For this week’s edition of Fish N Spliffs, a few things lined up pretty nicely. I intended on focusing more so on artists that were not only new to most of the individuals who read this blog, but artists that were new to me as well. I say this lined up well, because believe it or not, this week’s crop of new songs and videos are largely from artists I was not too familiar with previously!
Before we get into that, however, I have a few addenda to make in regards to the Different Dude review I just put up yesterday. They’re just two bars that I made a big point of including in my breakdown, and yet they still slipped through the cracks when I actually published it.
The first notable line occurs in the title track. In his second verse, SL makes a reference that hit me the first time I heard it, and makes me laugh every time I hear it, so it makes it even more ridiculous that I forgot to include it. SL cheekily raps, “Lately, I’ve been dealing with a new hoe/ Had me shaky on my legs like Manute Bol. The iconic 7’6” Sudanese born Bol is one of the most unique, and one of my favorite, basketball players and human beings that has ever lived, so the fact that someone in 2020 is mentioning him in a rap song, one coming out of the UK at that, just makes me so happy. I included a picture below for those that are unaware of who Manute Bol is, and so you can see for yourself what SL was getting at. JUST LOOK AT HIS LEGS!!!!
Next, on “Trenches,” Ayo Britain drops the line, “Push me to the edge, Lil Uzi” on the chorus, and I just felt dirty as a diehard Uzi fan when I realized I didn’t point that out initially. That “correction” was selfish and strictly for myself, that way I could stop thinking about it. With that second guessing internal bullshit out of the way, let’s get on to the roundup, starting with a few artists I have mentioned previously, then we can embark on discovering a couple new artists together!
Fizzler- Plugged In With Fumez and Mad About Bars Freestyles
In the first 40 seconds of his freestyle with Fumez, we see Fizzler mention Tiki-Taka philosophy of football, compare himself to a DIY-er with all of the hammers he’s bought, and use Digga D and the “It’s whatevaaaaaa, It’s whatevaaaaaaa” refrain from Digga’s track “Chingy” as punchlines. That sets the pace for what you’re in for here. Punchline after punchline after clever reference after clever reference. He even get’s a little melodic on his “Mad About Bars,” giving us a little bit of singing, coupled with some more personal bars. Fizzler’s one to keep an eye on, no doubt.
Block 6- Day of the Dead EP
Block 6 dropped a little EP on Halloween titled Day of the Dead. It’s pretty solid overall, giving us some of that delicious demonic energy. I’m still not sure how Ghostface600’s auto-tuned crooning works with he darker aesthetic of the group. I can’t help but be reminded of Young Adz when I hear him. However, his raw rapping on “Rule of Six” fits much better, and his flow is actually cold. That track is the clear standout of the three here. Melly stood out to me on “The Cult,” and Young A6’s recording quality sounds better. I was always confused why his verses sound like they were recorded inside of a rusty tin can. Instead, we get less than perfect quality from the elder A6, as he surprised us with a few verses from prison. Lucii only has one short verse, which was a little disappointing, but it’s always interesting to see how even a short project comes together for a group putting out their first body of work. They also have a track here with Teezandos, who’s the OG UK drill artist to draw the ire of religious fans, given her constant references to Satan and devilish shit.
Chip with JME and Dizzee Rascal- Ignite
Just a bunch of grime legends coming together, and with this track, Chip’s upcoming album could be INSANE. The beat is hard, even if the “fire” sample that’s repeated over and over gets a little annoying, the verses are great. JME makes a ton of slick old video game references, and the beat evolves little by little as the track continuing, even adding in these video game esque bleep and bloops during Dizzee’s final verse.
Gully, Trizzac, BackRoad Gee, Tallerz, and PS Hitsquad- Ying Dat Remix
Trizzac and BackRoad Gee just make too much sense for this remix. Trizzac spins his verse, letting us know how much he loves the texture of his gun, and BackRoad Gee somehow ups the anti in terms of the insane energy that Gully initially provided with this track. Tallerz voice stands out, and PS Hitsquad doesn’t let the other out-perform him either. Gully even changes up the trend in the UK and actually provides a new verse himself, rather than just tacking the original verse on at the end. Overall, it’s a solid addition to one of the most energetic tracks I’ve heard all year.
(GBlock) Nizz, Skora, JM and BLACKTRAP- No Hook
This was my first introduction to G Block, and it’s a solid introduction at that. This is the type of drill that serves more of a purpose in terms of talking shit on opps, than it does as a catchy track. Still, this is just straight up dark, violent, and specific drill. Names of people that have been killed are bleeped out, specifics of stabbings and shootings are recounted, and it’s all tied up with a bow on tip in the form of a brooding, ominous thumper of an instrumental. You know you’re going to get controversial track when the comments are turned off on a Youtube video, and this is no different.
Just as is true with a lot of this not-so-mainstream drill, it may not be an easy listen. I mean, hearing the mention of someone getting stabbed 18(!) times isn’t uplifting to say the least. The verses are tight and the bars are pointed, though. This is pure, unfiltered drill music. And in the end, I think tracks like this are important, as this is where the genre’s origin lie, going all the way back to Chicago and Chief Keef. It’s music that was birthed from the reality of constant opposition and opposition, so it shouldn’t be a shock when that is exactly what you get.
NSJ Mali- Cutthroats
The final new artist of the week is NSJ Mali. This is a lot more rap oriented, rather than drill, and I have to say that I’m impressed. His flow is relentless, only faltering a few times, as it just feels like he has so much to say, that the beat is almost an afterthought to NSJ Mali. His bars or full of realities of the streets and his life, as he realizes it’s time for him to truly make a name for himself. A lazy comparison would be to say they’re a bunch of “struggle bars,” but the conviction in his voice and level of sincerity you feel here elevate “Cutthroats” above any of that corny “man my life was so hard, I need to be better,” type of shit. He’s another artist I will definitely be keeping an eye on. If the views on this video say anything, he still has a long way to go in terms of recognition, but I wouldn’t bet against those view counts raising with every new video he puts out.
That’s it for this week! Thanks again to everyone who continues to check these out. I’m planning on putting out a few more UK reviews in the near future, as well as building upon my Retrospective series that I started last week. Please go check out the first installment of that series, where I covered Future’s genre changing Monster mixtape, as well as my new review of SL’s Different Dude. Much love to everyone, and I hope you all find a way to stay sane during the election time. Maybe some of this music can be a nice escape from reality, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Much love to all of you.