About
Also known as: Niko Bellic, Thomas Austin, Tom Austin
Niko B, the stage name of Tom Austin from Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire, has carved out a lane as one of the more distinctive voices in UK underground rap by leaning hard into the texture of small town British life. References to removing a gherkin from a Big Mac, suburban estates, and fast food jobs give his lyrics a specificity that sets him apart, and media outlets have consistently drawn comparisons to Mike Skinner of The Streets. His stage name comes from Niko Bellic, the Grand Theft Auto IV protagonist, which tells you something about where his head is at. His 2020 single "Who's That What's That" broke into the UK top 40, peaking at number 26, driven by a viral wave on TikTok and Instagram. His 2024 debut album "dog eat dog food world" pulled in Alt RnB, Lofi House and Jersey House, and the following year brought a busy run of releases including the EP "People" and the mixtape "Cheerleader", the latter dropping under label Ditto. He also runs his own clothing label, CROWD, which regularly appears in his videos.