Meet the fabulous IWD 2026 Give To Gain Freestyle Challenge Finalists
Freestyling might not change the world, but it can change opinions. Change enough opinions, then you might just change the world.
IWD sees an awesome Give To Gain Freestyle Challenge
Girls of Grime is an independent women-led grassroots group steering change towards gender balance within the music industry. It's a fabulous community of talented women and their allies.
Girls of Grime teamed up with freestyle platform Talkin Da Hardest to launch a Give to Gain Freestyle Challenge, and it produced a totally impressive list of finalists.
Pop Brixton in London, which kicked off its own International Women’s Day activity with a special Women in Power: Empower event, proudly hosts the Give to Gain Freestyle Challenge Live Finals, where the audience gets to decide on the winner who gets the fabulous £500 cash prize. Details here!
Let's meet some of the super talented finalists
Meet Niah
Niah is an emerging artist and competition finalist moving with purpose and momentum.
Drawing influence from feel good artists, standout vocalists, and high energy rappers, Niah glides across grime, drill, hip hop and party R&B with ease.
Layering vocals woven into sharp ad-libs give the sound depth and intrigue, while a masked presence keeps the focus on energy and delivery.
Every performance is charged with personality, precision and presence, leaving crowds locked in and wanting more.
Meet Angelina
Angelina is a phenomenal artist from South East London.
She has been performing from the age of 15 and has a natural ability to perform in front of large audiences as well as being able to assert her presence in a male-dominated scene.
She strives to empower other artists around her to become more confident in their lyrics and stage presence, and has also run multiple successful sold-out events.
She also runs her own organization with a few other members named FTG (Finding the Gems).
There is no limit to Angelina's ability to be versatile.
Meet Lickz
Lickz is a 21-year-old UK rapper operating outside the box.
First gaining attention on The Rap Game UK Season 5 for her genre-blending sound and alternative style.
Built on individuality, she fuses grime, drill, and R&B, refusing comparison and carving her own lane.
Meet Plain Jane
Plain Jane is a South London rapper who wrote her first rap at age nine as a way to vent and survive trauma and never stopped.
Emerging publicly as an artist in 2024 with her debut single, 6 Shots, she is now carving out her own lane: experimental real rap blending hip hop, trap, alternative and grime influences.
Raw, cinematic and unapologetically honest, Plain Jane is building a sound and a world entirely on her own.
Meet Crae Wolf
MOBO-Certified artist Crae Wolf, music exists where Rock & Fantasy meets Drill.
The Gothic Rapper welcomes you to her sonic universe of “Baddie Metal Core”.
The she-wolf draws from a diverse range of influences to create a blazing alternative Nu Metal vibe.
Effortlessly combining English with French, her musicality is unmatched.
A true cinematic experience.
Meet ACG
ACG is a 19-year-old experimental music artist from South East London with roots in Jamaica and Sierra Leone.
Her music combines bold creativity with deep lyricism, drawing inspiration from Outkast’s intricate storytelling, Lil Simz’s fearless innovation, and Kojey Radical’s powerful musical messaging.
Driven by a deep connection to her heritage and using music as a coping mechanism, ACG views her art as both a personal outlet and a means to connect with others.
She is passionate about representing her cultural roots and sharing her journey through sound.
Meet TALzZ
Almost 20 years old, TALzZ is a talented artist from South London.
TALzZ has been writing music for a few years, and has now started her working career.
Her wordplay initially stemmed from poetry, which then led her to write music.
Through this, TALzZ has acknowledged that this was a good means for expressing her feelings and using music as an outlet.
TALzZ's favorite genre of music is real rap.
She is, however, very versatile when writing as she likes to bring 'flavor' to her music by adding melodies.
She can also switch up the real rap vibe by going into the UK hip hop genre.
Meet Boudicca
Boudicca is a Brighton-based, Youth Music Award nominated, and a BBC Introducing backed artist.
Her introspective lyricism celebrates motherhood and resilience.
Meet Dahlia Rae
Born in Birmingham, Dahlia Rae is an artist who is successfully redefining contemporary rap through fearless introspection and elevated storytelling.
Combining hip-hop, neo-soul and melodic finesse, Dahlia Rae's music explores identity, growth, vulnerability, and self-belief with honesty.
Every release feels intentional: emotionally resonant, visually considered, and rooted in lived experience.
More than a musician, Dahlia is a multidisciplinary creative whose fashion, visuals, and narratives work together to build worlds, not just songs.
Dahlia Rae is someone who’s building meaning.
Meet Kween Deekayy
Kween Deekayy is an impressive rapper in her 20's from North London.
Diagnosed with schizophrenia and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), Kween strives to be the ultimate version of herself and proves that anything is possible, no matter the circumstances.
With hits like JIGGY and DSquared, it is an undoubtable fact that there is space for her in the industry as she aspires to inspire other young creatives, whether they are part of the LGBTQA+ community, or not.
Meet Venus
Venus writes for intelligent baddies and boss men that want to celebrate making it this far in life.
When she puts pen to paper in her uniquely experimental soul-grime style, she definitely leaves her audience wanting more.
For lovers of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Enny, then Venus could be your woman.
Meet Kengo
Kengo is an artist, songwriter, and style curator merging Kenyan and Congolese heritage.
She turns adversity into art and is driven by storytelling, resilience, and real expression.
It's not just music for Kengo, it’s far deeper than lyrics.
Get involved with Girls of Grime
Remember back in 2024, Girls of Grime produced that outstanding IWD video?
"We’re so proud to announce our ongoing partnership with International Women’s Day, and this time we’ve teamed up with female-led freestyle platform Talkin Da Hardest to launch our GIVE TO GAIN Freestyle Challenge," said the group.
Girls of Grime are truly awesome, so show your support, check them out, and get involved.