Aitch: Get to know the 'My G' rapper
Everything you need to know about the BRIT Award winner
Here at KISS HQ, we've always been OBSESSED with Aitch! After a monumental UK tour in 2022, it's fair to say he's on everyone else's radar too - including global music superstar Ed Sheeran, who appeared on his album 'Close To Home', as well as superstar singer Anne-Marie!
The Manchester-born rapper's first single 'Taste (Make It Shake)' made its debut in the UK charts back in 2019, and Aitch has enjoyed an incredible career ever since, with huge tracks like 'Rain' with AJ Tracey, 'Baby' and 'Psycho' with Anne-Marie - and he even bagged his first BRIT Award at the 2023 ceremony! Let's take a look at his meteoric rise to fame as he's released his new single 'Famous Girl'.
To help us get to know the rapper even better, we caught up with the 24-year-old to ask him the Internet's most burning questions - and yes, they include THAT hilarious resemblance between him and 'Happier Than Ever' superstar Billie Eilish. We couldn't resist.
What is Aitch's real name?
Aitch's real name is Harrison Armstrong. The name 'Aitch' comes from the pronunciation of the first letter of his real name... H.
How tall is he?
Aitch is 5 foot, 8 inches.
When's his birthday?
Aitch's birthday is on 9th December 1999, making him a Sagittarius, and 24-years-old at the time of writing.
Who are Aitch's family?
At the start of his career, there was little information known about Aitch's family - the star rarely answered questions about them but we knew he had younger twin sisters and had nearly paid off his mum and dad's mortgage.
Speaking to The Big Issue North, he said his mum is: “Crazy in a good way. I’m like the boy version of her. I’ve never been bothered about standing up in front of people. Never been embarrassed or anything.”
However, with the release of his song 'My G', Aitch revealed a little more insight into his family, singing about his younger sister Gracie who has Down Syndrome. In his post to announce the song, Aitch wrote: 'This one’s straight from the heart. For my sister Gracie, the most perfect girl I’ve ever met. Life wouldn’t be the same without you kid and I wouldn’t change it for the world 🌎 go live your best life mate and enjoy every minute ❤️'
Aitch has since regularly featured his sister Gracie on his TikTok and Instagram Stories.
Where does he live?
Aitch lives in New Moston, in Manchester. However, understandably, he's on the move quite a lot.
His performance with Coldplay
As Coldplay performed their extra UK dates in Manchester in June 2023, they celebrated the city's musical heritage by having Aitch join them on stage! Sharing pictures of the epic moment on Instagram, Aitch also shared a screenshot of text messages with Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin.
In the texts, Chris wrote: 'You did so brilliantly young genius brother. Thankyou so much. You really made the night', adding: 'You're welcome anytime any where'. (sic)
Did he win a MOBO Award?
Aitch was nominated for two gongs at the MOBO Awards 2022 - which also happened to be the 30th anniversary of the celebration. He was nominated for Album of the Year, with his debut 'Close To Home', and Song of the Year (in association with Lucozade) for 'Baby' featuring Ashanti.
Although he was nominated, he didn't quite bag the awards, with Album of the Year going to Knucks, as well as Little Simz. Song of the Year was also awarded to Dreya Mac, FelixThe1st and Finch Fetti.
Has he won any other awards?
In 2020, Aitch was named as an 'Essential New Artists for 2020' at the NME Awards. In the same year, he was also nominated for 'Best New Artist' at The Brits 2020.
In 2021, Aitch bagged himself a BRIT Award nomination for British Single, for his track 'Rain' with AJ Tracey and Tay Keith.
In 2022, he bagged two more nominations, this time at the MOBO Awards. Sadly, he just missed out on the win in both categories.
As the nominations for The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard dropped, it was announced that Aitch was up for not one, but TWO gongs - those being Song of The Year and Hip Hop, Grime, Rap Act. He won his first ever BRIT at the ceremony, taking home the Hip Hop, Grime, Rap Act over Central Cee, Dave, Loyle Carner and Stormzy.
What is Aitch-S2?
In July 2022, Aitch announced a new scheme to help under-25s travel to music events around the country. Called Aitch-S2, it ran from 5th July to 26th August and gave music fans the chance to win train vouchers up to £100!
Where did Aitch go to school?
Aitch went to St Matthew's RC High School in Moston, Manchester.
Does he have a girlfriend?
In January 2023 Aitch seemed to confirm his romance with Australian beauty Lola Rose Thompson. The pair enjoyed time in Bali together, as Aitch was spotted on numerous occasions with Lola. On top of that, the model shared a very cosy looking snap of the pair to her Instagram page.
However, in October 2023 it was reported that Aitch and Lola had split after 10 months, with the pair unfollowing each other on social media. Lola then said she was single in a TikTok video.
What happened with Amelia Dimoldenberg?
Prior to Lola, it was rumoured that Aitch was dating Chicken Shop Date star Amelia Dimoldenberg. He shared clips on TikTok in 2022 of his first and second date with a mystery girl, who turned out to be Amelia. The pair were pretty tricksy when it came to info about their relationship, and apparent break-up, so here's everything we know about their relationship.
Did Aitch date Taylor Mullings?
Prior to rumours about Amelia Dimoldenberg - and his former romance with Lola Thompson - it was back in 2019 that Aitch confirmed he was no longer single by saying he was "off the radar" (cry) and went public with model and influencer Taylor Mullings at The Brits 2020.
Posting to his Instagram Story, the music star uploaded a snap of him and Taylor, who looked stunning in a floor-length black gown, with the caption, 'Gang.'
After going public with Taylor The Brits 2020, it appears that relationship came to an end.
When we chatted with the rapper in 2020, we talked to him about his "Mrs" and dealing with social media trolls when in a relationship. Check out the full catch-up below!
WATCH: Aitch & AJ Tracey on Girlfriends and dealing with Social Media Trolls 🙌
Has he been in any TV shows or films?
Aitch hasn't been in any films, however on 15th October 2021 he appeared on a special television episode of Celebrity Gogglebox. The show aired as special in efforts to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.
Aitch appeared alongside English footballer Kalvin Phillips.
When he first rose to fame, fans speculated he starred in BBC One's teen drama Waterloo Road, as the show is filmed in Manchester. However, we've scoured through the archives, and he's not mentioned in any of the credits or cast listings.
Other TV programmes and films Aitch has been linked to include Ali G and Peaky Blinders. However, he has never appeared in them.
Although Aitch's fans think he looks like the actor playing Shmuel in the 2008 film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, we can confirm that this rumour is also not true. Shmuel is played by Jack Scanlon, with the other main character Bruno played by Sex Education's Asa Butterfield.
When did Aitch become famous?
With no previous TV or film fame, Aitch first rose to fame in 2018, following the success of his solo debut single 'Straight Rhymez.' Aitch posted the single on YouTube, which ended up garnering over 20 million views and brought him to the attention of London rapper Stormzy.
Working for his grandad as a labourer at the time, he ended up being invited to London for a meeting with the record label Sony and Universal and the rest is history!
Aitch released the LP 'AitcH2O' in 2019, which featured the UK Number 2 track, 'Taste (Make It Shake)', and 'Buss Down', which peaked at Number 8. 2019 also saw the rising star feature in a remix of Ed Sheeran's iconic 'Take Me Back To London', alongside other famous names including Stormzy.
In 2020, Aitch released another LP, 'Polaris.' This LP included the single, 'Rain', a collaboration with AJ Tracey, which peaked at Number 3 in the UK.
Aitch released his debut studio album 'Close to Home' in August 2022. The album reached Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and includes tracks such as 'Baby' and 'My G'.
Who is Aitch signed to?
At the time of writing, Aitch is signed to Capitol Records.
What genre is Aitch?
Aitch is a rapper and regularly describes his music genre as rap/hip-hop.
Are Aitch and Joe Cole related?
No, they just look extremely alike. You may recognise Joe Cole's name - he plays John Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Sean Wallace in Gangs of London. You may even know him as Frank in the Black Mirror episode, 'Hang the DJ.'
However, you wouldn't be alone if you think they look similar. Some Twitter users have expressed their canniness in the past.
Which team does Aitch support?
Aitch is a huge Manchester United, having grown up supporting the team. In 2019, Aitch unveiled the new Manchester United away kit and was asked to write a song by Adidas to celebrate the launch.
What's his net worth?
Aitch's net worth has grown considerably in recent years and in 2024 was allegedly $2 million - which is around £1.6 million. However, we never actually know how much celebrities are worth.
Aitch's debut album
Aitch took some time away to work on new songs, with the rapper reportedly having over 30 tracks to choose from, resulting from his 'very chilled' lockdown sessions. After a long wait, Aitch officially announced his debut album 'Close to Home' in May 2022.
Revealing the exciting news on Instagram, he wrote: '"Close To Home” My debut album! This one means a lot. The past 4 years have been crazy thank you to everyone that’s been involved I can’t appreciate you enough, whether you been here from the start or not I got nothing but love 🤞 A lot of different emotions went into this I can’t wait to share it with u lot!
'Came this far without dropping an album and that’s all because of you , thank you for being patient with me❤️ let’s see how far this one takes us 🏡 #C2H'.
When was it released?
The album dropped on 19th August 2022 with 16 songs including lead track 'Baby' and song 'My G' with Ed Sheeran, which Aitch dedicated to his sister Gracie. It was certified Gold by the BPI in June 2024.
Watch 'My G' by Aitch and Ed Sheeran:
What is the 'Close To Home' tracklist?
In July, Aitch shared the full 16-song tracklist for his debut album which you can view below.
Which artists feature on Aitch's album?
Ahead of its release, Aitch took to Twitter to ask his fans who they wanted to see featured on his new album. Fans were quick to reply to the rapper, suggesting huge names such as Stormzy, Dave, KSI, AJ Tracey and Ed Sheeran.
He did in fact end up working with Ed and AJ Tracey, as well as Mastermind, Ashanti, New Machine and Bakar.
Aitch's Euro 2024 Anthem 'Baddies'
Ahead of Euro 2024, Aitch teamed up with German rapper, Luciano, to bring football fans a tune to (hopefully) celebrate to — with each rapper representing their home country.
'Baddies' was released on the 7th June.
Aitch's other songs
On Tuesday 23rd April 2024, Aitch announced his return to music, revealing he was going to drop his new single 'Famous Girl' on Thursday 25th April.
The track was immediately loved by fans, especially the new music video.
Fans were delighted when Aitch released 'Learning Curve' back on 24th June 2021.
And just three months later, he unveiled single 'Party Round My Place,' which features North London emcee Avelino. It's the perfect party song and the music video is all drinks and dancing surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women. The song also landed on the official soundtrack for EA Sports’ FIFA 22 video game. Not bad, eh?
Days after the song's release, Aitch turned Subway's Manchester Piccadilly store into 'SubwAITCH' for the day, and he also gave a performance inside the store. His fans were also able to order the star’s favourite custom Sub (the Aitch Footlong).
Is Aitch on tour?
Not anymore. After announcing that his debut album was officially on the way, Aitch revealed that he would be taking it on tour in October 2022!
The tour kicked off in Dublin, with Aitch then visiting major cities across the UK, including Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, and London, before he brought the show to his hometown of Manchester. Dates spanned from 6th-24th October.
Aitch also performed at Glastonbury Festival in 2023, taking to the Pyramid Stage with a brilliant set which included an appearance from Anne-Marie.
He then performed a special gig at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in February 2024 as part of the BRITS Week event for the charity War Child.
Aitch and Anne-Marie's song
In September 2022, it was revealed that Anne-Marie's new song 'Psycho' would feature Aitch! The song came out on 14th September, with the fun music video landing on 16th.
Two years later in 2024, Anne-Marie surprised Park Life-goers by bringing the rap star out on stage during her Sunday set — to huge screams.
Check out these interesting facts about Aitch:
Aitch wasn't always so smooth on Instagram
Aitch is extremely active on social media, but if you scroll back to his very first post, he wasn't as smooth as he comes across now. He also wasn't always so well dressed on Instagram as his first post on the 'gram was a very cheeky video of him covered by just a towel.
Aitch regularly treats his fans
He really loves his fans, no really! In 2021, Aitch treated a fan to a shopping spree at Selfridges for her birthday and documented the whole thing on Tik Tok. Do you think he'll repeat the gesture?
He used to be a labourer
Aitch knows what it's like to do a hard day's graft. Before making the big time in the world of music and rap, he worked with his Grandad as a labourer.
He's known for his freestyles
If you cast your minds back to 2018, Aitch went viral after dropping a freestyle rap, at just 18-years-old. The video catapulted him to fame, and kickstarted a pretty epic career.
He's not afraid to speak his mind
Aitch will tell it how it is! In 2021, the rapper spoke out against criticism surrounding the 'Learning Curve' artwork'. Following negative comments about the diverse models featuring in his 'Learning Curve' music video, he spoke out on Spotify's Who We Be TALKS_ podcast, where he admitted he found it "hard to witness."
He said: "All the negative stuff was mad to see; obviously, rappers get hate all the time, but it was a lot, and it was also s--t to see men hating on girls that much, it's hard to witness."
He’s a Manchester boy
He's often jetting all over the world and enjoying global success, but Aitch still lives in his hometown of New Moston, Manchester. He was born and raised in the major city, and speaking to NME he said: "The Manchester scene is getting bigger and bigger and artists are getting more views online a lot quicker. It feels like it's gradually moving forward."
'Rain' with AJ Tracey is his most viewed music video
With over a whopping 61 million views, Aitch and AJ Tracey's track 'Rain' serves as the rapper's most viewed music video on YouTube at the minute.
His other most viewed videos include 'Taste (Make It Shake)' (48 million), 'Straight Rhymez' (26 million), 'Buss Down' (20 million) and 'Baby' (18 million).
Watch the official music video for 'Rain' here on YouTube.
He has a sister
Aitch likes to keep his personal life private, however touched all of our hearts in August 2022 when he released his track 'My G'. The song is dedicated to his sister, Gracie Armstrong, who has Down Syndrome, with Aitch revealing that all the funds generated from the song were donated to the Down's Syndrome Association.
Introducing the music video, Aitch writes: 'This song is dedicated to Gracie Armstrong. You have the biggest heart in the world! Don't change for no one. Love you kid x'.
Gracie has been spotted regularly on Aitch's TikTok and Instagram Stories - and it's clear the pair are incredibly close!
Watch the official music video for 'My G' here on YouTube.
He's won a BRIT Award for Best Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act
On 11th February, Aitch won Best Hop/Rap/Grime Act at The BRIT Awards 2023! The rapper gave an inspiring acceptance speech, telling fans: "I just want to say not many people where I'm from, especially my side of Manchester, get the opportunity to stand up here and receive such an amazing gift or reward. I think that's the main reason I do it, to set examples, to make people know that, it's possible no matter where you're from and just because not 5 million people have done it before you, that you can do it. So yeah big up everyone."
He has performed with Coldplay
As 'A Sky Full Of Stars' legends Coldplay brought their 'Music Of The Spheres' world tour to Manchester in June 2023, the band celebrated the city's musical talent by bringing none other than Aitch onto the stage! Standing alongside the band, Aitch performed his hit 'Buss Down', much to the delight of the adoring crowd!
Aitch at the KISS Haunted House Party
Aitch took to the stage at The SSE Arena in Wembley on Friday 25th October 2019, performing some of his biggest hits. Watch his performance of 'Buss Down' below:
We then caught up with Aitch and got to know him better, asking him the most unique and hilarious questions we possibly could.
Check out the video below and the answers he gave us:
What is Aitch's dream collaboration?
He revealed that: "My dream collab is 50 Cent."
NOW WATCH: Young T & Bugsey Feat. Aitch – Strike A Pose (LIVE) | KISS Haunted House Party 2019
What is Aitch's favourite grime track of all time?
According to Aitch: "My favourite grime track of all time is Kano - P's and Q's."
What has been the best mispronunciation of Aitch's name?
He told us: "The best mispronunciation of my name would probably be 'Itch' or 'Aaa-itch' but 'Itch' is the worst one. I hate 'Itch'."
Who is the best blue tick that has slid in Aitch's DMs?
"Um... oh, um... oh! It doesn't have to be a girl?! Lil Durk and Skepta."
If Aitch wasn't a rapper, what would he be?
Aitch said: "If I weren't a rapper, I'd probably be skipping college lessons now thinking about what to do. Thinking about what I'm going to say to my mum why I've not been in maths."
What would be his superpower?
Aitch said if he could have one superpower: "it would be to read people's minds."
What does he think of fans thinking he resembles Billie Eilish?
"Yeah I can see it. I slyly look like Billie Eilish in that picture."
Would he do a collaboration with her?
He exclusively revealed: "I'd do a tune with her right now. I don't think she knows who I am. She definitely doesn't know who I am. I'll message her after this and see what happens. Big up Billie. Sister!"
Did he collaborate with ArrDee?
He sure did! At the end of January 2022, Aitch was snapped riding a HORSE (yep, really) on Brighton beach with fellow rapper ArrDee seemingly filming new music video.
Despite the seaside location, no expense was spared as a Mercedes G Wagon was spotted on set and a Ford Ranger Raptor, as well as a couple of horses.
Aitch then fuelled rumours even more when he posted three snaps of himself: one on a horse, one where he’s wearing a cosy blue jumper and then a beautiful snap of the seaside. He also removed every single one of his Instagram posts, perhaps referencing a new chapter.
He captioned the photos: ‘Adeola wanna roll with R kid 🤷♂️.' So mysterious.
Aitch and ArrDee later released their collab 'War' on 3rd February 2022.
NOW WATCH: AITCH - Why his Nan thinks he's RUDE, partying in IBIZA and dropping his track #Taste
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