Browsing Tag

grime

East Meets West in Koza’s Impassioned Inferno of a Drill Track, SHADOWS

Posted on 2 July 2024

Koza’s second single, SHADOWS is a fierily impassioned inferno of frenetic rap cadences that reach the pinnacle of rhythmic fervour; by embracing his cultural roots in the exotically produced hit, punctuated by hard-hitting drill beats, Koza couldn’t have been more authentic to himself in the soul-baring release, which delivers an unforgettable introduction to one of the hottest drill rappers on the UK scene right now. It’s only a matter of time before he teams up with GRM and goes viral.

There are few artists who can match his heat and do so with maximum conviction that spills straight through the soul instead of the ego; all the lyrics serve to viscerally make a statement of intent as they cut through the atmosphere laid out by the diaphanously ethereal Hollywood-esque backing vocals and delicate instrumental layers which contrast sharply with the bass-swathed beats.

SHADOWS is a significant shift from Koza’s debut track, KOHLI; by underpinning the release in his personal philosophy, modernising the East-meets-West production with ahead-of-the-curve beats and anchoring it in vulnerability by narrating themes of self-discovery, the breakthrough artist broke plenty of ground with this stormer.

SHADOWS dropped on June 28; jump on the track on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nicole Leaskk unveiled RnB’s most authenticated modern love story with ‘Want You’ ft Strizzy Strauss

Posted on 5 June 2024

Nicole Leaskk’s latest Afrobeat-heated single, Want You, is a subversive symbol of defiance in the face of RnB tropes. If you’re tired of the lyrical fawning and mourning old flames as their light dims, tune into the 90s RnB-inspired summer pop anthem that captures the passion of tragically relatable conflict. Tempers run as hot as the tones in RnB’s most authenticated modern love story.

The reprising lyric “I don’t even want you, I just want to prove you’re mine” testifies to the inevitability of becoming an unwilling pawn in mind games if you dare to delve into the dating pool as Latin flavours ooze through the guitars and percussion and bring the rhythmically kinetic groove in the Afrobeat-tinted production.

Strizzy Strauss’ grime-y rap bars work in dynamic contrast to Nicole Leaskk’s firebranded vocals as he delivers the other side of a cat-and-mouse vignette of tormenting prey before casting aside and moving onto the next chase.

The flawless execution of Want You will undoubtedly leave the UK singer-songwriter open to more critical acclaim. If you’re still sleeping on her, you may as well be in a coma.

Want You was officially released on May 31; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

YTN Tee lit up the UK rap scene with his vibe-heavy hit,  Lightsaber

Posted on 1 June 2024

YTN Tee used ‘the force’ to be a force to be reckoned with in the UK rap scene with his latest track, Lightsaber. With bars that flow with seamless rhythm and cheeky vibe-intense energy, YTN Tee carved a fresh edge into the industry through his roguishly razor-sharp wit. The only thing bigger than the expansively styled beats which paint across the hip-hop spectrum, produced by AyP, is YTN Tee’s presence in the mix as he waxes lyrical and never wanes.

Instead of joining the hip-hop flock and delivering hard and heavy lyrics, Lightsaber hits hard with the mischievously infectious buzz that reverberates throughout the single that will undoubtedly become the sunny-side-up hip-hop anthem of the summer. The track and music video flawlessly capture the spontaneous creativity that allowed the serotonin-soaked hit to pull together in a few days; it’s an explosion of uninhibited energy that sticks in the memory and strips away negativity. With an underpinned message life is what you make it, you’ll want to join YTN Tee at the vanguard of unabashed positivity as soon as you surrender to the groove.

Lightsaber is a culmination of YTN Tee’s experience in the industry. He started to cut his teeth at age 15 as a freestyler; since honing his talents, he’s racked up over 500k streams on his seminal release, Wazzup, and featured on BBC Introducing Northampton and 1Xtra. As only the start of what’s to come in 2024, YTN Tee isn’t an artist you will want to sleep on.

Lightsaber was officially released on May 29; stream the single on all major platforms via this link or watch the official music video, shot by SA, on YouTube.

Follow YTN Tee on Instagram.

 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Touch down in ‘BUDAPEST’ with Zulu Abantu’s Seminal Alt-Hip-Hop Track

Posted on 4 April 2024

Zulu Abantu may have cut his teeth in the grime scene, but he is coming into his own through vibrant genre fusions, especially after the drop of his latest single, ‘BUDAPEST‘. This track is a cultural mosaic, melding the raw edge of grime with the soulful depths of R&B and the universal appeal of pop.

‘BUDAPEST’ resonates with an exotic flair, breaking the monocultural mould with its eastern rhythms that weave through the production atop the trap beats, while Zulu Abantu’s vocal versatility is on full display, proving that his voice can effortlessly bridge grime, R&B, and reggaeton.

For those who crave rap tracks that abstract from material reality and transport you to domains you’d die to explore in physical form, ‘BUDAPEST’ hits the mark. The hooks in this track are not just irresistible; they are a siren call to those seeking musical exploration beyond the conventional.

Zulu Abantu’s journey from grime to an eclectic mix of genres is a testament to his artistic evolution. With a decade of dedication to his craft, he’s got what it takes to perpetually change the atmosphere of the alt-hip-hop scene.

BUDAPEST hit the airwaves on March 20; stream the single on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HBEEE Trailblazed through London’s Grime Scene and Razed it To the Ground with ‘Chosen Freestyle’

Posted on 28 March 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFcEhEc9prw

After getting caught up in the hype of London’s hottest up-and-coming hip-hop trailblazer, HBEEE through his viral hit, Game Over, we couldn’t wait to dig into his latest hit, Chosen Freestyle.

Once the introspective instrumentals swathe the production in an atmosphere that sets the perfect tone for reflection, the bars and the beats roll in thick and fast, exhibiting HBEEE’s ability to freestyle with the fervour of Juice WRLD, Cassidy, and MC Juice, while staying true to his own gritty grime artistic identity.

The raw and spontaneous bars result in unexpected lyrical flows, which continuously culminate in a series of mic drops. HBEEE’s wordplay doesn’t solely exhibit his ability to maintain rhymes and stay on the beat; it also lends itself to a personal connection between his candour and the listener’s ability to relate to the lyricism.

Cheeky and convictive in parts, cuttingly haunting in others, HBEEE knew exactly how to make his mark on the London grime scene. Try as other artists might, few flows bring the same fire as what blazes through Chosen Freestyle; he’s razing the whole grime scene to the ground.

The official music video for Chosen Freestyle will premiere on YouTube on March 28th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JMP tore through the façade of fallacy with their latest rap track, Don’t Lie, featuring Zinc and Sofia Kafas

Posted on 23 March 2024
https://spotify.link/QgiVqnqW0Hb

JMP’s latest feat of genre-fluid alchemy, “Don’t Lie,” featuring Zinc and Sofia Kafas, seamlessly fuses trap beats into a melodiously mellow atmosphere. As the lush reverb ebbs and flows, it envelops the listener in a rhythmic embrace, guided by the unique chemistry each vocalist brings to the track.

Sofia Kafas’s soulful voice adds a layer of depth and emotion, contrasting with the grit of the grime-y bars. Their harmonies paint a vivid picture of the narrative at the heart of the song – the detriments of deception. What truly sets “Don’t Lie” apart is its cultural richness; the bilingual verses shatter the monocultural mould, adding an exotic twist to the RnB lyrical rhythms.

Don’t Lie was unveiled as one of JMP’s most dynamic releases to date. The trio of contributors, each with their distinct style, unite under the theme of sincerity and truth. The result is a compelling track that resonates on multiple levels and is a reminder of rap’s capacity for storytelling and emotional depth, making it a standout release in JMP’s repertoire.

Don’t Lie was officially released on February 26th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s HBEEE played by his own rules in his viral rap track, Game Over

Posted on 7 March 2024

After teaming up with director Mani J for the official music video for his latest hit, Game Over, one of the hottest UK rappers, HBEEE racked up over 312k streams in the space of a month; the grime track is more than worth the viral hype.

If you can’t stand the superficiality of fake beauty, know how it feels to always have your walls up and live knowing that no one will ever understand the complexities that lie beneath your persona, Game Over will leave you vindicated by the volition.

With a lyrical intellect that rivals George the Poet’s, the hook-rife release will leave you ensnared from the first hit; the contrast between the warm, intricate and melodic instrumentals and female backing vox with HBEEE’s razor-sharp-with-grit cadence, it’s impossible not to be affected by the authentically stylised ingenuity in Game Over.

Stream the official music video on the GRM Daily YouTube channel now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MOBI1 & Hardest Bars ignited the London grime scene with ‘Joey Clipstar Freestyle’

Posted on 7 February 2024

In the gritty heart of West London’s grime scene, MOBI1’s latest single, ‘Joey Clipstar Freestyle’, is a rhythmic inferno, signalling his indomitable presence and unyielding ascent.

Surviving a catastrophic explosion and emerging from literal ashes, MOBI1i is an emissary of resilience. Anyone who locks into his bars that run as hard as his beats can live it by proxy and feel the fire that blazes as MOBI1 razes the music industry with the head-spinning volition in his flow.

The production, a collaborative genius of Katmandu and Wadizdis, tears up the rulebook of drill beats. It’s a rhythmic firestorm, a relentless assault on the senses that perfectly complements MOBI1’s explosive delivery. Every hook is a masterstroke of lyrical agility, a testament to Mobi1’s skill as he weaves through the beat with a tongue-twisting fervour.

In short, ‘Joey Clipstar Freestyle’ is a declaration that MOBI1 is here to reign supreme in the grime domain. As he continues to make waves across the UK, from radio sets to fashion shows, one thing is crystal clear: he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Check out the official music video on YouTube or add MOBI1’s latest hit to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

reubencmg looked beyond the surface level of scars in his compassionately raw rap track, Insecure

Posted on 31 January 2024

In his latest single, Insecure, the UK rapper reubencmg opened a narrative on how we can walk through life buried under the weight of our trauma which bears down on everything we do, from how we navigate relationships to what we will passively accept from life’s protagonists who bank on people being bruised enough to tolerate exploitation and humiliation.

With the soul in the backing vocals harmonising behind the George the Poet-esque spoken-word cadence, which adds to the melodiously wavy vibe of Insecure, reubencmg keeps it raw and real while delivering a gritty urban soundscape that people can seek solace within every time they need a reminder that every person you walk past in the street has their own demons to defeat and burdens biting down on their psyche.

Stream Insecure on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lem’s Sophomore Rap Track, S.A.D, Is A Stark Reflection of Modern Angst

Posted on 21 January 2024

In “S.A.D”, Lem’s second release, there’s an undeniable gravity that pulls you into the heart of today’s societal unease. The track starts with a haunting piano melody, subtly setting a sombre mood. As Lem’s verses unfold, there’s a tangible shift from mere melancholy to a profound, introspective exploration of contemporary disillusionment.

Lem’s lyrical prowess shines as he navigates through the complexities of modern life. His words are a candid portrayal of the pressures we face, from economic turmoil to the distorted realities perpetuated online. His approach is refreshingly sincere, standing out in a genre often dominated by surface-level expressions of frustration.

Lem’s raw narrative resonates with authenticity, offering listeners a glimpse into the struggles beneath the facade of everyday life. His choice to reveal the real sources of his anxiety and depression is both brave and rare, making “S.A.D” a standout piece in UK rap.

“S.A.D” is an impactful addition to Lem’s growing discography, showcasing his ability to articulate the complexities of the human psyche in a way that is both enlightening and deeply moving. It’s a compelling invitation to engage with his music and a strong indication of his potential to leave a lasting mark on the music scene.

S.A.D was officially released on January 12th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast