletons
Insects wanna creep and crawl around me 'cause they heard that I'm Devlin
In jest I should slaughter you all and then bury 'em for acting feminine
Contest, and I'm making you subject one in my strange experiment
Malevolent, pain indefinite
Dark development, Drugnam resident
Periodic when I store every element
You'll never know what's in store for your regiment
J don't give an F to the K
I know you see the inside of the presidents
Brains sprayed by the great
Country that we gave birth to that buried them
I've never been credited fully, I know
That's why I've gotta play this bully-ish role
You don't wanna fuck with me, I look nice, but I'm not like the Annabelle doll, you know
Devlin is going on cold, you know
This is the OT show, you know
I ain't never sold my soul, you know
Devlin's ruthless, like a house in a hurricane, quick here I come again
Well equipped for this shit when I run away
When my tongue get burnt like a ginger on a sunny day
Don't care what he'd fucking say
Telling me I'm nothing great, you muppet wait, I'm big like Puffy's mate
I'll put your name in a letter and I'll seal your fate
I maintain no pain, no gain
Youngest veteran inside this game
I've earned my stripes, burnt these mics
I inspired these kids when I came
OT to the days of the movement
Major improvement making a change
My name's not a drug, don't use it
It just might ruin your day (Ruin your day, ruin your day)
In the song "Freestyle" by Devlin, the lyrics depict the artist's confidence and determination to make a mark in the music industry. Devlin starts by saying he will let others speak while he takes a backseat and observes. He mentions his readiness to strike and make an impact when the time is right, dismissing any unwanted advice. Devlin expresses his desire for a simple life and financial stability, criticizing how materialism and corruption can corrupt one's mind.
As he continues, Devlin acknowledges his maturity and indifference towards the fame and hype surrounding him. He focuses on bettering his career while remaining open to settling any conflicts that may arise. He compares himself to a crane in flight, emphasizing his movement and ability to rise above challenges. Devlin draws inspiration from his friend, Rawz Artilla, and asserts his artistic independence, stating that he can do and say whatever he wants, even making something seemingly impossible, like dead ravens flying.
The lyrics also showcase Devlin's resilience and defiance. He mentions a gun being aimed at his lyrics, but he confidently waves goodbye, suggesting that he isn't easily shaken. He proclaims his ability to set high standards and take his artistry to new levels, with wordplay referencing his own name (Devlinstein) and the phrase "F'd like mine." Devlin compares himself to an electrifying force like actor Michael J. Fox in the movie "Back to the Future," emphasizing his captivating presence and energy.
Furthermore, Devlin expresses a strong sense of identity and pride in being from Britain. He acknowledges the challenging environment he grew up in, where rain often masks the sunshine. He mentions fellow artists Doggzy and Siah, highlighting the collective impact and talent within the grime genre. Devlin's confidence shines through as he asserts his position as a leader and savior for the genre, specifically referring to himself as the "messiah."
Throughout the song, Devlin challenges and dismisses his critics, asserting that he is not interested in their opinions. He paints himself as a ruthless force to be reckoned with, targeting those who act feminine or weak. Devlin's lyrics display his lyrical prowess, proclaiming his ability to dismantle and dominate the rap game. He concludes by stating his refusal to compromise or sell his soul, and claims that his name carries weight, cautioning anyone who underestimates him. Devlin emphasizes his perseverance, experience, and impact on the music industry thus far.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christopher Hanlon, James John Devlin, Laidi Saliasi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M
Best GRIME artist ever! I swear... too lyrical!
Charlie Jackson
I live the way devlin sometimes steps back from the mic as though its too hot and he needs to let it cool down in this vid 😂
TheSnoozeFox
Breath control is essential for any great rapper
George Crowcroft
He does it in his FITB as well
D M
Actually love to see devlin and aitch go bar for bar, devlin would end his career
ATA'S WORLD
Devlin would merk him
Andrew McVicker
Wouldn't even put them in the same sentence 🤣
Matty Crowe
😅😅 and everyone in the drill game and everyone trying to do hip-hop and everyone in America everybody fucking everybody 🐐 🔥
A&D Urban Exploration Northerners With Attitude
Devlin is deeply lyrical and has wordplay content, aitch just ryhmes with a flow
BEAST BOOST
@The People's Army if your replying to me your an idiot first there's nothing grime about that wet wipe second I actually said there nothing alike