Aggro Santos

Influenced by music from both South London and South America, Brazilian-born rapper Aggro Santos combines Latin rhythms, old-skool dance, and U.K. grime to produce an eclectic but chart-friendly sound. Born Yuri Santos in São Paolo in 1988, Aggro moved to Balham, London with his family at the age of five. Inspired by Santana's Supernatural album, he taught himself how to play guitar and wrote his first rap record at age 13. A year later, he gained a two-year scholarship at the prestigious Brits School, where he was classmates with Adele and Katy B. After leaving, he began recording music in his bedroom, and sent one of his songs, "Free Yard," to Channel AKA, and it soon became their most requested track. Without a label, he toured across the U.K. in under-18 clubs; released his first mixtape, Aggro Culture; and collaborated on tunes with N-Dubz, Ironik, and Giggs. After a brief stint working at Sky TV, Santos was discovered by former So Solid Crew manager Albert Samuel. The pair turned down a deal with Warner Bros., claiming the label was "faceless," before signing to Gary Barlow's Future Records. His first single, "Candy," which featured Pussycat Dolls' Kimberly Wyatt on vocals, reached number five, while the follow-up, "Saint or Sinner," peaked at number 19. Santos also supported Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity on their U.K. tour and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2010 Urban Music Awards. His debut album, Aggro Santos.com, was scheduled for release at the beginning of 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi