Rizzle Kicks
| Company type | Duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Jordan Stephens, Harley Alexander-Sule |
| Headquarters | Brighton , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Rizzle Kicks is a hip-hop duo originating from Brighton, England, consisting of Jordan Stephens (born 25 January 1992) and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule (born 1991). Their first album, Stereo Typical, was launched in 2011. By May 2012, the duo had achieved sales exceeding one million singles and over 600,000 albums within the UK market.
From 2015 onwards, Alexander-Sule has pursued music under the alias Jimi Charles Moody, while Stephens has adopted various stage names including Wildhood, Al, the Native, as well as performing under his own name.
2006–2011: Origins and early development
Stephens began participating in rap and performance workshops organized by the Brighton-based charity AudioActive in 2006, with Alexander-Sule joining a year later in 2007. Both artists were involved in AudioActive's Hip Hop Foundation initiative, which Stephens credits for nurturing their musical abilities and enthusiasm.
They each attended the BRIT School, where Stephens focused on media studies and Alexander-Sule studied theatre. While crafting his mixtape Minor Breaches of Discipline, Stephens invited Alexander-Sule to contribute vocals on several tracks. Recognizing their complementary talents, they officially formed Rizzle Kicks in 2008. The group's name combines Stephens' nickname "Rizzle," inspired by "Green Rizla" from his football crew, with "kicks," reflecting their mutual passion for football.
Initially, they utilized beats from local producers and recorded multiple bedroom demos, three of which were later included on their debut album. Their online presence grew through a blog titled "Your Daily Kicks" and low-budget music videos posted on YouTube, co-directed with Toby Lockerbie. Tracks such as "Down with the Trumpets" and "Miss Cigarette" attracted attention while Alexander-Sule maintained work as an assistant drama teacher and Stephens was employed at Corals Greyhound Stadium in Hove.
This online momentum led to a contract signing with Island Records, part of Universal Music, in November 2010. They proceeded to refine their debut album collaborating with producers like Ant Whiting, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), The Rural, Future Cut, and Craigie Dodds.
2011–2012: Release of Stereo Typical and rising popularity
In June 2011, Rizzle Kicks released the promotional track "Prophet (Better Watch It)", accompanied by a stop-motion video composed of 960 photographic frames. Initially distributed as a free download, it was subsequently made available on iTunes. In July 2011, Stephen Fry publicly commended their "old school hip hop sounds" via Twitter. During that summer, the duo performed at multiple festivals, supported Dizzee Rascal at Ibiza Rocks, and headlined the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds after appearing at Radio 1's Big Weekend.
Their debut official single, "Down with the Trumpets," was released on 12 June 2011 employing an on-air-on-sale approach. It debuted at #84 on the UK Singles Chart and climbed to #8 by September, earning gold certification. The track stayed within the Top 40 for thirteen weeks. The follow-up single "When I Was a Youngster", released on 23 October, also reached #8. Their debut album Stereo Typical, launched on 31 October 2011, initially entered the charts at #9 before peaking at #5 and achieving platinum status by May 2012. The third single from the album, "Mama Do the Hump," produced by Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) and released on 16 December, peaked at #2 and received platinum certification. Its lo-fi video featured James Corden and sparked a UK dance phenomenon named 'The Hump'.
Additionally, Rizzle Kicks appeared on Olly Murs' chart-topping single "Heart Skips a Beat", released in August 2011. They have also created remixes for artists including Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Foster the People, and Olly Murs. Their remix video for Ed Sheeran's "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" was captured in a single continuous take filmed in their backyard.
During summer 2012, Rizzle Kicks contributed to launching Arsenal FC’s away kit for the 2012–13 season themed "Purple Reign."
Their inaugural headline tour ran from March to May 2012 and sold out completely, including two performances at London's Shepherds Bush Empire. A subsequent headline tour during winter 2012 encompassed twenty-six UK dates featuring venues such as O2 Academy Brixton and The Roundhouse. Their live performances incorporate a full band setup with guitarists, drummer, bassist, trumpet player, alongside Alexander-Sule playing second guitar on select songs. Their shows are renowned for high energy levels with significant audience engagement and dancing. Throughout summer 2012, they appeared at prominent UK festivals including Wakestock, T in the Park, Wireless Festival, T4 on the Beach, headlined both Bestival and V Festival, and participated in Olympic Torch relay events along England’s southern coastline. Their touring extended across Europe as well as performing at Australia's Park Life festival in October 2012.
2013: Touring and the Roaring 20s Era
Between January and February 2013, Rizzle Kicks embarked on a US tour, supporting Ed Sheeran and Foy Vance. In March, they joined Labrinth for performances at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts.
June saw the announcement of their sophomore album, Roaring 20s, which was released on 2 September 2013 and peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart. The production team included returning collaborators Norman Cook and Ant Whiting. The album’s lead single, "Lost Generation", climbed to number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, while the subsequent release "Skip to the Good Bit" reached number 16.
On 4 December 2013, they uploaded the track "Happy That You're Here" to YouTube.
2014–2021: Individual Endeavors
In 2014, Rizzle Kicks headlined May Balls at Aberystwyth University and Royal Holloway. Stephens appeared on the remix of Meridian Dan's grime anthem "German Whip," alongside Skepta and Professor Green.
Branching into acting, Alexander-Sule featured in The Guvnors, while Stephens took a role in E4's drama series Glue. That same year, they released "Tell Her" in partnership with Evian for the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, which reached number 14 on the charts—their final charting single to date. Additionally, they performed Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" with James Corden during Channel 4’s event promoting testicular cancer awareness.
In 2015, the pair contributed the closing theme for the Shaun the Sheep Movie alongside Vic Reeves and put out a cover of Summertime available on Spotify.
Their acting careers continued: Alexander-Sule appeared in ITV’s Unforgotten (2015), while Stephens secured a role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). Stephens also participated in a celebrity edition of Robot Wars in 2016. He later starred in Tucked (2018) and had a recurring part in Netflix’s Feel Good in 2021.
Stephens pursued a solo music career under the name Wildhood, releasing his first EP Vert in March 2016 following singles "Psycho Jam" and "Double Dark". Prior collaborations with Mikill Pane involved different aliases. Since 2019, he has released music under his own name, including the EP P.I.G and his solo album "Let Me Die Inside You" in 2022.
From 2015 through 2018, Alexander-Sulé produced music as Jimi Charles Moody. His single "Blue Honey" achieved notable popularity on SoundCloud. The track "House of Moody" was featured in a Lexus commercial as well as on the soundtrack for Madden NFL 16. He has also issued singles under the name Harley Sulé, including "The Revenant" in 2021.
2024–Present: Reunion and Competition is for Losers
Rizzle Kicks announced their comeback and return to recording on 2 May 2024. After an eight-year break, they released their single "Javelin" on 30 August 2024. The duo confirmed that their third studio album, titled Competition is for Losers, will be released on 14 February 2025. On 11 July 2025, they unveiled another single, "Follow Excitement," featuring Rachel Chinouriri.
Discography
- Stereo Typical (2011)
- Roaring 20s (2013)
- Competition Is for Losers (2025)