Tag Archives: RAP

Jul 21 2025
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Skippa Da Flippa – Red Tag

As the label Quality Control music emerged out of Atlanta with a whole new sound and vibe, introducing the world to the likes of the Migos, Rich Da Kid and Lil Yachty, one of the pioneers of that era is none other than fellow artist Skippa Da Flippa, his choice of production and unique flow, laid the foundations for what they went on to achieve. Unfortunately, as the label focused more so on the meteoric rise of their other acts, Skippa didn’t see the mainstream success that his contribution deserved, however, after parting ways to forge his own Havin’ Entertainment, he’s carved an underground legacy and a core audience. Whilst QC went onto partner with powerhouses Capitol and later Mowtown records, continuing their streak with Lil’ Baby and City Girls, Skippa has pursued the independent grind, consistently dropping a host of projects including the fan favourite Up To Something, $H2 and the 2023 release Havin’ Motion Not Emotions. Last year he dropped a series of singles, kicking off with the ambient For Better Or Worse, continuing to display that original style, witty wordplay and sprinkle of substance, cutting through with tracks like Pay Me and a personal favourite Strategize,

a more introspective, spiritually strong, motivational anthem. Showing no signs of slowing down, he released even more singles, offering a broader range of his abilities, including the captivating Doormat,

leading up to this year’s latest release thus far, Red Tag

Red Tag is classic Flippa, his strong personality expressed through his distinct tone, it follows suit of his ability to effortlessly craft these catchy concepts. Though I initially was going to review Strategize, and was waiting for a full length project before doing so, as he re-establishes himself with these singles, I felt it made sense to focus not only on the more recent drop, but more so, him as an artist, highlighting his creativity and ingenuity, as the creator of the dab, he’s definitely contributed to the culture and as he maintains these quality efforts will undoubtedly reap the rewards, not just as an originator and individual, but a relevant musician, away from the gimmicks and payola praises. As many of his peers attempt catch their moment again through the safety of budgets and industry support, Skippa Da Flippa has inspirationally stood his ground, with his unreplicable ethos, persona and spiritual drive, you can expect more bangers on the way and hopefully a new album sooner than later. Either way, you can expect Flippa to be Havin’.

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Jun 11 2025
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Bri Bandz – Closer

Independent artist Bri Bandz has been making waves online with her blend of honest and feel good music, the Phoenix, Arizona beauty with a big personality has crafted a fanbase with her spirited efforts, turning Nick Cannon’s Love Don’t Cost A Thing dance into an iconic move, with a recent run of records, further cementing herself as one to watch.

Gaining traction late last year with Bandzway,

flowing cool over a neptunes-esque production, providing a modern take on a classic sound, with it’s simplicity, she’s able to display presence and charisma over the uptempo beat, a far contrast from the soulful Rises The Moon,

showcasing a sultry tone and underrated songwriting ability, highlighting her versatility as an artist. Bri kicked 2025 off with the hit Bengis,

sampling Babyface & Pharrell’s under-appreciated Stressed Out, creating another fun effort with her playful flow that rightfully gained traction, before releasing My Bad,

slower tempo but similar vibe, My Bad proved it wasn’t just the wavy beats but rather her own flair that makes her stand out. The best part is you’re getting to see an artist develop in real time, so the rawness only amplifies her charm and ability, evident with her next release, New Day.

You can already see the improvements in each track, ambitious and determined, it’s actually a spiritual effort, intertwining thoughts of fears, chance and faith. In an era where there’s so many acts making frivolous music, it’s refreshing to see someone starting out deliver substance. Able to attempt a variety of styles, she blessed her supporters with a cute freestyle,

followed up by her latest release, Closer.

Sampling the legendary Whitney Houston’s It’s Not Right But It’s Okay, she glides over the upbeat banger with a mix of styles, harmonising the chorus, with her soft tone complimenting the skippy production, naturally transitioning into a pacey flow with some finesse. Closer is a more composed effort and brings her closer to putting together an official project. Still developing her artistry, the former hooper finds herself in a great space and on course for success, heading in the right direction, doing it the Bandz way.

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Jun 10 2025
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Clue – Tenacious

South London’s Clue has close to two decades in the game (since his street classic Get Away featuring legendary So Solid crew’s Mega Man), with a host of projects and features, through the industry’s transition and Grime’s spotlight, he’s been one of the notables of UK’s street Rap foundations. So as the genre continues to dominate, it’s only right for the tenacious talent to return with an aptly titled new album.

Tenacious is a concise project, consisting of 8 tracks (highlighting his integrity as an artist), starting with the Intro,

setting the scene of his trials and determination, “live everyday as it comes, never give in or stop”, a concurrent theme of the album. No Disrespect, with K Koke on the hook, doubles down on the notion, it’s less glorification of gangsterism and more portrayal of the morals as a man. Clue could always rap, however, only two songs in and there’s a clear improvement, from lyricism to the delivery, accentuated by the quality mix. With Young Soul at the helm of production on this project, they switch things up on Rap or Drill (a double entendre if you like), featuring man of the moment Scorcher, both comfortable in their element with a grown take on a modern sound. Continued on Motion, the lighter of tracks, before the retrospective Outside, linking up with Manchester’s Ross The Boss (If you know, you know), with the two detailing their perspectives and lessons learned through a harsh lens of consequences and maintaining. A lot of street-centric music today tends to be fabricated or glamorised, so to get a view from some of the most authentic really offers the duality, the ups and the downs, further emphasised with P&A featuring another UK Rap staple, Joe Black, with the two offering a darker view of staying afloat amidst repercussions and the correctional system. Southside featuring up and comer Tee Tenny,

adds to the motivational elements of the album, a mix of desire and hardships, “I was broke, but I never broke down”, as he looks back how far he’s come, followed by the final and possibly the realest song, Myla,

an ode to his daughter. A heartfelt letter to his greatest achievement, complimented further by the road travelled (and the tracks leading up to this), sharing the lessons learnt and passing his wisdom, more valuable than any material, displaying a greater level of vulnerability and strength, as an artist yet first and foremost as the man he is today.

Tenacious is a quality and evident effort created out of the love for the art, built upon a base of street life and real stories, holding up principles and inspiration for those in need, an aspect I appreciate most from this album. A great re-introduction for the South London veteran to build upon (with a range of previous projects for new fans to catch up to), defining a new direction to develop on.

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Jun 09 2025
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Youngs Teflon – Keep The Change

Youngs Teflon has been one of UK Rap’s most underrated, breaking through amidst the early Grime era, having since made a name for himself, he’s played a part in the emergence of some of our more notable acts of recent, with his versatile street style, storytelling and topical wordplay. If Giggs is considered the King of UK rap, Tef could be seen as the prince and with a prolific discography, this latest album could be seen as the coronation with this Atlantic Records UK debut, Keep The Change.

As acts like Nines and Potter Payper establish their lane of commercial street-centric rap, it’s only right for Youngs Teflon to be amongst those names and with this new Atlantic Records UK venture, he’s in position to do just that.

This album feels monumental, it’s 14 tracks of realness, setting things off with Crouching Tiger, an introductory to the overall theme of this album, poignant wordplay, weaving his experiences of street life and success as an artist, broken down further on Da Gutter,

a lyrically descriptive South London state of mind over the hypnotic loop. The story continues further with Motion, a more polished version of his upbeat sound, adding that major feel with a feature from Manchester’s Aitch. The level of quality is accentuated with the next track, Brownin’,

one of the singles from the album, with it’s Aaliyah sample and his take on a classic metaphor, offering a diverse feel as it can be appreciated by a variety of audiences, especially with him harmonising, using that Aaliyah flow, which caught me by surprise upon the first listen and provides a singalong vibe, highlighting his evolution as an artist. Another standout is the filmesque Tony’s Tub, featuring one of the current talents, Knucks, which before I even saw the title had remnants of Scarface, further established by the opening line, “The blimp told me the World Is Yours”, as the two trade verses of grandeur over the emphatic production. Favourite Poison, the more confidently vulnerable effort, providing some variety, as the theme continues with the contrasting Cologne featuring newcomer Clavish and Ain’t Right (ft. Blaqbonez),

before the introspective and mature songs Need You and Wrong Ones. As we draw closer to the end of the album, Tef gets into his Nas bag with a personal favourite, showcasing his storytelling abilities with the cinematic Unusual Suspects, a motion picture of a track, that would benefit a short movie (upon every listen I’m thinking of location, shots and casting). “Product of my environment, I grew up when they were firing, School next day but I got woke up by the sirens”, he shares a great detailing of a gritty London life on the next track, Product of My Environment, finding light amidst tribulations and systematic disadvantages, followed by the beautiful sounding Members Only, an introspective effort complimented with the unique tone of Frank Ekwa on the chorus, which brings us to the curtain closer, Sicily, a podium finish of a record, neatly concluding the theme, appreciating the fruits of his labour and the journey to it.

Having delivered an array of projects spanning generations, this album is a well crafted offering from one of South London’s finest wordsmiths that will satisfy old fans and serves as a great introduction to new ones, highlighting different sides of the come-up, accepting the highs and lows, lessons learned and wisdom gained, that not only can you can charge to the game, but let it Keep The Change.

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Jun 05 2025
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Daff – Free ft. Ay Em

As the UK’s current music scene thrives, beyond the pop-centric acceptance, now with a plethora of talent and sounds, sub-genres of Hip-Hop, Grime, Afrobeats and beyond, the country hosts a variety of established acts. More notably, UK Rap finds itself in a great space, with the likes of Giggs, Nines, Pak-Man and Potter Payper (to name a very small few), now household names, credit has to be given to the foundations on which it’s legacy stands, one of the unsung pillars is Ilford’s own, Daff. Responsible for the absolute street classic, Half. Unfortunately, as he broke through towards establishing himself in that early iteration of rap with his 2012 debut Only Just Begun, he found himself sentenced to sixteen years in prison, which whilst halted his progression, equally cemented his sound and style and that absence only grew the demand further. He’s since released a variety of Jail freestyles and actual tracks with the 2021 EP Rap Never Left, including a feature on fellow Illmade artist Potter Payper’s recent album, reigniting the interest. Building on that presence, despite limitations as we anticipate his return, he released the emphatic Free featuring Ay Em.

One of Daff’s qualities aside from storytelling, was the introspect and compassion in his music, the anthem Half hit the way it did because of it’s realism, there’s plenty of get money songs, but rarely has anyone spoke of giving their mother their earnings and that was just too real to be overlooked. With Free, Daff reignites that storytelling, able to vividly share gritty experiences, descriptive events intwined with heavy emotions and personal battles through a motivational lens, holding hope of his imminent return while displaying that empathy which has held him in such high regard, ending his first verse with, “Bout to have the game in a guillotine, before they free Daff, Free Philistine”. It’s this exact selflessness that highlights him as a man, his morals and principles before anything else. Ay Em has lowkey been a cheat-code on hooks and matches the feel of the track with his effort in both substance, tone and delivery. Daff’s second verse continues the theme and ultimately shows his level of faith and strength as he ends his second verse, “All the feelings that I really had to harbour, before you free Daff, free Gaza”.

There’s even a AI-generated visual, though usually might be off-putting, makes sense in the current situation and the opening shot of him walking outside is deep, as we hold hope for that to be a reality soon enough.

The positive is that he’s served the majority of his bid, whilst finding himself able to continue his artistry inside, as fans alike hope and pray to live in a day with a free Daff and Palestine.

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Jun 04 2025
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Key Glock – Glockaveli

The heir to the Memphis throne found himself at the helm through tragic circumstances that tainted his Yellow Tape 2 success (with Ambition For Cash surpassing 500 million streams), effortlessly stepping up to the mantle, contributing to the PRE projects and with the release of Glockoma 2 in 2023, which was considered his (mainstream) breakthrough, with the anthem Let’s Go featured on the deluxe, in heavy rotation, becoming another track to boast over 100 million streams. Amidst the independent success, he took a deserved hiatus, though only a year, with a couple singles and an international tour to feed the fans, however, after handling priorities and as the ink on the paperwork dried, linking with Republic records, he returns as a major act in a major way with his new album, Glockaveli.

18 tracks (21 as part of the deluxe) of classic Mr Glock. Starting with Hallelujah, I never envisioned such a sample but its an adequate intro, before fastening his crown with the Makaveli-inspired title track Glockaveli, a continuation of a style and sound we’ve become accustomed to from him, however there’s definitely some levels raised, justified with one of the standouts, Blue Devil, with it’s popular sample, Willie Hutch – Tell Me Why Has Our Love Turned Cold, more notably recognised from the Three6Mafia smash Stay Fly, with that Memphis connection in full effect as he naturally glides. Whilst tracks like Made A Way and Watch The Throne feel similar to previous efforts, by track 6, Badu, you realise that he’s really stepping it up, there’s a new sense of maturation and determination in these songs, emphasised by the main body of this album, with songs like She’s Ready, No Sweat, Grinch (with it’s Curtis Mayfield sample) and the motivational Sunny Dayz. It’s more varying production and giving greater glimpses into his personality beyond the glamour. The lower half of Glockaveli feels a bit more experimental in sound but matches the previous in feel, that combination of soulful samples with hard-hitting beats, layered with a crisp commanding vocal, an evolution of his artistry, with Papercutz, Kill My Vibe and I’m Gettin It, contained nicely by Again, before the more grimy Cream Soda, mid-tempo Don Dada, World Is Ourz and the mean 3AM In ToKEYo. The deluxe edition gives you three more tracks with Money Habits, Going Hard and the underrated All Dogs Go To Heaven fitting smoothly.

Musically the project isn’t too far out from what fans would expect, I could argue that it could’ve been more concise to really amplify and appreciate the standout tracks, but if you consider the streaming game and the hiatus..I don’t think anyone will be disappointed for overdelivering and as I continue to listen to it more, it only sounds better. Consistent with no features, there is definitely a rise in quality, whilst obvious in the videos, the mini movie for Grinch, the creative and innovating No Sweat and more recently Glockaveli, paying homage to Lil’ Wayne’s A Milli, but more notably the clarity in the mix & master really adds a glossy finish and makes the difference to what is yet another quality offering from the PRE x Cutthroat general.

Although I know there’s more on the way, Key Glock could easily take another break as Glockaveli is more than enough to feed fans for a while, ’til then, it’s All Eyez On Key.

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Apr 24 2025
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Pak-Man – Outside

Having established his hustler’s ambition and stance through the success of his last project Legendary Still, Pak-Man makes some changes and is back outside.

“Real life rodeo, investment portfolio”, Classic ‘Patek’ Pak with his bars mirroring his lifestyle, elevated and staunch, despite being obviously overlooked, there’s few that can really deliver this style so fluent and honestly. It’s braggadocios but with reason, as he continues to independently forge his lane within UK rap and beyond.

Leading to the latest single, Outside.

“South London in my veins”. Resuming from where he left off, it’s more motivational music for the masses as he continues to boss up and raise the quality while he’s at it. Though similar in content, (with production and high level mixes on both courtesy of Cee Figz) Outside is a slightly higher tempo to Changes, and much like Pusha T, the Audemar aficionado is able to create these recurrent vibes so many times and yet they always offer something different. One of the reasons why I was waiting for a full length project before reviewing is because in his mixtapes and albums you get a more diverse platter of his craft, introspective, at times vulnerable and ultimately human, blended with these gritty and glamorous displays, shows more to his penmanship, delivery and overall artistry. He’s one of the few pioneers who has continued to maintain his legacy through music (independently might I remind you), which not only heralds him as an established act but adds value and emphasis to his upward trajectory.

There’s no doubt of more to come from the South London legend, so stay tuned for the follow up single and more so the next full project from the Rolex reverer himself, Big Pakachino.

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Apr 23 2025
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Westside Gunn – Heels Have Eyes

Having just thoroughly reviewed his previous release 12 in lieu of Wrestlemania 41, the Griselda frontman celebrated with the release of this new EP, cleverly titled after his own Fourth Rope wrestling event, Heels Have Eyes.

Starting with an old school blues intro, Fishscale Friday, cooly stating, “he is him”, before a barrage of gunshots, opening to Einstein Kitchen, where the evil genius gets to cooking. That raw boom-bap sound, with his distinct tone adding to the production’s instrumentation, as the braggadocios Buffalo legend delivers effortlessly. Transitioning into track 2, the Harry Fraud produced, Goro. While his entrepreneurial assets may be highlighted, at times it feels like his unique rapping style gets overlooked, with Goro being a great example of that ability, complete with the catchy and emphatic, “Allah let my n***az free, I see the same thing in them..in me”. Though only four full tracks (in comparison to ‘12‘), it’s quality over quantity in it’s truest form. The transparent Davey Boy Smith helps further establish his artistry and individuality as he continues to resurrect a dying art form within culture. Leading to the final track, Egypt, including the sample of Grammy winning Doechii crediting him as an inspiration, the high-energy track is no challenge as he matches the tempo with ease, nicely concluding a well-crafted body of work that doesn’t feel as easy as it may have been for him to create.

Though heavily prominent in Rap culture, a street-curator of sorts, Westside Gunn is the embodiment of an artist, with this EP cementing that amongst his already appreciated discography and creative endeavours, allowing him to spread his wings higher as a leading cultural purveyor.

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Apr 18 2025
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Turbo, Gunna – Classy Girl

Gunna is one of the few acts that has been able to deal with adversity, returning with quality music to reach greater heights and while industry and online chatter thought famous relationships would hinder, his longtime collaborator Turbo was really all he needed, further proven as the producer puts his best foot forward with this new track, Classy Girl

I had seen a video online playing this as a new Gunna leak but I didn’t pay it any attention, it wasn’t until the other day, I was in the zone, working on some art when this randomly played and stopped me in my tracks. The infectious beat, with it’s encompassing synths, is heat on it’s own, then add Gunna who matches it’s simplicity with an equally catchy flow (I’ve never found myself singing out, “Rolls Royce Mansory”, yet here we are). There’s such an 80’s vibe to this production with the sequencing and choice of sounds, combined with the subtle strings, maintaining a futuristic feel, that allows Gunna to effortlessly harmonise over. A follow up on Turbo’s 2023 released Bachelor which hadn’t hit like this, so if it this any indication as to the direction in which these two are going with forthcoming projects then I’m definitely looking out for it. Few new releases of late have had any real playback value let alone played on loop, whereas with Classy Girl, like the tag, I can’t help but to “run it back Turbo”.

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Apr 17 2025
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Jordy, Scorcher – Know Me For Music

What happens when one of the best up and coming rappers in the country links with one of our legends?! Jordy has steadily been climbing to the forefront as one of the more prominent rappers in the country, though I was introduced through his appearances on the Filthy Fellas football show, which coincidently I first came across through Scorcher, fast forward in a full circle moment, the two collaborate on Know Me For Music.

Whilst responsible for the recent Grime resurgence, Scorcher has been one of the original hybrids who was able to effortlessly run through tempos and displayed just as much prowess in the rap realm, and this is no different. Jordy has been consistent, crafting out his own audience and organically developing his artistry, though I can’t say I’ve heard everything from him, the features with the likes of Louis Rei and freestyles that I have come across, he’s definitely one of the more talented no frills artists about, and along with Scorcher, doesn’t disappoint. Kicking off Good Measure with the hook and his distinct tone, he’s a true to himself artist and that’s evident with his verse, it’s wordplay with substance, which allows Scorcher to delve into that introspective space for the second verse. My personal favourite is the latter, Ain’t Settling For Less. This time Scorcher starts it off, with a verse that’s reminiscent of his Dear Diary days and though I hold Scorcher in high regard, Jordy steps up, including one of the hardest lines I’ve heard with, “A n***a sayin’ that he made me..that’s too jarring, cos If I bite the hand that feeds me, I’m self-harming”. Though there’s not much to dissect, the one complaint is that it’s only two tracks (Three on Jordy’s bandcamp), as their contrasting individual styles and content compliment each other and makes for an unexpectedly palatable pairing.

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