Browsing Tag

London Rap

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

Kelvo’s Laidback Cuts Got Sharper with His Latest Alt-Hip-Hop Release, Got2Change

Posted on 27 March 2024

North London’s Kelvo is riding an exotically mellow new wave of hip-hop while harking back to 70s soul & funk and 90s hip-hop with his latest single, Got2Change, which showcases his ability to weave introspective lyrics with vibrant beats and transcendent swathes of soul.

From the outset, ‘Got2Change’ sinks you into a tropical-infused groove; the soundscape lays the perfect foundation for Kelvo’s smooth rap bars, which glide effortlessly over the beat. His flow is as smooth as velvet, creating a striking contrast with the colourful vibrancy of the instrumental arrangement.

Instrumentally, Got2Change is a holiday from the gritty streets of London, but the big smoke is infused in the razor-sharp flow of Kelvo as he delves into themes of self-growth and introspection, challenging listeners to awaken from the slumber of unrealised potential. In essence, Got2Change is a call to action, an invitation to strip away tension and embrace a more reflective state of mind.

Got2Change will hit all major platforms on March 27th, stream it via this link.

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

ArkAngel47 flowed into the heart of memory in his alt-hip-hop track, nostalgia

Posted on 13 February 2024

ArkAngel47’s latest single, nostalgia, crashed into the alt-rap scene like a rogue wave, unapologetically dismantling the boundaries of the genre on February 8th. The raw, unfiltered plunge into the depths of memory, wrapped in a soundscape that defies easy categorisation, is an unconventional fusion that grips you from the first beat.

Imagine grime’s gritty pulse, new wave’s introspective echo, and alt-hip-hop’s rebellious spirit colliding around lyricism that balances candour and volition. Hit play and feel the push and pull of time as North West London’s grittiest poet waxes lyrical with melancholic wisdom. Nostalgia is beyond reminiscence; it is the dissection of the essence of the psychological phenomenon; an exposition of its sweet allure and sharp bite.

Musically, the track is a beast of its own making. The beats morph and twist before flooding into a melodious flow and glitching like a dream half-remembered as the backing vocals resonate as ethereal whispers from bygone days, adding layers of haunting depth to the track.

Mixed and mastered with the sharp ear of Kult Eviction at Kabin Studios, nostalgia is a testament to ArkAngel47’s raw talent and vision. With plenty more genre-fluid releases locked, loaded, and ready to drop throughout 2024, ArkAngel47 is one to watch.

Watch the official music video for nostalgia on YouTube, or add the single to your Spotify playlists.

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

Kid of the Star System is in orbit again with her darkwave pop-rock-trap amalgam, Sleepwalking

Posted on 12 August 2023
Kid of the Star System

Kid of the Star System is back in orbit once again with her latest single, Sleepwalking, and we couldn’t be more stoked about the interstellar return of the London-based visionary who switches between dimensions and genres to deliver atmospherically electrifying sci-fi enhanced vignettes of our grittily dystopic times.

The trap beat in the intro quickly evolves into a hook-rife platform of darkwave electro-pop that Kid of the Star System uses to implant her domineeringly smooth vocal lines that carry the exhilarating seduction of the entire Deftones discography. You won’t be short on emotions to feel when listening to the gospel of Kid of the Star System’s ethereal space odyssey, which could rival a black hole in the darkness it contains.

With the sole aim of bringing as much fun and chaos to her music as possible, the genre-melding artist is one for the radar if you always look to music for inspiration and empowerment. Especially as her sophomore LP, Luminous, which promises to challenge her listeners and push them past their limitations, is on the periphery.

Check out Sleepwalking on Spotify when it drops.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Goldson versed a meditation on resilience on ‘Don’t Fold on Me’

Posted on 19 May 2023

The UK rapper, songwriter, screenwriter and videographer, Goldson, poured soul back into the London hip-hop landscape with his seminal single and music video, Don’t Fold on Me.

The meditation on resilience is a compassion-soaked declaration of how hard it is to keep your head above water when life’s pressures try and force you under it. The poetically versed hit is a raw reminder that everyone is living a personal battle of wills, whether you see their scars or not.

Instrumentally, Goldson went back to the old school with cinematic grace to create the atmosphere around the solid rattle of the 808s, which constructs a melodious platform for his hard truths and even harder-hitting demand to live more mindfully when it comes to your sanctity and the struggles of everyone around you. The wit in the wordplay could only be described as immense. Clearly, he’s got a luminous career ahead of him.

Check out the official music video for Don’t Fold on Me, which premiered on May 14, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marcello (spooks) kicked up dust in his metaphorically sharp alt-rap double A-side, Endless Drive: A Love Story

Posted on 18 April 2023

After racking up over 1 million streams on his hit single, True Colours, London’s brightest rap luminary, Marcello (spooks) has exhibited his even more sharply honed wordplay skills in his double A-side release, Endless Drive: A Love Story. With the unrelenting desire to show his readers how to let the light in with his optimistic rap bars, he created two assured afro-pop/rap earworms with the two singles, TRAFFIC and ENDLESS DRIVE.

Attitude is everything; Marcello’s will leave you revelling in gritty yet sincerely pure soul. His daring propensity to look on the bright side and flip the pervasive narrative that life is a minefield of personal injustice needs to spill onto the darker corners of the internet. The stellar production in his double A-side with his effortlessly exhilarating air that breathes through his vibrant bars will pull you down to earth while simultaneously leaving you on cloud nine.

“Endless Drive: A Love Story is a metaphor for the nature of a turbulent romantic relationship and the perseverance required to be happy and successful in music and life. The first single, TRAFFIC, is about finding patience while standing behind someone else in the queue for your love, but you don’t mind because it is worth the wait. The same sentiment stands when you are on the road to success.

The second single, ENDLESS DRIVE, is a meta depiction of how it feels to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t know how to drive, takes the wrong turns, gets you lost, doesn’t focus on the road ahead and always makes a beeline for complications.”

Endless Drive: A Love Story will hit the airwaves on April 18; catch it on Spotify and SoundCloud.

Follow Marcello (spooks) on Twitter and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JoeJas unveiled the hottest hip hop single of the summer with ‘Sally’s Last Dance’

Posted on 4 June 2022

It’s all in the vibe in the London, UK-hailing rapper and producer, JoeJas’ latest single Sally’s Last Dance. His charisma has always been unapologetically his own, but the endearingness of it knew no bounds in this cute and nerdy music video, which sells exactly what sets JoeJas apart, his infectious glass-half-full attitude that is contagious enough to start a new pandemic of optimism

If Andre 3000 and Daft Punk hit the spot for you, JoeJas will hit it even harder with his colourfully urban art-conscious instrumentals and honeyed RnB hip hop vox.

The official music video for Sally’s Last Dance officially premiered on the 30th of May. You can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kotaisyn waxes lyrical in his candidly bitter-sweet debut single, roses in the rain

Posted on 12 March 2022

For his debut single, kotaisyn proved how dynamic London-based rap artists have the potential to be when their influences span beyond the city’s postcodes. roses in the rain is a melodic, lo-fi trappy hit that sees kotaisyn lay down his smooth spoken-word bars, harmonic vocal timbre and candid lyrics that make no bones about waxing lyrical on romantic lament and self-worth.

The clever vocal arrangements run in synergy with the atmospheric, almost ethereal minor-key melodies, making the hammering blows of his honesty feel like a bitter-sweet sensation that you will want to experience time and time again. We can’t wait to hear what he has in the pipeline for his sophomore release.

roses in the rain is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast