Manchester rapper RIO releases debut album: ‘The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly’
The rapper revealed he was working on some new material that would "change the game" in Manchester - and six months later we have his ten-track LP The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
Manchester hip-hop artist RIO has officially released his long-awaited debut studio album.
A respected and popular member of grime’s old guard, RIO announced his grand comeback in summer following a five-year hiatus from music .
The rapper revealed he was working on some new material that would “change the game” in Manchester – and six months down the line we have his ten-track LP: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
Remembered for club hits such as ‘Can’t Stop We’ and ‘We Love Grime’, RIO’s new record is a more mature, thoughtful piece of storytelling – digging into his Mosside roots and exploring his rollercoaster journey through the music world.
RIO started selling mixtapes on Market Street in 2010 before rising through the ranks and appearing on the likes of BBC Radio 1Xtra, Radio 1, Red Bull, Soccer AM and Capital Xtra, receiving support from big names such as DJ Target, Semtex, Tim Westwood, Mistajam, Ras Kwame, Mary Anne Hobbs and Annie Nightingale.
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The rapper also collaborated with the likes of Ghetts, Blizzard, C4 and Royce Da 5’9″.
Now, after being out of the game for over a half a decade, RIO claims he is “here to stay”.
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His new release, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, is a multifaceted effort executively produced by JSD – flipping through genres, moods and styles.
The record features introspective tracks like ‘Ghost’ (which divulges his reasons for taking a step back from music), the spine-tingling ‘Awake’, and Caribbean-flavoured ‘Medusa’ featuring Mr Benz.
You can listen to The Good, The Bad & The Ugly online now here.
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A documentary on the rapper’s career has also been posted to YouTube.
Loyle Carner announces THREE massive Manchester gigs to follow Glastonbury headline slot
Daisy Jackson
Loyle Carner will perform three huge gigs in Manchester as part of a newly-announced UK tour, chasing his headline Glastonbury slot.
The groundbreaking British artist will be heading to the O2 Victoria Warehouse later this year alongside shows in cities including London, Glasgow, Newcastle and Birmingham.
Loyle Carner has also confirmed today that a brand new album is on the way – hopefully! is set for release on 20 June.
It’ll give fans a week to listen and love his new music before he headlines The Other Stage at Glastonbury festival on 27 June.
He’s already released two surprise new songs – ‘all i need / in my mind’, as his new chapter sees him explore fatherhood, childhood and alternative music.
Loyle Carner has sung, produced and ‘accidentally’ formed a band for this latest release, which includes audio clips of his son.
Loyle Carner first emerged in 2013 with his A Little Late EP, followed by his debut album Yesterday’s Gone in 2017, with plenty more releases in the years since.
He’s been shortlisted TWICE for the Mercury Prize and has scored BRIT and NME Award nominations too, as well as 1.1 BILLION streams.
You’ll recognise his face from campaigns with global brands like YSL, New Balance, and Nike, not to mention his sold-out shows including Alexandra Palace, Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall in his beloved London hometown alone.
Loyle Carner will perform at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on 23, 24, and 24 November 2025.
Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday 2 May – you can get tickets HERE.
Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
The Manc -
18th December 2020 
