Who Is Fakemink? The UK Rapper Winning Co-Signs From Drake, Playboi Carti, Frank Ocean & More

There are only a few rappers in recent times who’ve developed this actual, natural underground buzz that’s seemingly manifesting into mainstream consideration. For Fakemink, he’s bubbled up from the UK’s scene to incomes reward throughout the board from a few of hip-hop’s largest stars, and for good motive. He not solely raps however produces all of his personal music, and his mix of sounds, paired together with his prolific output, has turned him right into a frontrunner of the renewed jerk wave and, extra importantly, the UK’s rap scene.

His efforts have made him a favourite amongst your favourite artists. Drake introduced him out at Wi-fi—the co-sign of co-signs, if we’re being sincere—and Playboi Carti lately introduced him out on stage in Los Angeles. With the discharge of his new single, “Fidelio,” right here’s every little thing you must find out about Fakemink.

Fakemink was born Vincenzo Camille on January 29, 2005, in Essex, England, and commenced diving into the world of manufacturing by way of FL Studio by the point he was 10 years previous. He started releasing music beneath the moniker 9090gate, placing out tracks that had been closely pluggnb-inspired. These early songs showcased his knack for melody, experimental manufacturing, and minimalist preparations.

Issues modified in 2024 when he rebranded as Fakemink—a reputation that he mentioned displays each “luxurious” and “soiled” in an interview with no bells. His enigmatic presence has undoubtedly formed his enchantment; he is without doubt one of the few artists who’ve efficiently executed mysterious branding in recent times with out making it really feel compelled. Fakemink prefers to work in his darkened bed room studio and has expressed a reluctance to go away his house too usually, letting the music converse for itself.

Regardless of his elusive nature, Fakemink has shared just a few private particulars with followers. He revealed on X that he’s of Algerian and Indian descent, although he identifies strongly with Essex and its native tradition. His sonic influences are wide-ranging. He cites the drum sample on Drake’s “Headlines” as a serious inspiration for the jerk sound he employs, and he has additionally named So Far Gone as an influential physique of labor. Moreover, he lists Dean Blunt as his favourite artist ever, alongside Imogen Heap, Kanye West, Babyfather, Hype Williams, and Nettspend.

Fakemink’s rise by way of the UK rap panorama has been swift however deliberate, fueled by a DIY method that emphasizes each independence and fixed reinvention. His earliest tracks as 9090gate surfaced on SoundCloud within the early 2020s, revealing his early fascination with pluggnb and ambient entice manufacturing. These quick, melodic, self-produced songs rapidly earned him a small cult following on-line, drawn to his experimental sound and minimalist aesthetic.

By late 2023, Fakemink formally launched his new identification with the discharge of his debut album, London’s Saviour. The venture arrived with little promotion but instantly set him other than his friends. Relatively than chasing radio-friendly tendencies, he embraced a moodier, stripped-down method to jerk and UK rap, incomes early essential consideration for the album’s introspective tone and hazy manufacturing. The report established him as a critical artist intent on reshaping the sonic path of UK’s underground.

All through 2024, Fakemink constructed on that basis with two EPs, Wild One and Furever, every displaying rising polish and vary. He launched music at a relentless tempo—typically a number of singles per week—cementing his fame as some of the prolific new voices within the UK scene. His songs started circulating extensively by way of TikTok snippets and SoundCloud reposts, feeding the sense that he was a hidden gem on the point of breaking. This run additionally positioned him within the firm of comparable artists like Nettspend and XavierSoBased, who’re a part of the identical digitally native, genre-blurring group.

The explosion got here in early 2025 with the only “Easter Pink.” The 87-second observe, equal components bloghouse and cloud rap, grew to become a viral phenomenon. It captured each the nostalgia of early-2010s web music and the futuristic pulse of new-wave entice, drawing reward from shops like Pitchfork and increasing his attain past the underground. The tune’s runaway success opened new doorways—collaborations, interviews, and a rising checklist of superstar admirers.

He adopted that with “MAKKA,” a shimmering collaboration with Ecco2k and Mechatok, which cemented his cross-genre enchantment. Across the similar time, his stay appearances with Drake at Wi-fi Pageant and Playboi Carti on the Antagonist Tour proved that his model was reaching properly past the tight-knit circle of early followers. Fakemink had efficiently leveraged years of underground work right into a broader cultural second, the place each his sonic aesthetic and his persona drew curiosity from listeners throughout the globe.

Fakemink’s rise from cult underground determine to some of the talked-about new names in music has been accelerated by a wave of high-profile co-signs that few artists at his stage ever obtain. The primary main highlight got here when Drake introduced him out throughout his headlining set at London’s Wi-fi Pageant in 2025. Just a few days in the past, Playboi Carti invited him to carry out on the Antagonist Tour in Los Angeles. It marked a symbolic second that positioned Fakemink throughout the lineage of avant-garde rap figures who prioritize sound and aesthetics as a lot as efficiency.

However Fakemink’s enchantment hasn’t been restricted to rappers. Frank Ocean and Fakemink had been noticed grabbing lunch collectively one time–a critical signal of admiration from one among music’s most selective innovators, although it spurred some wild rumors. Timothée Chalamet was additionally noticed at one among Fakemink’s reveals up to now. In the meantime, artists like Yeat, PinkPanthereess and Yung Lean have been noticed in photographs alongside the up-and-comer. 

Fakemink has additionally earned recognition from pop and alt stars. Clairo, PinkPantheress, and SZA have all publicly acknowledged his work. Clairo follows Fakemink whereas SZA’s posted his tune, “Truffle” on her Instagram. 

Collectively, these endorsements—from rap royalty to left-field pop innovators—cement Fakemink as a uncommon connector throughout genres and embodies a generational shift in style and affect.

On the way in which to the highest, Fakemink has discovered himself in just a few controversies. One concerned Nettspend. Fakemink shared a snippet of a tune that many perceived as taking photographs at Nettspend’s current wardrobe selection, together with a second the place the Virginia artist mentioned he would put on a gown. Within the stay stream the place he previewed the tune, Fakemink commented that he would by no means put on a gown or mascara. “You will not ever catch man doing no ungodly sh*t, bro. Get the f*ck out my face, bro,” he mentioned. He rapidly confronted allegations of homophobia however he later clarified that he had no points with Nettspend or the LGBTQ+ group, although some have observed the 2 artists stopped unfollowing one another.

Elsewhere, Fakemink confronted backlash over accusations of anti-Black racism after he mentioned, “I am barely a rapper, I am an artist.“ Many took challenge with the assertion, seeing it as downplaying Black artwork types like hip-hop as authentic artwork, a debate the tradition has grappled with since hip-hop’s inception. Whereas the web reacted strongly, Fakemink later clarified his place, writing, “I’m a rapper, however I’m not only a rapper.”