Many in the audience may not have noticed, but the most significant moments of the rapper Chipmunk’s show occurred not on stage but on the balcony. After their appearances with the Mobo award-winning, grime-pop star, his guests N-Dubz, Ironik and Skepta didn’t disappear backstage but went into the crowd to watch with fans.

Their behaviour succinctly summed up why British rap is suddenly superseding its American big brother. Like Acid House two decades ago, grime-pop is a British music scene whose stars — be they rappers, DJs, promoters or producers — aren’t far removed from fans. In London in particular, the implication is that the finger of grime fame could fall on anyone.

Hence, though grime-pop borrows heavily from US rap — Chipmunk strode on in hooded top, shades and diamond jewellery and instructed the crowd to copy his clichéd hand movements and “make some noise!” — its stars don’t pretend to come from Compton. Chipmunk, the 19-year-old North Londoner Jamal Noel Fyffe (who recently achieved three A-Levels and encourages fans to stay on at school), not only raps in his real accent, but restricts his polite rhymes to his own experience. When he accidentally uttered the F word — during a rant to fans to buy British rap — he sweetly followed it with a plea to “excuse my French”.

A set culled largely from the debut album, I Am Chipmunk, released last autumn, revealed that the teenager isn’t yet in the league of his mentor Tinchy Stryder. The former hits Chip Diddy and Diamond Rings proved his potential, but most was pleasant but predictable R&B pop, heavily reliant on prerecorded backing tracks, though there was a live drummer alongside a DJ.

Still, it was impossible not to enjoy the party. Chipmunk was an endearing host who didn’t stop smiling or handing lines of his lyrics over to fans. When N-Dubz’s Tulisa came on to duet on the sickly sweet ballad Lose My Life, girls grabbed each other in disbelief and screamed. Adults may not know their names, but these are our teen generation’s new idols and — parents relax! — good role models to boot.