Browsing Tag

London rapper

DAlcon threaded the resolve of resilience through his latest alt-hip-hop track, Keep Going

Posted on 22 December 2024

DAlcon, the London-based rapper who split his upbringing between the UK and Spain, isn’t waiting for permission to redefine expectations. After capturing headlines in May 2022 by setting a Guinness World Record for the Longest Rap Marathon (39 hours, 37 minutes, and 45 seconds) and drawing attention from outlets like the BBC and Sky News, he now turns adversity into artistry. Health struggles, home eviction, and mental conflict only sharpened his resolve, pushing him to blend natural ambience with hip-hop to form his own authentic signature.

His latest single, Keep Going, plays out as a collaboration with the raw textures of nature rather than another industry-dominating name. There’s almost a sliver of Crazy Town’s Butterfly threaded through the soundscape and a whisper of Linkin Park’s lyrical potency woven in, but don’t expect a simple homage. DAlcon channels these influences to deliver an anarchic twist of future-focused ingenuity. Amidst an era when so many wear victimhood like a safety net, his lyrical grit calls listeners to account, reminding them that self-responsibility trumps complacency.

Each note surges with resilience, each lyric challenges the culture of blame. The emotive orchestration consoles while the words ignite. It’s a bold testament to the idea that no matter how scorched the earth, new seeds can grow if you choose not to surrender.

Stream the official music video for Keep Going on YouTube now, or go further in your support for DAlcon by purchasing the single on Bandcamp.

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

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

Ard Adz & Sho Shallow sharpened the raw edge of London’s rap scene with ‘Still Windy’

Posted on 24 January 2024

Brixton’s biggest rap luminary, Sho Shallow, has another feat of innovative urban engineering in his discography, which is quickly becoming an unreckonable legacy in the London rap scene. Still Windy, created in collaboration with Ard Adz, is a deeply affecting synthesis of lyrical intimacy, gritty charisma, and melodious beats that pulsate luxe grooves into the release which doesn’t allow the essence of the track to be overshadowed and lost by excessive studio production.

In the span of 12 hours, Still Windy was recorded and the music video was filmed, ensuring the same fire that sparked the inspiration blazes through the fervent release, which juxtaposes the soul in the backing vocals with the sharp cadence in the rap delivery, which bleeds urgency and expressive candour.

The video has racked up almost 200k streams since its December 28th premiere, which debuted ahead of the Head Above Water LP, which is due for release on January 26.

Check out the official music video brought to YouTube by GRM Daily via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mr Asap made lyrical bombs out of his mic drops in ‘Heathrow’

Posted on 3 December 2023

Taking influence from Dave, Lotto Boyzz, MoStack, and Wu-Tang Clan and turning that inspiration into a brand-new urban fusion, the London-based up-and-coming artist, Mr Asap, is ensnaringly fresh on his new track and music video, Heathrow.

By bringing cinematic elements into his instrumentals, including evocatively weighted minor key piano progressions and classical strings, Mr Asap went beyond the drill beats to deliver a track that will consume your consciousness whole while he flexes his skills with wordplay in a way that makes lyrical bombs out of mic drops.

It may be early days in the industry for Mr Asap, but his determination to step out of the ordinary with every bar has established him as a luminary the spotlight deserves to shine on. Expect even bigger things from Mr Asap in 2024; with his swathes of charisma and his gritty true-to-form intellectualism, he won’t disappoint.

The official music video for Heathrow premiered on November 24th; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JoeJas scribed the ultimate sonic manifesto in how to be free with his high-vibe rap track, Escape

Posted on 17 September 2023

Speaking directly to the freaks, geeks, and losers, the latest single, Escape, from the high-vibe emissary, JoeJas, is the ultimate sonic manifesto on how to break down the walls that construct self-confidence-crushing prison bars around your psyche.

With punchy lines in the vein of “picked on but never picked me”, JoeJas and his relatable compassion proved that the vicious tendencies of schoolyard bullies and all their crucifying criticism shouldn’t be the blueprint for your self-worth.

The empowering lyricism is only matched by the euphorically jazzy retro hip-hop aesthetics that are strong enough to put you on a new plateau and shift your perception until you can see your own idiosyncrasies as something to embrace; authenticity is a currency that will never lose its market value.

By matching the vibrancy of the production with the youthfully bright colours in the music video, which dropped on September 9th, JoeJas delivered an infectiously upraising track with Escape; catch the self-worth fever by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WTSN took his latest exotic hip-hop track ‘Uptown’

Posted on 16 August 2023

WTSN went beyond delivering the definitive London rap sound with his latest single, Uptown, which smashes through the mono-cultural mould as strikingly as the hits in the Melt Yourself Down discography.

With grimey rap bars pulsating momentum through the jazz-infused exotic instrumentals that allow Uptown to unravel as a stylistic feat of world music, WTSN’s authenticity could never be in question.

The North African funk layers against the lyricality that invites you to walk through the streets of London is a mesmerising juxtaposition that stands as a testament to how much of a visionary WTSN has come to be since he first entered the industry. If you want to hear more revolutionary rap hits, just watch this space.

Uptown will officially drop on August 16; hear it on SoundCloud.

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

Christopher Nagle – Lamborghini Livin featuring Saskilla and JamKvy

Posted on 14 August 2022

If Christopher Nagle is a name that has evaded you until now, it’s only a matter of time before you get caught up in the London-based singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer’s hype.

His standout single, Lamborghini Livin, featuring Saskilla and JamKvy, has already racked up over half a million streams on Spotify alone. With the experimental and almost delicate atmosphere holding up the bars as they mellifluously switch between vocal harmonies and the style of rap that the streets of London are infamous for breeding, the immersive hit keeps on rhythmically giving.

Far from your average capitalistic lust-focused track, Lamborghini Livin is a deeply humanist release that almost allows you to see behind the scenes of the archetypal desire for excess.

Lamborghini Livin is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feeling at ease: London emcee Lil Kemzy has all the right numbers to call on ‘Comfy’

Posted on 21 February 2021

Showing that he is feeling invincible right now, Lil Kemzy flows into his own house party with his new single called ‘Comfy‘, that will have you smiling all day.

Lil Kemzy is a flamboyantly excellent South London emcee with a likable style, who makes that happy music, that fills into your lungs, automatically has you putting on sunglasses and walking outside with a style that will have you filling up your house later with lots of options.

This is the story about having so many ladies on speed dial, you might need a new phone. Single life is great and this is an emcee who raps with a towering confidence that will cause Big Ben to change the time for him, his melodies lift the mood from the gloom and into the party, with a beat that makes you nod your head and pick up the phone yourself.

‘Comfy‘ from stylish South London rapper Lil Kemzy, is that hot summer bounce single to be played at all the best parties, swimming pools and pumped loud in the car while you are meeting the ladies. He raps with that saucy charm that perhaps gets him into trouble sometimes, but helps him win more than lose.

When you are feeling really good, its best to try and keep that streak going as you know that rough times will enter the door at some time or another. For now though, life is where you want it to be, so why not have fun in this wild world that is mad anyway.

Stream this fly track on Spotify and see more about his life on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen