Big Chris Dropped One of 2013’s Best UK Mixtapes

I almost scrolled right past it. A 2013 mixtape from a UK artist I had never heard of, buried under a pile of new releases on my feed. But the host credit caught my eye. Lil Fats. Coast 2 Coast. I know that name from back in the day. So I clicked play on Big Chris and his In One Hand mixtape. I did not move for the next forty minutes.

First Impressions

This thing sounds expensive. That was my first thought. I checked the credits twice because I could not believe an unsigned artist built records that sound this clean. Then I read that it was mastered at Universal Music Mastering in Los Angeles. Okay. That explains a lot.

The tape moves fast. Nine tracks, no filler, no wasted intros. Big Chris sings, raps, and produces, sometimes all in the same song. The R&B cuts sit right next to the hip-hop joints without either side feeling out of place. I kept hitting repeat on "Bad Girl." That hook lives in your head rent free.

Who Is Big Chris

Here is what makes this story worth telling. Big Chris is a UK singer, rapper, and producer who never signed a major deal. He did it all himself. While other artists waited for a call from a label or a slot on music TV, he treated the internet like his own broadcast channel.

He dropped "Shoosh," "More Than a Thug," and "Pour Another Drink" before this tape. Then came Big Things Vol. 1 in 2011. By 2013 he was ready for something bigger. In One Hand landed on July 26, 2013 through Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes, hosted by CEO Lil Fats himself. That is not a small stamp of approval.

The tape went Silver on DatPiff with more than 50,000 downloads. Let me say that again. Fifty thousand downloads. No label. No major budget for promo. Just good records and smart moves.

And check the guest list. Keisha White, the British R&B star behind "The Weakness in Me" and the Tracy Beaker theme. Paigey Cakey, who was on Waterloo Road and in Attack the Block. MC Bushkin from Heartless Crew. Tubby Boy. Samira. That is a wild mix of mainstream and underground, all on one independent tape.

Breaking Down "In One Hand (Official Coast2Coast Mixtapes release)"

So what makes this mixtape work? Start with the range. Big Chris does not box himself in. "Bad Girl" is a radio-ready single with a sweet hook from Samira. It got BBC Asian Network support, which is huge for an indie record.

Then "Baby Maker" hits different. The video blew up on university campuses and got played on Channel AKA. People were sharing it hand to hand. That is how you build a following without a label paying for airtime.

The production holds up too. Big Chris built most of these records himself, and they knock. The beats have weight. The melodies stick. Nothing feels rushed or cheap.

What I love most is the confidence. This is a tape that knows exactly what it wants to be. It does not beg for attention. It just delivers. The hip-hop tracks hit hard while the R&B cuts give you room to breathe. That balance is hard to pull off. Big Chris makes it sound easy.

My Verdict

Look, we talk about independent artists "doing it themselves" all the time. Usually it means a rough SoundCloud link and a dream. This is different. In One Hand is proof that an unsigned UK artist could make major-league records and reach a global audience on his own terms.

The DatPiff Silver certification was earned, not given. The Universal mastering credit was earned. The radio play and the campus buzz were earned. This mixtape deserves way more attention than it got back in 2013, and it deserves your ears now.

If you care about UK Music, if you love R&B and hip-hop that actually says something, give this one a spin. Big Chris built something real here. You can hear it in every track.

Listen Now

Do yourself a favor and press play on In One Hand. This is one of those UK Music projects that slipped under the radar and should not have.

Stream the mixtape today and hear what independent hustle sounds like when it is done right. You will understand why Big Chris kept building after this one.