Crossroads

“I’m a lot more patient and open-minded”: On his debut mixtape, the London rapper’s vision expands while he remains resolutely in his own lane. When South London’s Pozer emerged on the UK rap scene in 2024, it was with a sound like no other. Combining the skittering pulse of Jersey club kick drums with moody synth melody and a fast-paced lyrical flow conveying the often anxious realities of street life, his singles “Kitchen Stove” and “Malicious Intentions” both racked up millions of streams and helped him earn a place on the BBC’s Sound Of 2025 poll—a reliable forecast of British music’s next big things. “It’s only really me in my lane, but it’s fun being on my own,” Pozer tells Apple Music’s Dotty. “‘Malicious Intentions’ was just a freestyle on Instagram Live that got ripped and then went big—there was never any planning, it was all just energy and bare essence.” That vital creative energy and fiercely independent spirit now comes to the fore with the release of Pozer’s debut mixtape Crossroads. Part victory lap and part roll of honor, the 12-track collection employs his signature cutting lyricism and club-adjacent beats in tribute to formative figures including singer Lauryn Hill, wrestler Hulk Hogan, and Franklin Saint, the leading character from crime-drama series Snowfall. “They’re all figures I take inspiration from in my life,” says Pozer. “And with a track like ‘Lauryn Hill,’ it encouraged me to be the most vulnerable I’ve ever been, lyrically. I just wanted it to be very hard-hitting right from the start.” Reflecting on everything from his newfound fame and success to his battles with grief, trauma, and the need for greater expression of his feelings, Crossroads sees the 23-year-old at his most mature and self-reflective. “It’s all been a learning curve, and my life has changed a lot over the past few years,” he says. “I’m a lot more patient and open-minded than I used to be.” He credits part of this development to the advice and influence of “big brother” figure AJ Tracey, who features on standout energetic track “Hulk Hogan,” while other collaborations come courtesy of Manchester rap royalty Aitch and French MC Kerchak. Clearly, Pozer’s distinct soundworld is expanding on Crossroads, but it is ultimately just another milestone on his singular journey. As one of the UK’s most exciting new talents, Pozer is firmly in his own lane: “I find myself in the tunnel still,” he says. “In a very big tunnel and it’s just me.”