Browsing Tag

London Hip Hop

XII 44 and Griminal Hit Hard with the Dark Side of the Grind in ‘Drippy’

Posted on 10 December 2024

Two urban cultures collided when South London’s rap legend XII 44 and East London’s grime icon Griminal hooked up to drop ‘Drippy’, a high vibe hit that subversively flips the script on the typical high-life rap narrative. Far from a hollow ode to wealth and status, the track reveals the jagged edges of success, exposing the personal cost behind the luxury branded surface.

XII 44 used his high-fire bars to set the bar higher than the Shard by tapping into the energy of the beat to mirror the song’s gradual tonal shift. What starts as a light, accessible hook soon morphs into a moody vignette of the toll behind the grind.

Griminal’s signature grime flow punctuates the track with his kinetic cadence as the duo exposes the bitter truths of ambition to deliver a raw and relatable reality check to audiences instead of attempting to make others feel inferior by flexing an unobtainable lifestyle. The superficiality of surface-level success is laid bare, as is the duo’s undeniable respective and collaborative talent.

With a debut mixtape in the pipeline, XII 44 is continuing to gain momentum with each new release after making a name for himself by hitting stages alongside Snoop Dogg and Little Simz. If anyone has what it takes to verse their way to UK rap royalty in 2025, it’s him.

For the full experience, stream the official music video, which has already racked up over 42k streams, on YouTube.

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

Kweku Bandit cinematically reimagined London’s streets in his urban tale of triumph, Nowhere

Posted on 8 February 2024

You may think you know London’s streets but once you see them from a different point of view in Kweku Bandit’s official music video for his latest rap hit, Nowhere, your perception of the cityscape will take a seismic shift after you acknowledge how they can be the breeding ground to success stories rather than just battlegrounds for class wars.

The conceptually compelling music video, which has already racked up over 24k streams since its debut on January 19, depicts Kweku Bandit on a rags-to-riches character arc. The orchestrally laced instrumentals bring a touch of film noir glamour to the track that sees Kweku Bandit bringing as much rhythm in his Dancehall-inspired bars as the snappy beats that heighten the energy of the hit that will give you all the inspiration you need to stay on your grind. The track is as essential as it is phenomenal; as Kweku Bandit exposits, the road to success often moves people out of your corner and in the rearview mirror. If fake friends fall by the wayside, you can always lock into the inspiration that pours from this seminal hit.

Despite the flashy iconography in the music video to depict an ascent through the economic ranks, nothing about Nowhere feels like a flex; the sense of soul that radiates from Kweku’s persona translates into an affirmation that anywhere can be the land of opportunity if you’re willing to reach for it and refuse to be a victim to circumstance.

Stream the official music video for Nowhere on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s CoolRap Pioneer, Index Dex, Turned Up the Temperature with Fire Out

Posted on 12 August 2023

The South African-born, London-residing conduit of high-octane flavorous hip-hop, Index Dex, turned up the temperature with the drop of his latest energetically unreckonable single, Fire Out.

The illustrious artist and heir to the CoolRap throne may have moved from his home, but even after ten years in the UK hip-hop scene, his roots are as vibrant as ever as they ooze through his irreplicable swagger.

Never one to turn away from raw and visceral lyricism, Index Dex always delivers introspection-rich and socially-aware hits that do more than scratch at the surface; his wit-sharp bars have an efficacious way of bedding into the centre of your consciousness as you’re dizzied by the canter of his riotously arranged rap bars.

Since making his debut, he’s worked with the E.M.I producer, O.D. Hunte, performed in multiple iconic venues and festivals, including London Love-Box Festival and Notting Hill Carnival. His latest single, Fire Out, has exactly what it takes to take his career to the next level.

Fire Out is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DJ Fricktion, D Smoke & Kelvyn Colt fed the ‘POWER’ in a homage to West Coast hip-hop

Posted on 20 May 2023

From working with RZA to Ghostface to Suspect to Digga D, Ronaldo saying he’s the best DJ he’s ever heard and DJing for Usain Bolt’s private parties, there are few DJs as accoladed and revered as the London-residing music producer and engineer, DJ Fricktion.

From being nominated at London’s club awards as best DJ, to teaching music in a prison to performing at some of the biggest venues across the globe, DJs’ career is as rich and diverse as they come. Now, he’s here with his latest single, POWER, featuring D Smoke & Kelvyn Colt, which unravels as the ultimate adrenalized hustler anthem.

If there is anyone who can speak on the relationship between perseverance, determination and success, it is DJ Fricktion; but that is just one facet of conviction in the fiery feat of hip-hop, which goes far beyond the tired rattle of 808s. The production is as massive as the vocal energy as the rap bars from the collaborators give POWER endlessly enlivening Jekyll and Hyde duality.

Any fans of Dre, Quincy Jones, A.R. Rahman and Timbaland will want to jump on POWER while it is hot.

POWER officially dropped on May 12; galvanise your Spotify playlists with it.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Phurah prayz is ‘on duty’ with the evocative originality in his seminal single

Posted on 16 May 2023

Evocative originality is far from in short supply in the latest EP from the London-based alt-hip-hop artist and producer, Phurah prayz. The 6-track release, we are connected, is a riot of authentic innovation; take the standout single, on duty, as the ultimate testament to that fact.

After indie ukulele and guitar strings set the melodic pace in the mid-tempo vibe-out track, Phurah prayz delivers his charged-with-compassion vocal lines which you will effortlessly level with. While the wordsmith delivers his gospel & RnB infused rap bars which will drench you in worldly-wise introspection, the warm and bright beats, which come with a touch of afro flavour, will show you the meaning of catharsis.

Stream on duty on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Raw candour and cadence collide in South London rapper LKS’ single, Say My Peace

Posted on 9 March 2023

If you thought the titular metaphor in the South London rap artist LKS’ latest single, Say My Peace, is something, wait until you feel how the introspective wisdom grips you through the fluid cadence it is delivered through

The gentle and melodic guitars spill accordance under the luminary artist’s soberingly raw bars that compel you to lean so deeply that you will feel every syllable crawl under your skin. Based on Say My Peace, no one could ever accuse LKS of not keeping it real. The candour in his admissions of creative mental friction sounds so much sweeter when you hear what a luminary he is. He’s undeniable.

The official music video for Say My Peace is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazzy hip hop hit the streets of London through Dylan Dixon’s luminary hit, REAPER

Posted on 9 February 2023

After a hiatus, Southwest London’s slickest rapper, Dylan Dixon, is on razor-sharp form in his sophomore single, REAPER. With instrumentals that would be equally as home in the East Coast hip-hop arena, the trumpet-infused triumph is a scintillating hit that more than compensates for the lack of experimentation in the UK hip-hop scene that scarcely looks beyond drill and grime.

While the cinematic soul of the jazzy instrumentals set a euphonic score, Dixon comes in heavy with his bars that are enough to leave your head in a spin with their cutting canter and charisma-dripping wordplay, which inadvertently makes a mockery of what most rappers think are dynamic bars.

Influenced by the likes of Griselda, Kanye, and Ghetts, Dixon found his own urban signature in unchartered territory, through determination to never to assimilate while paying homage to the pioneering acts who came before him.

Stream REAPER on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

CK LDN is all-in in his latest hip hop single, She’s for Me

Posted on 10 October 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-IlBnEnNHQ

There are few things sweeter than devout outpours of affection; prepare for the ultimate sugar rush when you delve into the up-and-coming London-based rapper, songwriter, and producer, CK LDN’s latest single, She’s for Me.

Realism and romanticism don’t often go hand in hand, but they have a tight grip on each other between the cheeky rap bars, the bouncy Afrobeat rhythms and the vocal delivery that takes you to CK LDN’s ‘whole other level’.

This sophomore release proves that CK LDN was true to his melodious word in his debut single, Moving On, which has picked up plenty of hype since its 2022 release. With his talent easily matching his charisma, CK LDN is definitely one to watch.

The official music video for She’s for Me Premiered on September 30th. Check it out on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast