Southeast London has long been a breeding ground for rappers with eloquent pens—some wielding charismatic wit, others deeply reflecting the rhythmic culture of UK hip hop. ENNY, a Southeast London-bred artist, embodies both, using her music as a conduit for autobiographical storytelling, spiritual reflection, and a celebration of community. With her roots close to her heart, ENNY urges listeners to feel deeply, keeping the expressive spirit of hip hop alive.
Comparing British and American rappers, ENNY emphasizes that while the sounds may differ, the emotional core remains the same. “We are all in this world of soul and hip hop, but the dialect and the stories have that impact on the music. UK and US rappers all share that we’re humans and we have feelings,” she tells ESSENCE Girls United.
Her artistry reflects the rich tapestry of the UK scene, shaped by gospel, instruments, and a mix of influences from Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott to Lil Kim and J. Cole. “I was a J. Cole fanatic in my early teens,” she laughs. “He played a huge role in shaping my storytelling and writing.” ENNY channels this inspiration into lyrics that invite listeners into her life, from her family household to the streets of London, enveloping them in deeply personal narratives.
Tracks like “Peng Black Girls” showcase her melodic rap delivery, paying homage to the diverse Black women who supported her growing up. Southeast London, home to a vibrant African diaspora, inspires ENNY to celebrate the multiplicity of Black womanhood—from butch women to cocoa butter women to emo women—giving voice to stories rarely told in mainstream music.
Following the release of her 2023 EP We Go Again, ENNY fused afrobeats, gospel, and rap, demonstrating her versatility and ability to craft music that moves both body and soul. Her talent caught the attention of Jorja Smith, who invited her on her first U.S. tour. ENNY’s August 12th show at the Hollywood Palladium was met with an eruption of enthusiasm, and the tour broadened her vision for how her music connects globally.
Fresh off the tour, ENNY reflects on her craft with ESSENCE Girls United. She speaks to the power of writing and music as her “superpower,” her love for London, and the human experiences that fuel her artistry. Through her pen, ENNY continues to bridge continents, telling stories that resonate, inspire, and celebrate the enduring power of hip hop.
Has your tour wrapped up yet? How has your tour been with Jorja Smith?
The tour was really good. It was nice to do half headline and half opening and get to see the difference between the both. The tour felt like a huge growing moment in my career. Across the cities Vancouver and Toronto and New York, where my headlines were, there was a lot of love. They really were expressing how happy they were for me to be there, which I felt a lot of. In your home city, sometimes they’re so used to you.
Do you have any cherished moments from this tour around the US?
Definitely. I got to see America in a way that I haven’t seen before, because I’ve only been to New York and LA. It was just me observing a lot more, especially within Chicago and Seattle. Going to all these different places and seeing different crowds and seeing how different people are as well in different states. In Chicago, we definitely had to go try to get a deep dish and I really liked it. I don’t even like pizza like that.
Women are running music right now. Why do you think a woman’s approach to music-making is innately different to a man’s, especially in hip hop?
We know the male narrative quite well and we’ve heard it for a very long time. Outside of maybe promiscuous rap, there hasn’t been too much of an exploration of female rappers in that capacity.
I agree I feel like women aren’t often afforded the room to share everything in the sphere of hip hop. Is there an era of rap you treasure most?
The 2010s was a really epic period of hip hop.
You’re a true storyteller. What is your writing process like? Is your phone app notes running rampant with one-liners?
To be honest, I use iPhone notes and a voice recording situation. I like to type, I wish I was a notebook writer, but nah, just the phone is in my hand. I’m experimenting right now, but I think it’s always good to have a hub of people you can go back and work with. Even just to get lyrics out, it doesn’t necessarily have to be their production but being able to create in a space that is familiar and safe.
What is one of your favorite penned lyrics?
I’m not gonna lie. I think my music’s quite good. I’m quite proud of everything. I think the fact that I even have a catalog is something that really gets me. Probably my last EP would be the one that I would want to play for my family.
How has being raised in London informed your music-making?
I think it’s fully informed my music. We are where we come from and where we’re raised. I went to a secondary school that was just really musical, all of my friends were into music and we just had this urge to create and we didn’t know what for. Honestly, I owe a lot of who I am now to those five years in secondary school. I would use pencils and a desk as drums and rap or sing with my friends. I have always had this innate hunger to create and make music for them. We all loved it.
You focus on faith in your music, why is that the driving force for your art?
It’s just a part of who I am, because sometimes I feel like I’m not saying it but I wonder if people can tell. There is an essence of what I believe inside the music. It’s all just natural. It’s a given. It’s it’s just always going to be there.
What qualities does a Peng Black girl have to you?
Peng Black girls is a feeling of community and home. It reminds me of my upbringing. It reminds me of my friends that I went to school with. These group of black girls in Southeast London going to school — a girls school — and there is a whole group of us and we all look different yet, we all understand each other. The older I got, I felt like I was losing that because you leave school and now you’re entering the big world, and the big world isn’t as Black as maybe as where you go. It’s very diverse and it’s very different.
Cabin Feva is setting off a new era with this jazzy breakdown and instrumental sound colliding with a tropical breeze. What do you think the creative behind your next album will encompass?
Beats me man. I’m enjoying the process of figuring out how to get there. That’s what is really nice about the journey, you don’t always know what you’re going to work towards, but you just know you’re working towards something and the output at the end is going to be what it’s going to be.
How do you believe truthfulness and soul should always be infused within hip hop music?
It is the core of hip hop, even outside of hip hop being political music, it’s very important that real feeling and truth is encapsulated, because then it all gets lost. Then, it loses its power, which I feel like is what we’re seeing today. I think as much power in it as there used to be and so I feel like it’s important that essence is kept alive.