Tom George Austin (born 7 December 2000), better known by his stage name Niko B (short for Niko Bellic), is an English rapper from

Newport Pagnell Newport Pagnell is a town and civil parish in the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The Office for National Statistics records Newport Pagnell as part of the Milton Keynes urban area. It is separated from the rest of the urban ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

. He is best known for his single " Who's That What's That".

Career

Austin grew up on the "humdrum" suburban Poets Estate,

, son of a builder father and special needs teacher mother. He previously worked at a

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Interconti ...

fast food restaurant. Austin's stage name is a reference to

Niko Bellic Niko Bellic is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's 2008 video game '' Grand Theft Auto IV'', the sixth main instalment in Rockstar Games' ''Grand Theft Auto'' series. He also makes non-playable appearance ...

, the protagonist of '' Grand Theft Auto IV.'' He began by releasing his first single, "Mary Berry", with lyrics focusing around life in small-town Britain. This song's popularity gave him the chance to tour with rappers K.O and V9. In an interview with '' Clash'', Austin says he vomited before every performance, and technical issues during the first show meant he instead sang happy birthday to a girl in the front row. His most popular single, " Who's That What's That" was released in May 2020. It became a top 40 hit in the UK, and peaked at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's success was boosted by viral marketing on social media platforms

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

and TikTok. Niko runs his own clothing label, CROWD, which is often featured in his music videos. In 2021 Niko B played The 1Xtra Dance stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals and released two new singles: "International Baby" and "It's All Gone". In 2022, he released four new singles, these being "I Had a Fist Fight with an Emo Outside Subway", "Canada Goose", "Love Island Freestyle" and "Rips in Jeans". "Rips in Jeans" went on to feature in the video game '' FIFA 23''.

Musical style

Niko B covers multiple genres, with "nothing off limits in terms of style." For example, in an interview with '' Vogue,'' Austin said he wanted to have his own style with his lyrics, for example referencing removing a gherkin from a McDonalds Big Mac burger, written to be relatable to young British people but also unique to him. Media outlets have consistently praised his lyrical storytelling, often comparing him to Mike Skinner of The Streets. Reviewers have also emphasised his hook writing and individual approach to the vocal style of rap.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Niko B 2000 births English hip hop musicians Male hip hop musicians Male rappers Musicians from Buckinghamshire People from Milton Keynes People from Newport Pagnell Living people English comedy musicians Comedy-related YouTube channels YouTubers from Buckinghamshire Music YouTubers 21st-century English male singers 21st-century British rappers