The Streets exploded onto the U.K. music scene last year when he released his single “Has It Come To This.” A few months later, his debut album, Original Pirate Material, arrived and changed the face of British rap.

With his tightly wound rhymes, the 23-year-old Brummie regularly spits out vignettes of Brit youth urban culture – a familiar territory to Skinner. Throw in some two-step/ragga/house beats and it’s easy to see why this unknown has garnered so much attention.

The Streets have been dominating British music charts over the past year and are now weaving their way into U.S. territory with their fresh sound. This is the second batch of American-side dates for Skinner and crew. They last played a handful of gigs in late October, which featured an additional crew of MC, bass player, keyboardist and drummer. Videos and other visuals also beefed up the energetic live show.

The Streets were nominated for four 2003 Brit Awards, but walked away empty-handed in a Craig David-esque repeat. Original Pirate Material was also favored to win the Mercury Music Prize this year, but surprisingly lost out to Ms. Dynamite – the bookies’ longshot.