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| Aystar |
Originally called by his nickname Twigdog, "my little rap name" he says, Liverpool rapper 'Aystar' was one of the key figures of the Scouse Trap underground scene that
grew out of northern England in the late 2010s. He started out in 2011, one for the grime fans, and has been called 'the real deal', proving that musicians from this city can do more than just one genre with critics hailing him as 'The Best from the North'. As one of the the rising stars of UK rap, he was hotly tipped to break
through in 2016 by leading lights including Wiley and Giggs. As a 21 year old, Liverpool's newest rap star
delivered his uniquely crafted rhymes and beats with the deftest of
lyrical style; laid back, yet cutting like a knife, this edge saw him
hit more than 3 million collective YouTube views on his SBTV and
Trendsetter videos.
Coming from the streets of Wavertree and
Toxteth, he was championed by the Godfather of Grime, Wiley and
mentored by London MC K Koke.After a while, attracting attention from the likes of Wiley, who was promoting his freestyles due to the level of skill in which he writes, he also attracted the likes of K Koke and the USG camp who wanted him involved but he soon left as the money wasn't right.
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| Fire In The Booth |
The year 2016 indeed proved pivotal
for him as he became one of the key figures in the Liverpool music scene when he released his mixtape, 'Scousematic', and appeared on Charlie Sloth's influential radio show 'Fire in the Booth' on Radio 1Xtra where he performed 'Fire', clocking up more than one million
views. His lyricism and distinctive
'Scouse' intonation saw him tour with, and make a guest appearance on, London MC 'Giggs' track 'The Best' before embarking on a follow-up to his debut collection.
Working on his debut EP and
his second full mix tape and, with attention and first plays from 1Xtra
and Westwood, his fans continued to grow day by day and with
originality in both attitude and delivery his material transcended the
scene around him. 
With the ability to create new lyrics and music videos that keep people engaged, year after year his material rakes in the views and allows him to stay relevant in the UK music scene. He has now grown to become the voice of the Liverpool’s urban youth and has helped pioneer the movement to get Liverpool on the map. In late 2016 he teamed up with Toronto lyricist Geezy Loc on the single 'Been Gettin It', before working on his next project 'Scousematic 2', guaranteed to create further kudos and awareness as his reach to both national and international heights continued.
He was nominated for Merseyside's music prize, The GIT Award, when they revealed the 12 shortlisted artists for the 2017 edition with the winner receiving a specially commissioned trophy along with a cheque for £1,000 and recording time at Parr Street Studios. 2018 eventually saw the release of his sophomore mixtape, 'Scousematic 2'.
The 2019 Sound City at the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool saw him as the third act of the night and, described as 'the up and
coming Scouse rapper', he instantly turned up the vibe with his signature flow
and trappy beats and a few of his popular tracks, '86’oz' and 'Trap Mode' which got the crowd fully involved and the energy was real. He set a
high bar for celebrating Liverpool music in the city that night. His latest mixtape, Scousematic 3, saw the light of day in 2021, a confident reassertion of stature after a short while out of the spotlight. It shows notions of his homeland strewn across the cover with a Toxteth street sign partially in view, a shot-up phone box and Aystar pensively looking on.
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