Browsing Tag

Spoken Word Hip Hop

Mych reached the pinnacle of UK rap with the intimate candour in ‘Heart of Mine’

Posted on 22 November 2022

After a smooth neoclassic piano prelude, the beats and grimey rap bars in Mych’s latest single, Heart of Mine, kicks in. Finding the middle ground between George the Poet and Stormzy in his high-calibre performance that is locked and loaded with wit-rife deliverances of hard truths and bold introspective honesty, Heart of Mine makes no bones about being delivered from the soul.

It isn’t every day you hear of an up-and-coming rapper that opts for candour over ego and pretence. Slip into Heart of Mine and find comfort in the emotional complexity that absolves the guilt for not having it all figured out. I, for one will be staying tuned for more cutting expositions on identity.

Stream the official music video for Heart of Mine on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

South London’s MoHush broadsides us with every bar in his latest single, War of the Mastermind

Posted on 3 March 2022

After his latest single, War of the Mastermind, MoHush became one of South London’s hottest up and coming hip hop artists. In the same way that Kae Tempest’s and George the Poet’s music is matchless, MoHush delivers the hammering lyrical blows in a completely autonomous fashion.

I usually manage to write my reviews without profanity, but fuck me, MoHush’s emotionally-charged approach to hip hop is enough to broadside you with every bar. From the melodic-minor-key piano intro to the fragility in his harmonised vocals to the smoothness in his spoken-word rap style, War of the Mastermind is a flawless feat of hip hop, which deserves to put MoHush on the map. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

War of the Mastermind is now available to stream on Spotify.

You can also check out MoHush on Instagram, YouTube and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare your funk-rock playlists for Alexander Godman’s zen hip hop track, Reconciliation Day

Posted on 27 February 2022

Funk rock fuses with zen hip hop in Alexander Godman’s standout release, Reconciliation Day. The London, UK-based alternative artist’s spoken-word style is instantly ensnaring for the way it flows against the minimalist funk-riding rock instrumentals.

The woody and organic bass lines bring the warmth and structure to Reconciliation Day while the bluesy and sunny guitars evolve through the raw chords and intricate finger-picked notes. It isn’t every day that we discover an up-and-coming artist with the confidence to follow their flow and style so confidently, and it shows on the Waitsy and folky B-side single, Out There Glow.

Alexander Godman’s debut is now available to stream on Spotify.

Connect with Alexander Godman via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Trevour Amunga artfully attacks hip hop in his downtempo debut single, Drama.

Posted on 19 July 2021

Kenya-born, LA-based songwriter and rap artist Trevour Amunga has released his debut single, Drama; he describes his sound as a charming blend of poetry and authenticity, which articulately encapsulates the vibe of the sensual spoken-word lyricism  along with the seductively ambient slow grooves of the downtempo release.

It was a short and sweet introduction to Trevour Amunga, but we’re already stoked to hear more of his artful approach to hip hop. His experimental production style and the range of his mesmerising vocal timbre makes his debut single one of the most original hip hop debuts of 2021.

Drama is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unique M.D. wants us to hear his ‘Last Words’

Posted on 20 April 2021

Opening with some delicious violin and piano, Unique M.D.s ‘Last Words’ is a slow, chilled, but powerful slice of old-school Hip Hop telling the story of the end of a relationship, M.D.’s flow tripping over the 808 hi-hats and laid-back bassline, all early-Eminem and Dre.

Following up his earlier singles ‘Let’s Take a Trip’ and ‘First Date’, ‘Last Words’ bookends the relationship with this breakup story, the American rapper’s prolific back-catalogue showcases his style; with ‘Last Words’, M.D.’s made an easy, relaxed-feel track that still has a potent lyrical message.

You can check out ‘Last Words’ on Soundcloud now, and follow Unique M.D. on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Mr. Melly shows us the true meaning of ‘Beauty’ in his latest rap track featuring Carvo Music and Joe Andre

Posted on 2 April 2021

Upper East Side rap artist, Jamel Davon Tingman, AKA Mr Melly was bringing conscious hip hop to the airwaves way before it became a hot trend. His latest EP, R6M6, is the perfect introduction to his smooth jazzy style that blurs the line between hip hop and poetry.

The main difference is that here, you get infectiously amorous vocals imparting the metaphors. With their standout single, ‘Beauty’, featuring Carvo Music and Joe Andre, he tells a multifaceted love story that won’t fail to resonate.

We’ve all got unique ideas of what beauty is, but Mr. Melly’s view will teach you that Beauty is less about aesthetic and more about how some people drift into our lives as the perfect puzzle piece, allow us to see the bigger picture and inspire us to paint with more vivid colour.

Check out Beauty via apple music and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Slyide wants to help us ‘Make It Through The Night’

Posted on 30 March 2021
Slyide

Deep bass, slow tempo, and old-school TR-808 handclaps are the defining character of Slyide’s new single ‘Make It Through The Night’, all backing up a chilled, laid-back vocal. There’s an element of Faithless to the track, a ‘Maxim-ness’ to that vocal delivery, and a retro, old-school feel to the production that smacks of early trance and drum-and-bass tracks, but Slyide is clearly no ‘stuck in the past’ producer; with agreements signed for use of their instrumental tracks in two VR platforms, a workout video, and as instore music airplay, things are clearly already going places for Slyide.

You can check out the ‘Make It Through The Night’ single on Apple Music now, and follow Slyide on Facebookand Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

 

Sonorous spoken words unravel in Untold Poet’s acoustic ambient single ‘Have You Heard It’

Posted on 27 December 2020

Untold Poet has joined Scroobius Pip in the ranks of Essex-hailing mind-blowing spoken word Hip Hop artists with the release of their latest single ‘Have You Heard It’.

In the acoustic version of their popular track, the meditatively Jazzy instrumentals trickle away, emitting ambience as the Untold Poet’s canter finds perfect synergy with the tentative keys which aurally paint a picture of still-life. There’s always the assumption that successful people don’t know adversity. It is all so easy to believe that everything comes easy to those who take roadblocks in their stride. As the Untold Poet consolingly points out, the key is resilience.

Any fans of George the Poet, Argh Kid, Kae Tempest and The King Blues will undoubtedly want to get acquainted with Untold Poet sooner rather than later.

You can check out Have You Heard It for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anomaly Da’ God melds minimalistic Hip Hop with poetry in ‘Spoken Word’

Posted on 19 November 2020

Mindful and gently inspiring lyricism takes the lead in up and coming Hip Hop artist Anomaly Da’ God’s standout single ‘Spoken Word’ which dropped earlier this year.

Spoken Word transcends archetypal vibe-out Hip Hop by offering rhythmic catharsis which will leave you mellow, while the meta lyricism will set your synapses alight as it allows you to realise that it doesn’t matter how insane 2020 gets, if you’re operating on a higher level, you’ll still be able to achieve a level of zen. More pertinently, Anomaly Da’ God serves a melodic reminder that external chaos is no excuse to put your aspirations on hold.

The ambiently minimalistic dreamy beats give plenty of room for the wisdom to resonate in the slow tempo mix which definitely should be considered for your sanity-saving playlists.

You can check out Spoken Word by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast