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.
Manchester’s very own Interplanetary Criminal announces major headline Warehouse Project show
Daisy Jackson
Interplanetary Criminal will play a major headline show this autumn, taking the stage at Warehouse Project in his hometown.
Manchester’s very own rising star producer, who has been a driving force behind the global resurgence of UK garage, will play his biggest headline show to date.
Interplanetary Criminal will be joined by a huge line-up that includes ANZ, Joy Orbison, Jyoty, HAAi, and more.
He’ll be returning to his home city for a Warehouse Project gig on Saturday 10 October – his only Manchester appearance of the year.
As well as taking over the illustrious Depot Mayfield, including Depot, Concourse and Archive stages, there’ll be a special WHP Records takeover at the iconic Star & Garter pub too.
Manchester’s very own Interplanetary Criminal announces major headline Warehouse Project show
The line-up has been curated by Interplanetary Criminal himself and spans house, garage, techno and beyond, with a series of surprise B2Bs in the works too.
There’ll be key names on the bill like ANZ, Joy Orbison, Jyoty, DJ Seinfeld, HAAi and Skin On Skin, alongside a deep roster of emerging and established talent.
Pre-sale tickets for Interplanetary Criminal at Warehouse Project in Manchester go on sale from 10am on Thursday 30 April, priced at £35 plus booking fees – you can sign up HERE.
General sale is from 10am on Friday 1 May.
Interplanetary Criminal at Warehouse Project A-Z line-up
All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
aespa SYNK : COMPLæXITY
Catch the LIVE TOUR in Manchester at @AOArena on Thu 14th January 2027!
Register by [Wed 29 Apr at 6AM PT / 8PM CT / 9AM ET] for access to the artist presale: https://t.co/JuWFFMCE8Q
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
16 Jan – London
19 Jan – Amsterdam
22 Jan – Stockholm
24 Jan – Copenhagen
26 Jan – Berlin
29 Jan – Milan
31 Jan – Barcelona
2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
The Manc -
18th December 2020 
