Daniel Richie Lena (born 17 August 1999), known professionally as Unknown T, is a British-Ugandan rapper. His post release album Rise Above Hate (2020) was a major hit on the UK music scene, with the album reaching the top of the charts in its first couple of weeks.
His debut single, "Homerton B", peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart in October 2018.[3] Though it was originally released without a label,[4] its chart performance led to him being signed by Island Records through Universal Music Group[5] and appeared at Wireless festival in 2019.[6] It was included in a number of publications "best of 2018" lists, including The Guardian,[7] Mixmag,[8] and Complex.[9] In March 2019, "Homerton B" became the first UK drill track to be certified Silver by the BPI.[10] Follow up tracks "Throwback", "Meat" and "Leave Dat Trap", the latter featuring AJ Tracey, have accumulated over 5 million views.[11]
Unknown T's first mixtape Rise Above Hate was released on 17 July 2020 and peaked at 14 on the UK Albums Chart.[12] On 7 January 2021, Unknown T released the single "WW2".[13] On 10 June, the second single "Wonderland" featuring M Huncho was released.[14] On 25 June, he released the third single "Goodums".[15][16] On 15 July, he released the fourth single "Driller sh!t".[17] On 30 July 2021, Unknown T released his second mixtape Adolescence, including guest appearances from Digga D, M1llionz, Potter Payper, and Nafe Smallz.[18]
He jointly holds the record for most top 75 hits in the UK without having a top 40 hit with fellow British rapper Loski. Unknown T also made a cameo appearance as himself in the BBC series Boarders.
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Lena is of Ugandan and Congolese descent. Lena is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.[19]
In 2017, aged 17, Lena was cleared of hiding a 4 mm revolver and ammunition under his bed after claiming the gun was foisted upon him by a stranger.[20] More recently Lena was cleared of murdering Steve Narvaez-Jara, 20, at a house party near Old Street, Islington, London in the early hours of 1 January 2018.[21] Speaking to the Guardian in 2018, Lena complained that the drill scene – long the subject of criticism in the media – was being unfairly attacked. "They don't understand the reality," he said. "It's not about the music, it's about what's behind the music. You can't blame the music, or say you're giving a helping hand with no aid. They're pointing the finger at us but forgetting there's three fingers pointing back."[22]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [23] |
UK R&B/HH [24] | ||
| Blood Diamond |
|
61 | 2 |
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [23] |
UK R&B/HH [24] |
IRE [25] | |||
| Rise Above Hate |
|
14 | 3 | 74 | |
| Adolescence |
|
8 | 3 | 88 | |
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Before the Smoke |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Class of 98s (with 98s) |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [27] |
UK R&B/HH [28] | ||||
| "Homerton B"[29] | 2018 | 48 | 27 |
|
Non-album singles |
| "Throwback" (with Crazy Cousinz)[30] |
2019 | 63 | 38 | ||
| "Meat"[31] | — | — | |||
| "Leave Dat Trap" (featuring AJ Tracey)[32] |
53 | 32 | Rise Above Hate | ||
| "Fresh Home"[33] | 2020 | 55 | 36 | ||
| "Squeeze & Buss"[34] | — | — | |||
| "Daily Duppy" (featuring GRM Daily)[35] |
— | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Deh Deh"[36] | 80 | — | Rise Above Hate | ||
| "Main Squeeze" (featuring Young T & Bugsey)[37] |
99 | — | |||
| "WW2" | 2021 | 42 | 23 | Adolescence | |
| "Wonderland" (featuring M Huncho) |
52 | 17 | |||
| "Goodums" | — | — |
| ||
| "Driller sh!t" | — | — | |||
| "Double Tap" (with Abra Cadabra) |
64 | 21 | Non-album singles | ||
| "Often" | 2022 | — | — | ||
| "Just Landed (Freestyle pt. I)" | — | — | Who said drill’s dead? | ||
| "Batty & Bench (Freestyle pt. II)" | — | — | |||
| "Right Hand" (with Knucks) |
2023 | 70 | — | Blood Diamond | |
| "Free Slime / Sexy Girls" (with Lancey Foux) |
— | — | Before the Smoke | ||
| "Adolescence" (featuring Digga D) |
90 | — | Blood Diamond | ||
| "Hocus Pocus" (Unknown T featuring Loyle Carner)[38] |
2024 | — | — | ||
| "–" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "9er Ting" (Kay-O featuring Unknown T)[39] |
2018 | This Sh#ts Ments |
| "Medusa" (WSTRN featuring Unknown T)[40] |
2019 | Non-album singles |
| "Dumpa" (Ill Blu featuring M24, Unknown T)[41] |
2020 | |
| "Kate Winslet" (NSG featuring Unknown T) | ||
| "Jagged Edge" (TSB featuring M1llionz & Unknown T) |
2021 | |
| "Roberto C" (Young T & Bugsey featuring Unknown T) |
Truth Be Told | |
| "Packs and Potions (Remix)" (Hazey featuring M1llionz, Digga D & Unknown T) |
2022 | Non-album single |
| "PRAYERS"(OBLADAET featuring Unknown T)[42] | 2023 | Players Club 2 |
| "UK Drill" (Booter Bee featuring Unknown T) | 2024 | True Stories 2 |
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Turn"[43] | 2019 | RV, Headie One | Drillers x Trappers II |
| "Raise Hell"[44] | V9 | Homerton Sensei | |
| "Black & Proud" | 2020 | AJ Tracey | Reprise: A Roc Nation Album |
| "Excuse Me" | SL | Different Dude | |
| "Double Trouble"[45] | GRM Daily, D Double E | GRM 10 | |
| "Drip Drip" | V9 | Yūdokuna | |
| "Under Surveillance" | Frosty | Under Surveillance | |
| "Ughh!" | 98s, Jimmy, Kay-O | Class of 98s | |
| "98 Degrees" | 98s, Stally, DA, Hitman, V9, Mazza | ||
| "Medicine" | 2021 | Deno | Boy Meets World |
| "Mon Cher" | Gazo, Pa Salieu | Drill FR | |
| "Eastender" | Potter Payper | Thanks for Waiting | |
| "Anger Problems" | V9 | Murk With A Mouth | |
| "Tied Up" | Kay-O | Fine Line | |
| "Went Jail" | 2022 | Groundworks, Digga D | The G Tape: Volume 1 |
| "Darjeeling" | FKA twigs, Jorja Smith | Caprisongs | |
| "Giddy Up" | wewantwraiths | HeartBrokeChild |
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
