Jamie T

Carrying an old head on his young shoulders, Jamie T. has packed more into his first two albums than we had any right to expect. He's already laid down solid credentials as one of Britain's finest street poets, and has revealed himself to be a musician with an ear for the eclectic . . . not to mention that charmingly slurred rap style of his. Take "Sheila", the first single from his Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, Panic Prevention (2007), with its sampled excerpts of John Betjeman poetry, rumbling back beat, and tales of tragedy from desperate London streets — it's enough to conjure up the ghosts of Joe Strummer and William Blake. Or "Chaka Demus" from outstanding second album Kings & Queens, which is everything great pop should be — bright, addictive, and clever, so that it takes more than just a cursory listen to unravel every lyrical subtlety. That's the thing with Jamie T. — he has a knack for making sure we come back for more.