I almost scrolled past it. A 2013 mixtape from a UK artist I had never heard of? That is usually where I keep scrolling. But something about the Coast 2 Coast stamp made me stop. That name meant something back then. So I pressed play on Big Chris and In one Hand, and I did not move for the next half hour.

First Impressions

This thing sounds expensive. That was my first thought. I checked the credits twice because I could not believe an unsigned artist got this finish. The vocals sit right in the mix. The low end hits clean. Everything sounds like it belongs on radio.

Then the features started rolling in. Paigey Cakey. Keisha White. MC Bushkin. I actually said "wait, what?" out loud. That is a serious line-up for a free download.

The tape moves fast too. Nine tracks and no filler. Big Chris switches between singing and rapping like he has been doing this his whole life. R&B hooks, rap verses, a little dance flavor. It all hangs together.

I went in skeptical. I came out a fan. That rarely happens.

Who Is Big Chris

Here is what gets me about this guy. He did all of this himself. Big Chris is a UK singer, rapper and producer who never waited for a label to call. Back in 2013, most artists were still begging for a music TV slot. He just built his own lane.

He dropped Big Things Vol. 1 back in 2011. Then singles like "Shoosh," "More Than a Thug" and "Pour Another Drink." He treated video platforms and mixtape sites as his main stage. Not a backup plan. The actual plan.

His debut mixtape, In one Hand, came out on 26 July 2013 through Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes. Lil Fats, the CEO himself, hosted it. That is not a small co-sign. Coast 2 Coast was the biggest mixtape series on the planet at the time.

The tape went Silver on DatPiff with over 50,000 downloads. It got mastered at Universal Music Mastering in Los Angeles. "Bad Girl" landed BBC Asian Network support. The "Baby Maker" video blew up on university campuses and got play on Channel AKA. Channel 4 music programming covered the release too.

And he did all of it unsigned. No major label. No big budget rollout. Just work. He has since worked with Giggs, Big Narstie, Keisha White and more. That is a real independent grind, and I respect it.

Breaking Down "In One Hand (Official Coast2Coast Mixtapes release)"

Let me talk about what actually makes this mixtape work. First, the range. Big Chris does not box himself in. You get smooth R&B cuts, harder hip-hop joints and some pop-leaning moments. It should feel messy. It does not. It feels like a full picture of an artist.

"Bad Girl" featuring Samira is the obvious entry point. It has that radio-ready hook. The kind you hum without noticing. It makes sense that BBC Asian Network picked it up.

Then there is the "Baby Maker" video. I get why students lost their minds over it. The song has that slow, confident bounce. The visual gives it life beyond the audio.

The features never feel like padding either. Keisha White brings real UK R&B pedigree. Paigey Cakey was already a rising star and a face from Attack the Block and Waterloo Road. MC Bushkin of Heartless Crew brings garage and pirate radio credibility. Every guest earns their spot.

What impresses me most is the production. Big Chris handled a lot of it himself. The beats sound clean and current for 2013. The mastering gives everything a major-label sheen without losing the independent edge.

For a free mixtape, the quality level here is almost unfair. Plenty of signed artists were not making records this tight.

My Verdict

You should care about In one Hand because it proves something. Big Chris showed that a UK artist could build records, videos and distribution without permission. He used DatPiff, Coast 2 Coast and online video as his label, his promo team and his TV channel.

Thirteen years later, that approach is normal. Everyone drops videos first. Everyone builds direct to fans. Big Chris was doing it in 2013 while the old system still told artists to wait their turn.

The music holds up too. That is the part people forget. A clever release strategy means nothing if the songs are weak. These songs are not weak. "Bad Girl" still hits. The title track still hits. The whole tape still sounds like a statement.

If you love 2010s UK Music, R&B with a rap edge, or just underdog stories, this one is for you. Do not sleep on it like I almost did.

Listen Now

Give In one Hand a spin and hear what an unsigned UK artist built on his own terms back in 2013. Trust me, this one deserves way more attention than it got.

If you love real UK Music with heart and hustle, go stream Big Chris and In one Hand today. Press play, turn it up, and let the tape speak for itself.

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