Potter Payper

Jamel Bousbaa (b. 15 November 1990), also known as Potter Payper, is an artist from Gascoigne Estate in the centre of Barking, East London.

He is often credited as one of the flag bearers of the UK Road Rap scene that was booming in the 2010s. His name derives from “Harry Potter” a name given to him in his time spent in youth offenders institutions due to his spectacles, and his money-making mantra added in the “Payper”. Despite people calling Potter’s appearance into question, he is no doubt a lyric-orientated rapper who comes with rich-flows and deep lyrics about poverty, the drug game.

Potter’s first attempt attempt at rapping came with his free debut mixtape Potter Payper and the Philosophers Chrome in which he release in 2010 and distributed online. The mixtape was an underground sensation and created an undeniable buzz around a young Potter.

His breakthrough came through his pain induced and heartfelt freestyles such as his, BL@CKBOX, his Warm Up Sessions and his Behind Barz. His full-debut mixtape Training Day was released July 9th 2013, which put him under the limelight in the UK with underground acclaim.

His debut EP 24 was released on the January 15 2015, and he followed up with his second EP titled One Time. The derivation of the name came from Potter straying from the Road Rap that he was popular for, and trying a different club-orientated theme for his music “one time”.

The second part to his mixtape series, Training Day 2, was released on September 13th 2016. The sophomore full-length mixtape has roaring reviews, with most dubbing it as Potter’s best body of work.

Potter Payper was sentenced for six years in 2018 on drug charges. Whilst incarcerated, he dropped his third EP Regina Vs Jamel Bousbaa.

On the 18th of June 2020, Potter Payper was finally released from prison. As a welcome home, he dropped his four track fourth EP 2020 Vision. His highly anticipated third and final instalment to his mixtape series Training Day 3 was released on the September 18th 2020. The mixtape was a critical and commercial success and landed at #3 on the UK Album Charts, making it Potters highest charting project.