AJ Tracey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
AJ Tracey
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AJ Tracey performing in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ché Wolton Grant |
| Also known as |
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| Born | 4 March 1994 Brixton, London, England |
| Origin | Ladbroke Grove, London, England |
| Genres | |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Revenge |
Ché Wolton Grant (born on March 4, 1994), known as AJ Tracey, is a British rapper and music producer from Ladbroke Grove, London. He became very popular in 2016. The Guardian newspaper even listed him as one of the "best new acts to see at festivals" that year.
AJ Tracey's fifth collection of songs, called Secure the Bag! (released in 2017), was his first to appear on the UK Albums Chart, reaching number 13. His song "Butterflies" (with Not3s) in 2018 was a big hit. It reached the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. His first album, named AJ Tracey (2019), was highly praised. It reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. The main song from that album, "Ladbroke Grove", also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. It was certified platinum, meaning it sold a lot of copies.
AJ Tracey has worked with many other artists. These include Aitch, Dave, D-Block Europe, Digga D, Giggs, Mabel, Mahalia, MoStack, Skepta, Nelly Furtado, and his cousin Big Zuu.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
AJ Tracey was born in Brixton and grew up in Ladbroke Grove, both areas in London. His father, who is from Trinidad in the Caribbean, used to be a rapper. His mother, who is Welsh, was a DJ who played jungle music. His mother named him after a famous revolutionary, Che Guevara.
He started rapping when he was only four years old. He went to Middle Row Primary school and then Holland Park School. Later, he started studying criminology at London Metropolitan University. However, he decided to leave university to focus on his music career. He is a big fan of the Tottenham Hotspur football team.
In 2018, AJ Tracey was recognized by Forbes magazine. He was included in their "30 Under 30" list for Europe, which highlights successful young people.
Music Career Highlights
2011–2016: Getting Started and First Songs
AJ Tracey's early music can be found online from June 2011. He used the names Looney and Loonz back then. He had an early SoundCloud account where he shared songs for free. These included tracks from an early grime music project called The Dungeon.
His first collection of songs, called a mixtape, was Didn't Make the Cut. It came out on September 13, 2012. This mixtape had 21 UK rap and grime songs. He said these were songs that didn't make it onto his main mixtape. In August 2013, his music group, My Team Paid, planned to release a joint mixtape. One song, "Clouded Skies", was released, but the full project was not. AJ Tracey's second mixtape, No More Looney, was released on August 30, 2014. It had 33 songs, many featuring other members of My Team Paid.
Tracey first became well-known by performing on pirate radio stations. These are radio stations that broadcast without a license. He also released his first EP (a collection of songs shorter than an album) called The Front in mid-2015. In December 2015, he released his second EP, Alex Moran. This EP included popular songs like "Spirit Bomb" and "Naila". A DJ from BBC Radio 1Xtra, Sian Anderson, played his song "Swerve and Skid" a lot in 2015. This was his first song played on commercial radio. In 2016, AJ Tracey, being a Tottenham Hotspur fan, appeared in ads for Sky Sports football coverage. He also worked with rapper Dave on a popular song called "Thiago Silva".
2017–2020: Big Albums and Hit Songs
In October 2017, AJ Tracey released his fifth EP, Secure the Bag!. He also started making his own music beats that year. He first produced a song called "LA4AWEEK" in April 2017. Later, he produced "Tell Man Twice" for his friend and fellow artist Big Zuu in August 2017.
In early 2018, AJ Tracey modeled for the OVO clothing brand. In May 2018, he released the song "Butterflies" with Not3s. This song was a huge success for him. It reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. After that, he released "Lo(v/s)er", which reached number 38. Tracey also appeared on Craig David's album "The Time is Now" on the song "Somebody Like Me". In July 2019, the Swedish rapper Z.E released his album Mer än rap ("More Than Rap"). AJ Tracey was featured on the main song of that album.
On November 21, 2018, AJ Tracey announced his first album, which was named AJ Tracey. It was released on February 8, 2019. The first song from the album, "Doing It", was released for streaming on the same day. Four more songs were released to promote the album: "Butterflies" (with Not3s), "Psych Out!", "Necklace" (with Jay Critch), and "Ladbroke Grove". The album AJ Tracey reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. "Ladbroke Grove" became his highest-charting song, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. On October 10, 2019, Tracey announced a special deluxe version of his album. This version had five new songs and some surprises. It was released on October 25.
2020–Present: New Music and TV Shows
On October 6, 2020, Tracey shared the list of songs for his sixth EP, Secure the Bag! 2. This EP was released on November 27, 2020. It reached number 75 on the UK Albums Charts.
On February 4, 2021, Tracey was featured on the song "Bringing It Back" by Digga D. This song was very popular and reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. On April 16, 2021, Tracey released his second studio album, called Flu Game. This album included songs like "Dinner Guest", "West Ten", "Anxious", and "Bringing It Back". Just a few hours before the album came out, AJ released the song "Little More Love" with a music video. On August 26, 2021, Tracey was featured on the Gorillaz song "Jimmy Jimmy" from their Meanwhile EP.
In 2023, AJ Tracey received the Brits Billion Award. This award is given by the British music industry to artists who have had over 1 billion streams of their music in the UK. He also released the fourth song in his Wifey Riddim series.
On December 25, 2024, Canadian singer Nelly Furtado released "Showstopper" as a song from her album 7. AJ Tracey was featured on a remixed version of this song.
On February 12, 2025, Tracey and singer Jorja Smith released a song called "Crush". This song used parts of Brandy's 2002 song "Love Wouldn't Count Me Out". "Crush" reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart. This was Tracey's highest-charting song since "Little More Love" in 2021.
On May 20, 2025, a new TV show called "Big Zuu and AJ Tracey's Rich Flavours" was released on Sky Max. This show starred Tracey and his cousin Big Zuu. It had three parts where they traveled to Seoul, different parts of Scotland, and New York City.
Views on Important Topics
In June 2017, AJ Tracey supported Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the UK general election. In a video for the Labour Party, he said that the Labour Party helps young people follow their dreams. He believed that a Labour government would give young people hope for their future.
In an interview in October 2019, Tracey talked about his worries about climate change. He said that if he were voting now, he would vote for the Green Party. The Green Party focuses on protecting the environment.
Albums
- AJ Tracey (2019)
- Flu Game (2021)
- Don't Die Before You're Dead (2025)
