Clash Issue 135 - Knucks

Knucks has quietly but effectively built his pedigree as one of UK’s most subversive rappers in the last decade. He first came to the fore in 2016, graduating his lunchbreak freestyles into SBTV-era hype, following up with pandemic-era EP, ‘London Class’, locating his own pocket within introspective rap, trading verses with the likes of Wretch 32 and Loyle Carner. 

Knucks debut full-length, ‘Alpha Place’, deconstructed his South Kilburn upbringing over jazz-inflected drill beats. A string of cautionary tales with glimmers of friendship, flings and hard-learnt truths, the album would reinvigorate the UK rap landscape, landing the artist a win for Albums of the Year at the 2022 MOBO Awards, and a platinum frame for ‘Los Pollos Hermanos’. 

Now, CLASH captures the North London rapper/producer ahead of his most experimental release to date. Inspired by a 1992 Reginald Hudlin rom-com, the album repositions Knucks as a self-proclaimed cinephile, blurring the lines between widescreen escapism and journal-entry snippets.

As he puts it: “Over the years, I've learnt that I have to be less hard on myself.”

In Association With Timberland.

Pre-order your copy now. Magazines will be shipping out from the UK from Friday 27th November 2026, please allow sufficient time for your copy to arrive if ordering internationally.

Words: Ana Lamond

Photography: Ahmed Idries

Creative Direction: Ahmed Idries

Styling & Creative Direction: Justin Hamilton

Styling Assistant: Biba Faulks-Potticary