Browsing Tag

UK Trap

J.B.Z lay the blueprint for Birmingham’s trap takeover with their seminal hit, The Trap

Posted on 4 December 2024

With their debut EP, The Prelude, Birmingham’s J.B.Z make it clear they’re here to dominate the UK trap scene. It isn’t just the title of the EP which promises even bigger things to come; it is evident in how each member carries their distinct flow like a weapon, delivering darkly humorous and edgy street narratives that resonate with authentic grit.

Serving as the opening salvo, The Trap showcases the collective’s raw energy and fierce drill beats that perfectly complement their razor-sharp bars. Thriving on mood and meaning, beneath the intense, bass-heavy beats and shadowy atmosphere lies a track charged with social consciousness, proving that J.B.Z isn’t afraid to confront reality while spitting with a cadence that leaves nothing in the tank.

The Prelude is an unflinching statement that there’s as much trap mettle in Birmingham as across the Atlantic. So, if you’re searching for trap that balances darkness with clever wit and bone-shaking beats, The Trap is a stark reminder of who’s ready to put Birmingham on the global rap map.

The Trap hit all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud on November 24th; stream the track now and follow J.B.Z on TikTok and X.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BLKY shared the secret to karmic vengeance with his latest trap track, Price

Posted on 26 August 2022

Here to prove that Trap hits just as hard on this side of the pond is the up-and-coming lyrical trailblazer, BLKY, with his latest single, Price.

The reprise of ‘I get revenge with success’ rips up the usual trap tropes to deliver a narrative that shows you how to bite back at everyone that has underestimated and undermined you without disturbing the karmic balance.

The rhythmic indie instrumentals, which carry hints of eastern flavour, are just as energised as BLKY’s bars, which he’s been perfecting since the age of 10. With every BLKY track, there’s the guarantee of visceral realism. Few artists pull together art and raw narratives with as much finesse as this artist, utterly unafraid to lay it all bare.

Check out Price for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The UK’s most promising name in trap Ocean Stokes affirmed his viral potential in his bitter-sweet earworm, Reason

Posted on 2 April 2022

Here to put Southampton, UK on the trap map is the up-and-coming trailblazer Ocean Stokes on his collaborative track with LC, Reason.

The hooky effect of Reason, especially on the smoothly distorted trap and harmonised vocals, was no happy production accident. Stokes knew how to get the hooks razor-sharp in his charismatically confessional hit that proves that romance isn’t dead; it’s just taken a brand-new walls-up form in 2022.

At 19 years old, Ocean Stokes is already proving that he’s got viral potential with his guitar loops, intricate piano melodies, trappy 808s and vulnerably unfuckwithable high-vibe vocal style.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK rap artist STXLUS has left us hooked with his debut single, Nobody’s Callin’

Posted on 26 May 2021

UK Rap artist STXLUS has recently signed to the indie record label TENzero1 records and made his debut with the single, Nobody’s Callin’; a powerful snapshot of emptiness and misanthropy, framed in a grimey garage trap beats.

The witty observations and the way he allows his attitude to fall by the wayside so that raw, relatable emotion bleeds through in Nobody’s Callin’ is as powerful as it is unforgettable.

Given that plenty of us have just endured the loneliest time that we’ll ever know in our lives, it means more than words can say that STXLUS was so forthcoming in admitting the pain that comes through solitude and making that conversation feel acceptable elsewhere.

Nobody’s Callin’ is available to stream and download on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast