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 |
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| Born | 4 March 1994 Brixton, London, England |
| Origin | Ladbroke Grove, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Revenge |
Ché Wolton Grant (born March 4, 1994), known as AJ Tracey, is a rapper and music producer from Ladbroke Grove, London, England. He became very popular in 2016. The Guardian newspaper even named him one of the "best new acts" to see at music festivals that year.
AJ Tracey's fifth music collection, Secure the Bag! (2017), was his first to appear on the UK Albums Chart. It reached number 13. His song "Butterflies" (with Not3s) in 2018 was a big hit. It made it into the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart. His first album, AJ Tracey (2019), was highly praised. It reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. The main song from that album, "Ladbroke Grove", also hit number three on the UK Singles Chart. It was even certified platinum, meaning it sold a lot of copies!
AJ Tracey has worked with many other artists. These include Aitch, Dave, Mabel, Skepta, and Nelly Furtado.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Ché Wolton Grant was born in Brixton and grew up in Ladbroke Grove, West London. His father was a rapper, and his mother was a DJ who played jungle music. His mother named him after a famous revolutionary, Che Guevara.
He started rapping when he was just six years old. He went to Middle Row Primary school and then Holland Park School. Later, he began studying criminology at London Metropolitan University. However, he decided to leave university to focus fully on his music career. AJ Tracey is also a big fan of the Tottenham Hotspur football team.
Music Career Highlights
Early Music and EPs (2011–2016)
AJ Tracey started releasing music online around 2011. Back then, he used the names Looney and Loonz. You could find his early songs on sites like SoundCloud. His first mixtape, Didn't Make the Cut, came out in 2012. It had 21 UK rap and grime songs.
He really started getting noticed by performing on pirate radio stations. These are unofficial radio stations that play music. He also released his first official music collection, The Front, in 2015. In December 2015, he released another collection called Alex Moran. This one included popular songs like "Spirit Bomb" and "Naila". A song called "Swerve and Skid" was played a lot on BBC Radio 1Xtra. This was his first song to be played on a big commercial radio station. In 2016, AJ Tracey, a Tottenham Hotspur fan, appeared in ads for BT Sport's football coverage. He also made a popular song called "Thiago Silva" with rapper Dave.
Big Hits and First Album (2017–2020)
In October 2017, AJ Tracey released his fifth music collection, Secure the Bag!. Around this time, he also started producing music for other artists. He helped create the song "LA4AWEEK" and also produced "Tell Man Twice" for his friend Big Zuu.
In 2018, AJ Tracey modeled for the OVO clothing brand. In May 2018, he released the song "Butterflies" with Not3s. This song became a huge success for him. It reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. Another song, "Lo(v/s)er", also made it into the top 40. He also worked with Craig David on the song "Somebody like me".
On November 21, 2018, AJ Tracey announced his first album, AJ Tracey. It was released on February 8, 2019. The album had several popular songs, including "Butterflies" and "Ladbroke Grove". His album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. "Ladbroke Grove" became his highest-charting song, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. In October 2019, he released a special deluxe version of his album with new songs. AJ Tracey planned an Australian tour for 2020, but it had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent Music (2020–Present)
On October 6, 2020, AJ Tracey shared the song list for his sixth music collection, Secure the Bag! 2. It was released on November 27, 2020. This collection reached number 75 on the UK Albums Charts.
In February 2021, AJ 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, AJ Tracey released his second studio album called Flu Game. This album included popular songs like "Dinner Guest" and "West Ten". Just before the album came out, he released the song "Little More Love" with a music video. In August 2021, he was featured on the Gorillaz song "Jimmy Jimmy".
In 2023, AJ Tracey received the Brits Billion Award. This award is given to artists who have achieved over 1 billion streams of their music in the UK. He also released a new song called "Wifey Riddim 4". In December 2024, Canadian singer Nelly Furtado released a remixed version of her song "Showstopper" featuring AJ Tracey.
Views on Important Topics
AJ Tracey has sometimes shared his thoughts on important issues. In June 2017, he supported the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn during an election. He said that the Labour Party helps young people follow their dreams and gives them chances. He believed a Labour government could give young people hope for their future.
In October 2019, AJ Tracey also talked about climate change. He said that if he were voting, he would support the Green Party. This shows he cares about the environment.
Discography
- AJ Tracey (2019)
- Flu Game (2021)
Images for kids
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AJ Tracey performing in 2019
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Tracey performing in 2019
