So, in the hopes of maintaining a little consistency, I have decided to start a weekly spotlight on some of the new, exciting music released in the UK. While there will mainly be songs released during that prior week included, I can’t catch everything, so there will most likely be some older ones as well! In addition to that, I may simply include some of the other music I have been listening to, regardless of when it was released. Think of this as more informal recommendation pieces, as opposed to the longer review and breakdowns I have been doing. I’ll still be doing those, but hopefully this gives you all even more music to discover!
Unknown T, V9 and KO- Aven9ers
Let’s start with something you are all hopefully aware of at this point! Unknown T, V9 and KO delivered some insane visuals for their song, “Aven9ers,” which was off of Unknown T’s recent album, Rise Above Hate. The production values on videos these days are absolutely wild. Check out the boys getting their Top Gun on.
Stormzy- Superheroes
Here’s another track that has been out for some time, as it was included on Stormzy’s fantastic Heavy Is The Head album, which came out last December. It’s a beautifully animated video for a beautiful song, where we see Stormzy celebrating blackness in every sense. Stormzy is absolutely an artist I will cover in full one of these days.
Blanco- Anakin
Harlem Spartans rapper, and best friend of MizOrMac, dropped a great song in “Anakin.” He continues to distance himself in terms of his beat selection and willingness to come from left field with this flows. Even though he has been telling his fans some new drill tunes are coming, this is certainly not a drill track, with the calm beat horns and lack of intense energy. It’s laid back and gives Blanco another chance for his wordplay and wide array of references to shine. It isn’t a Blanco song if it isn’t full of references to anime, movies, football, wrestling, and his fallen friends. Hell, he’s even shouted out Milwaukee and Wisconsin a few times, so maybe I’m biased in my love for his music. While you’re at it, make sure to check out “Memphis” and “Shippuden.”
Stally, Jimmy, V9, DA and KO- Pay Attention
Shit, the 9ers done it again! A little straightforward posse drill track, with a dark, thumping beat. Violent, devilish, bleak and filled with great flows. Exactly what anyone would expect from V9 and KO, and it’s been nice to see other members of 98 and Homerton getting some shine too. Stilly, Jimmy and DA absolutely hold their own with the more established V9 and KO. Love seeing Unknown T pop up in the video too. Gotta support the guys!
Frisco, Skepta, Jammer, JME, and Shorty- Red Card
Let’s close out this week’s roundup with a little grime. For those that aren’t aware, grime is sub-genre of UK hiphop, filled with fast tempos, skittering beats, and crazy flows. This is a perfect example of a high quality, modern grime track, with a few of the GOATS in Skepta and JME. It’s a banger, and every single verse lives up to the billing. Skepta is another artist that I’ll be covering in full one day, considering he has a modern grime classic in Konnichiwa under his belt. JME, another well respected grime legend, and Skeptas younger brother, also dropped a great album in Grime MC last year. His flows and wordplay are absolute madness.