Browsing Tag

grime

UK Flow Queen, TAYLOR-LEIGH, Lit Up the Airwaves with ‘Jig Up’

Posted on 1 October 2023

By bringing witty brutality to her bars and an infectious sense of playfulness to her beats, the UK flow queen TAYLOR-LEIGH lit up the airwaves with her latest lyrically lascivious track, Jig Up.

To assert the authenticity in her sonic signature, TAYLOR-LEIGH kept her vox in the grime and garage arena while the keys almost brought a neo-classic touch to the RnB-esque melodies to deliver a boundary-less track that breaks down sonic barriers while ticking every hip-hop box.

There’s also a strikingly clever duality within the lyrics; when TAYLOR-LEIGH isn’t running through with tongue-in-cheek antagonism, she’s demonstrating her emotional intelligence that will undoubtedly embolden any woman who encounters this seminal track.

Jig Up was officially released on September 4; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bring Ibiza to your speakers with LE PASH’s sophomore UK house hit, Right Now, featuring LIANN

Posted on 27 July 2023
DJ LE PASH blew the roof off UK house with his sophomore single, Right Now; borrowing the soulfully smooth vocal lines from LIANN, he served up a scorching slice of summer that will blow smoke through your speakers as you groove to the urban dance licks, which pay homage to the 90s dance scene while adding a new trajectory to the evolution of the genre. With a sound so polished the Ibiza-euphoria emanating hit could have been produced by Mr Sheen, Right Now has all the makings of an EDM chart-topper.
LIANN’s strident-with-blissful-soul vocal lines are the perfect contrast to the garage-y rap bars that prove that America may be the homeland of hip-hop, but the UK will always reign supreme in its own gritty authentic vein.
Stream the anthemic Radio Edit and melodic acoustic rendition of Right Now on Spotify. 
Review by Amelia Vandergast

Masses Against the Classes: NIGHTSHIFT Joka-B x MrLee x Ultra_Eko

Posted on 5 May 2023

Punk may have lost its bite in the light of the global financial crisis, but grime artists are picking up the slack and sinking their teeth into the injustice that is cowing the majority into oppressed submission. For his latest single, NIGHTSHIFT, the West Yorkshire-hailing, rural Poland Emcee & Producer, MrLee versed for the masses with the help of Joka-B and Ultra_Eko.

By mixing light and dark tones in the polyphonic beats, MrLee created an emotionally rounded hit, rather than running through with nothing but the all too relatable working-class anger to give his succinct words even more resonant weight. But that isn’t to say he held any prisoners in his lyricism that has made him stand out in an oversaturated scene. He could more than stand his own against Bob Vylan and Kid Kapichi with the socially conscious lyricism in NIGHTSHIFT.

Hear NIGHTSHIFT from May 5th on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Look Better In Person: 3smuni prays for those close locked up in the system with Overseas

Posted on 3 February 2023

Showing us so much re-energized enthusiasm and compelling dynamite, 3smuni displays a compelling verve and shall drain away all doubts in the sink with Overseas.

3smuni is a South Africa-born London-based indie hip-hop artist & multi-instrumentalist who fuses drill, US and grime soundscapes into his own transcendent way.

Exhibiting to us what the youngsters are listening to as we speak, 3smuni is that young new school artist who seems to possess a rare insight into what is going to define the next generation. Absorbed in quality and always progressive, this is a thunderous display which will please many who love to hear what tomorrow is bringing.

Overseas from London-based indie hip-hop artist 3smuni is a magnificent track which will take our minds away from any current stresses and mould our minds into the future. Launched with a rather illumination-filled fragrance and never losing its shine for a second, we find a rather remarkable effort when the world needed it most.

Turn this up loud on Spotify. See more news on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Grime icon in the making, Jacob Briggs, has released a dizzying drop with ‘Bothered’.

Posted on 17 December 2022

Amalgamating the fiercest elements of trap, grime and drill, the UK icon in the making, Jacob Briggs, created a juggernaut of a hit with his latest single, Bothered, which officially dropped on December 9th.

Proving that grime hasn’t lost its flavour since Wiley gave us a taste in the early 00s, Bothered exhibits Briggs’ dizzying flow, which doesn’t sacrifice the lyrical content which puts to shame the archetypes built in the industry since it dawned.

The electronic music producer and creative artist started his sonic journey inspired by RnB and hip hop acts before creating his own rhythm-riding sonic signature that packs enough fervour to make your head spin. Watch this space before Briggs tears through it with the force of a lyrical tornado.

Feel the heat simmer from Bothered by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK Hip Hop Got Hotter Through Dalts’ Latest Collab, ‘No Time’, featuring Jez, SK1NT and Charla Green

Posted on 21 June 2022
Dalts

Sheffield’s most infamous producer, DJ, events promoter, and label runner, Dalts, has contributed more than most to the UK music scene in the past five years. Now, he’s here with his latest single, No Time, featuring Jez, SK1NT and Charla Green.

The garagey hip-hop track uses old-school grooves, oscillating bass and skippy beats to keep the flow kicking under the clever vocal layering, which merges the originality of every featuring artist. From deadpan rap bars to distorted and transcending vocal samples, No Time is a hypnotic vibe tapestry which reminds you how great and gritty UK hip hop can be.

Check out Dalts on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Malta rapper Rheez. holds no prisoners in his sophomore single, PTSD

Posted on 6 May 2022

After a successful debut, new wave rap artist and producer Rheez. boldly blazed in with his sophomore single PTSD. If any track has the power to affirm just why so many people are losing their sanity lately, it’s this stormer of a grime and alt-hip hop cocktail.

The intro is an efficacious hook into the Malta-based artist’s candid track that holds no prisoners when picking out the most disparaging facets of our human existence. With lines such as “dad on the phone saying son they can’t clone you” and “Shout out to the internet champions, TikTok is your only throne” put up against each other, Rheez. tears through our obsession with superficiality and tendency to turn a blind eye to the real issues.

Rheez. may claim that he is turning nothing into something with his music, making humility another attractive aspect of his artistic presence. But his willingness to hold humanity accountable and speak out so convictively on one of the most stigmatised conditions known to man makes him equally as important as any of the overhyped artists with vacuous premises for their tracks.

PTSD was officially released on May 6th; you can check it out for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK Rapper JPOW comes in with all guns blazing in ‘Socially Anti’, featuring Kirsty Clarke

Posted on 17 December 2021

For his latest release, Socially Anti, rapper and songwriter JPOW teamed up with Kirsty Clarke, who brought a breath-taking dynamic to this hard and fast hit. Her folkishly light vocal timbre and innocently soulful yet sharp style was the perfect contrast against JPOW’s dominant bars that affirm he takes no prisoners when he steps to the mic.

Without a doubt, the South Coast-hailing UK independent artist is one of the hottest new names in the UK rap scene. He takes the usual lyrical rap tropes and runs them through his scathing wit. As for the instrumentals, you would be hard-pressed to find a bolder mix of tone and texture. With the melodic reminiscences to Cosmo Shelldrake and the quivering classical notes around the snappy bass-drenched beats, Socially Anti is as cinematic as it is galvanising.

Check out the official lyric video for Socially Anti via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

East London’s Muzuri announced his arrival in the music scene with his debut single, 0127

Posted on 4 December 2021

East London rap artist, Muzuri has garnered plenty of hype with his debut release, 0127, which premiered on BBC Radio Essex on October 5th before officially releasing on October 15th.

The French rapper and songwriter takes influence from the likes of Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Static Major, but he left plenty of room for his own catchy sonic style in his debut which announces his arrival to the music scene and creates a vivid vignette of his life as an artist and hedonist.

With the arresting bounce of the snappy beats and the reverb around them, it is impossible not to get hooked into the atmosphere of 0127 which merges French and English hip hop culture. It’s a stellar track that succeeds in establishing Muzuri as one to watch.

0127 is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roysson delivers a Hip Hop and Grime playlist staple with his latest release.

Posted on 23 September 2021

Roysson has been putting Hertfordshire on the hip hop map for the past ten years with his laceratingly sharp wit, massive beats and commanding persona. His standout single, Hip Hop and Grime, pays ode to the iconic UK grime style, but Roysson finds plenty of room to stamp down his signature genre-melding style that has been hyped by BBC Introducing and GRM Daily, amongst many others.

Hip Hop and Grime is an instantly galvanizing mix with the garagey beats, rapid-fire drill vocals and Roysson’s ability to create a gritty vignette of modern culture without ever having to pander to cultural stereotypes. If Stormzy, Dave, Skepta and Wiley are your playlist staples, you will find that Roysson fits in well right alongside them. With plenty more material locked, loaded and ready to drop, now is the perfect time to add him to your radar.

You can check out Roysson’s standout single, which has already racked up over 25k streams, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast