RV (rapper)

Townsend grew up in Tottenham in North London. Both of his parents are Jamaican.[4][5] He was originally a member of Star Gang,[6] an offshoot of the Tottenham Mandem gang.[7] RV has stated he converted to Islam after his cousin Fatman, who was Muslim, died in 2007.[5] RV got his moniker from a friend that died in 2010. His friend went by the name Revenge 24 and had told RV that if he died or went to jail, RV had to "carry on the name".[5][8] In 2010, he released his first mixtape Cruddy on the Streets,[8] followed in 2011 by AntiSocial Behaviour, a joint mixtape with Supa Capone, and Call of Duty: Tottenham Warfare, a compilation mixtape featuring various Tottenham artists.[9]

In 2012, he and other North London gang members were convicted of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in a stabbing of a 15-year-old boy at a barber shop in Wood Green. He received a seven-year sentence.[1][2] He and rapper Headie One became frequent collaborators, including co-releasing the mixtapes Sticks & Stones (2016) and Drillers x Trappers (2017).[10] Together they formed part of OFB, a UK drill crew based in the Broadwater Farm estate.[11] While in prison, he and other OFB members had released drill rap videos where they warn their enemies that they will grab and stab them.[2]

Following his release from prison,[12] on 22 March 2019, RV and Headie One released a third mixtape called Drillers x Trappers II.[13] It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 21.[14] "Match Day", the first single from the mixtape, entered the Singles Chart at number 86.[15] He publicly revealed his face for the first time in the music video "Why Always Me".[16][17]

On 1 July 2019, he did a freestyle rap on Charlie Sloth's show.[18] On 2 August 2019, he released the solo EP, Savage.[19][18][20][21]