Browsing Tag

grime

Milky – a deeply personal and honest debut with ‘I Miss You Mum’

Posted on 26 June 2021

Rising Brighton-based rap artist Milky has taken a bold step with releasing such a poignant, personal, and utterly confessional track as his debut single, but what a track it is; from the beautiful opening vocal courtesy of hometown friend Amy Owens, to the opening stanzas of Milky’s storytelling lyrical poetry (‘…those doctors can go fuck themselves/Yeah, I cut myself/It fuckin’ helps…’) ‘I Miss You Mum’ is just raw, open, and honest, and beautifully put together.

Released on We Are Not Saints records, a not-for-profit label and promotions company which works with musicians in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction; Milky is, himself, a recovering addict, a theme addressed within the lyrics alongside the narrative of the loss of his mother when he was aged just seven years old.

It’s a stunningly powerful track, truthful and honest without being maudlin or melancholic, hopeful rather than downbeat. On the basis of this, there’s a lot more to come from Milky.

Listen to ‘I Miss You Mum’ on Spotify – follow Milky on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Simulated Youth smashes the premise of the totalitarian state with his dark electro track, ‘Ghost in the Machine’.

Posted on 14 May 2021

Phoenix, Arizona-based dark electronica artist and producer Simulated Youth has switched up his sound from his previous releases, N.B.T. and Kill the Messenger by introducing a galvanising urban twist. With rap bars flowing as veraciously as his euphorically-swamped signature beats in Ghost in the Machine, fans of trance to harsh industrial electronica alike will want to pay attention.

As with all of Simulated Youth’s tracks, Ghost in the Machine is so much more than a smorgasbord of adrenalizing sound; the mix falls on the very valid anxieties of our surveillance state. We may be in the midst of an Orwellian nightmare, but at least we have apt anthems which thrash and slap in the face of dystopic oppression and totalitarian control.

Of all the artists I’ve heard breaking through this year, no other artist holds as much promise, authenticity and escapism from the bleakness of our current socio-political structures as Simulated Youth.

Ghost in the Machine is now available to stream along with the rest of Simulated Youth’s 2021 EP via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Woozybeatz brought his unique style of DubWave back to the airwaves with ‘No Turning’ Back’, featuring GOLDEN G.

Posted on 27 April 2021

Since his 2017 debut, independent artist and producer Woozybeatz has continued to rack up the streams with his hazy, trippy beats. ‘No Turning Back’ is the latest dominant track to drop from the Northamptonshire, UK-based artist as Woozybeatz continues his mission to bring a unique style of DubWave to the airwaves.

No Turning back features the commanding drill hop rap bars from GOLDEN G, who brought just as much energy as Woozy brought with the beats that rattle under the bars and beneath the swathes of reverb, allowing Woozy to stay true to his moniker.

The grimy fierce track is the ultimate playlist staple for anyone who is through with apathy, staying humble and going all-in; between the grit and grind, you’ll find plenty of empowering introspection.

No Turning Back is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Go interstellar with UK rap artist Majick’s latest release ‘SpaceShip’

Posted on 18 April 2021

If you’ve never been caught up in Rap artist Majick’s lyrical flow, his latest track ‘SpaceShip’ is the perfect track to introduce his forceful, energetic and impassioned approach to Hip Hop.

If anyone can put Hull on the hip hop map, it’s Majick with his captivating cadence and gritty lyrics that exhibit his wit and playful persona. After snagging a BBC Live Session spot with their bold and contemporary sound and their palpable hunger to keep collecting accolades, it’s easy to get excited about what else he will achieve in 2021.

You can check out the official music video to SpaceShip that dropped on February 26th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

¿ has dropped his darkly enigmatic drill track, ‘BlaK Flora’.

Posted on 1 April 2021

If you’re always on the lookout for new grimy drill tracks to add to your playlists, look no further than ¿’s latest track, ‘BlaK Flora’. It’s a confrontational aural juggernaut, combined with the up and coming artist’s enigmatic moniker; you’ll easily be drawn into the complex layers of the single that establishes ¿ as one to watch. Any artist with so much drive and unwillingness to add more of the same to the airwaves is worth paying attention to.

BlaK Flora dropped on February 27th, 2021. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jibs delivered ‘Sweet & Soothin’ vibes through their debut hip hop EP

Posted on 1 April 2021

UK grime and RnB rarely converge, but when they do, gritty realistic romance is delivered minus hallmark cliches and overused metaphors. The perfect example is ‘Sweet & Soothin’, which is the standout track from South-London artist Jibs’ debut EP.

Sweet & Soothin’ wouldn’t be out of place on Chase & Status’ iconic collaborative album ‘No More Idols’. On that basis, the future looks bright for Jibs and his unfiltered but polished tracks which make you feel as much as they make you want to move.

Sweet & Soothin’ is now available to stream along with the artist’s debut EP ‘A Night with Jibs’ via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK rap artist T. Fewdo shared his infectious ‘Energy’ in his latest music video

Posted on 27 March 2021

Coventry, UK-based rap artist, T. Fewdo, has followed on from the success of their debut album ‘Out of the Ordinary’ with their electrifying release ‘Energy’; the animated track is everything that it says it is on the tin.

Through a mix of grime, UK garage, and drill, T. Fewdo created a galvanising platform for the witty, intricate rap bars he’s quickly becoming renowned for. The lyricism in Energy is so much more than just a series of clever one-liners. The galvanising message behind Energy was hammered home with bruisingly genius blows.

The official video premiered on February 25th, you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Junior shows us his hand in the high-vibe EDM hip hop track ‘The Cards I Was Dealt’

Posted on 5 March 2021

Rap artist and producer, Junior, has hit the airwaves once again with their galvanizingly dominant single ‘The Cards I Was Dealt’.

With a nod to UK grime in their melodic rap bars, 90s RnB-style charisma and electrifying EDM beats which pay ode to Slim Shady, The Cards I Was Dealt is an infectiously high-vibe hit. Any fans of Pharrell and Dizzee Rascal will definitely want to pay attention.

You can check out The Cards I Was Dealt via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vvs1 – NEVA FLIP: Confrontationally Catchy Hip Hop

Posted on 6 January 2021

Rap trailblazer, Vvs1, is set to amass even more hype around his confrontationally catchy Hip Hop style after the release of his latest single ‘NEVA FLIP’, produced by KOBOY, released through DNA Records.

With plenty of odes to old school gangster hip hop in the high-energy grime-laden contemporary mix, raw aggression is put against chiming beats and bass-riding slams of the 808s; making sure that your attention never falters from the entrancing progressions.

With their authentic style, commercial appeal and capacity for ingeniously ominous lyrical wit, Vvs1 is more than capable of making plenty of waves in 2021 and beyond.

You can check out the official music video to NEVA FLIP which dropped on December 15th by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RnB Trap Pop meets Grime in London-hailing artist Wavier’s latest sticky-sweet single ‘Goof Ball’

Posted on 2 January 2021

‘Goof Ball’ is the sticky-sweet Hip Hop drop from breaking London-based artist Wavier who definitely wasn’t afraid to wear his heart on his endearing sleeve in this playfully stylistic mix.

With harmonised Rap vocals, complexly intricate EDM beats and hints of grime bringing the perfect amount of grounding grit to the single, Wavier has undoubtedly succeeded when it came to stamping down their signature sound on the airwaves.

Any diehard romantics with an affinity for fresh curve creating Hip Hop will undoubtedly want the artist and label owner (3000 AUDIO) on their radars sooner rather than later.

You can check out Wavier’s latest drop by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast