Jammer is really bringing the heat this year already with a remix of Riton’s ‘Rinse & Repeat’ and now his own track ‘Sun City’, a nod to the UKG rave of the same name. It’s definitely going to be a future classic, especially in the rave scene. With My Nu Leng & Chase & Status on the production credits, Jammer murks the beat with 140bpm mastery and laces the beat with his party vibe bars. Let the video take you back to the old skool era of raving when the dress code was Moschino.
Rax ft. Josh Osho – Four Seasons
Rax’s new EP ‘Just 4 You’ which was released for free on Friday will let you get to know the South London rapper again, slowly easing you in. After the release of ‘The Pickpocket’ in 2012 Rax took a hiatus from the scene, but is back stronger than before musically. His new visual to ‘Four Seasons’ premiered on Friday and will warm you up on these winter days and nights. It has enchanting vocals from Josh Osho and is packed with vivid emotion and expressive lyricism. It has a hip hop and jazz influences including a sunny saxophone.
Chip – ‘BlukuByeByeBye’
If you have Chip’s EP ‘Hear Dis’ you would know about this track already as it’s taken from there. It shows Chip’s non defeatist energy, as he takes a break from the musical beef with Yungen, releasing the video to ‘BlukuByeByeBye’. The video shows footage taken from a set at Radar Radio with some other very well known MC’s such as D Double E and Novelist in it, and really captures the energy and passion of Grime music.
67 ft. Giggs – Let’s Lurk
67 are a UK rap group from South London that includes members LD, Dimzy, Monkey & Asap. Their new track ‘Let’s Lurk’ is dark and threatening with a looming feel to it, whilst the video shot at night is pretty much the same with a menacing feel with some of the members cladded with masks. Giggs, the Godfather of UK rap steps up to deliver a hot verse on the track and boy is it good. The track is trappy, drawing influences from the Chicago rap scene.
Wretch 32 & Avelino – Gift To You
Wretch 32 and Avelino dropped their joint collaborative mixtape in December ‘Young Fire Old Flame’ which popped off becoming a fast favourite for last year. The journey continues though as they release the third visual from the mixtape ‘Gift To You’ ft. Moelogo. Over a laid-back beat, they both show their lyrical wordplay with the visuals showing the footage from their recent live show at Proud in Camden.
I’m here to bring you some of the latest tracks and news from the world of UK Rap from the past two weeks. There has been a lot going down musically and more beef has unraveled too.
Yungen & Chip
Let’s kick things off with the Yungen and Chip beef that I touched on briefly in my last column with Yungen’s track ‘Comfy’ where Chip thought he was indirecting him. Things have moved on progressively with Chip dropping his ‘One Take’ freestyle, firing direct shots straight at Yungen.
Now it’s been said there is rat in the Chip camp, due to the fact Yungen already knew Chip was planning to send for him, even though he had told Krept & Konan that he wouldn’t.
Krept tweeted on 20th Feb: “No we will not get involved it’s just Chip gave man his word that he wont diss Yungs and then did smh.”
Naturally Yungen pre-recorded his send, watching and waiting for Chip’s ‘One Take’ to drop and asking him on Twitter to remove it giving him hours. Chip refused to budge and Yungen released his diss track ‘Punk (Shitmunk Diss)’.
It didn’t take Chip long to respond. Less than 24 hours later the video to ‘Michelle Riddim (Lil Clive Diss)’ dropped, showing a laid-back Chip on his own in a smoky booth. His portrayed his calmness, showing Yungen didn’t worry him. The video opens with some cuts from an interview of Yungen bigging Chip up.
It seems Sneakbo is possibly taking Chip’s side, aiming tweets at Konan, which is worrying as Sneakbo and Yungen are meant to be friends… I guess we’ll find out more about what’s going on over the next few days.
Sneakbo: “These rappers get signed & become gangster…Go back to uni mate.”
“You don’t want drama pleaseeeeeeeee @konanplaydirty.”
24 hours later… Yungen is back at it with another response titled ‘Oopsy Daisy Riddim’ and he completely controls the track with bars laced with fire and cleverness.
Chip has responded less than 24 hours later now with another diss track ‘L (Lil Clive Diss 2)’. Things are definitely getting very heated now, as the replies are being made rapidly, and there are no signs of either backing down.
Rax
South London rapper Rax took a hiatus from the music game for a while, but now he is back stronger than ever. Gearing up to drop his mixtape Just 4 You on Friday (26th Feb), he has dropped two tracks over the past two weeks; ‘Money Bee’ feat. Zino Brown, Bonkaz and Dee Pee (Section Boyz) and ‘Four Seasons’ feat. Josh Osho. ‘Money Bee’ opened the doors to the full project and showed an energetic track, full of power and bass that’s lyrically tough. ‘Four Seasons’ revealed a different side to Rax with its relaxed, cool and calm vibe, infiltrated with the rapper’s witty bars. It’s infused with warmth, with the soulful vocals of Josh Osho and a sunny Sax. Watch out for the ‘Four Season’ video this week too.
MoStack – Gangsters With Banter
MoStack is a rising rapper from North London who has been creating a nice buzz over the past year, with a bunch of videos being released and collaborations with high profile artists such as Tinie Tempah on his album Junk Food. Last week saw the release of his brand new, highly anticipated mixtape Gangster With Banter with features from Yungen, Sneakbo, J Hus and Stormzy to name a few. Its 21-tracks are packed full of clever bars and a hard, Afrobeat sound combined with UK Rap.
He also released an accompanying video from the tape ‘Fuck This Generation (Outro)’. He talks about women, and his life in general, thanking God for another year lived with his family. It showcases his lyrical ability well, and his depth by being able to speak about issues in his generation.
Along with the releases, MoStack also announced his first headline show at the 02 Islington Academy on Thurs 14th April. It will be a night to remember for UK rap fans and will see some very special guests joining him on the stage. Buy your tickets here.
Konan – Last Night In LA
Konan the South London rapper and one half of the rap duo Krept & Konan dropped one of the hottest freestyles ‘Last Night In LA’ as a follow up to Krept’s ‘Last Night In Lagos’. Konan hits us with pure passion and aggression, and of course it’s packed full of wordplay and punchlines. It’s great to see Konan really rip into the track, in one of his coldest to date. To take it all in you may have to rewind the video a few times.
Ocean Wisdom
Out this week is Ocean Wisdom’s debut album Chaos 93 on High Focus Records. It’s produced completely by Dirty Dike, and features from some of UK hip-hop’s finest; Foreign Beggars, Klashnekoff, The Four Owls, Lunar C, Edward Scissortongue & Remus. It’s due to cause some serious damage and be a turning point for hip-hop in the UK. Head over to iTunes now to buy it.
Skrapz
Another show that was announced and one to put in the diary is Skrapz’s ‘The Beginning Of The End’ secret show on Thurs 7th April with support from Nafe Smallz, Mist, Trapstar Toxic and hosted by A Squeezy. See you there!
Bonkaz showcases his steadfast love for hip-hop with a list of his favourite hip hop mixtapes..
Read a list of the best R&B and rap mixtapes, according to Bonkaz.
Bonkaz is part of a new generation of artists who came onto the scene with a DIY attitude towards their craft, allowing them to push boundaries and limits into a new sphere. Growing up when grime was birthed was influential to his own musical journey, and he spent his youth listening to artists such as Kano and Dizzee Rascal. This was pivotal to both his creativity and outlook on music, schooled by grime’s ingenious and inventive journey.
Growing up in Croydon, he watched artists such as Krept & Konan and his good friend Stormzy break boundaries in UK rap and grime. Bonkaz knew he could do it too: he had to use same mentality as them, but break his own boundaries in an individualised way.
Bonkaz’s sound cannot be defined: some of his tracks are undeniably grime, whereas some are rap. He is a creator of his own sound by refusing to be boxed into a genre. Bonkaz is becoming a brand, and these are the lessons he has picked up from grime and his peers along the way.
After gaining a rep via UK music platforms such as SBTV and Link Up TV – who showed early support to him – he signed to Danny Weed and DJ Target’s label Pitched Up, an imprint of Sony. He released We Run The Block on it as his first single, which was the track that propelled him into the limelight. Keeping the track off the internet for as long as possible and only performing it live was solely his idea – a brilliant marketing plan, and one that solidifies his rising status as a future visionary.
Last week saw him release ‘#MixtapeOfTheYear’, an 11-track project with only three features – Stormzy on And Dat and Blade Brown and Yxng Bane on Outside. The remainder of the tape is just purely him and his lyrical intellect. Naming it mixtape of the year in February just shows Bonkaz is confident when it comes to his ability, and that he’s just shut 2016 down with 11 months still on the clock.
In light of his new release, we asked Bonkaz to compile his favourite mixtapes and ranging from Chance The Rapper through to Giggs, the list showcases his steadfast love for hip-hop.
01. Chance The Rapper ‘Ten Day’
Bonkaz: “This was actually the first mixtape from Chance but the second one I heard. Apparently it’s called ‘Ten Day’ because he recorded it during a ten 10 suspension from school. Some of the best lyricism I’ve ever heard and very experimental. Chance is one of my favourite artists!”
02. Giggs & Dubz ‘Ard Bodied’
Bonkaz: “Completely dominated the UK rap scene for a long long time. So many fire tracks. A lot of them went on to be classics such as ‘Pain Is The Essence’. It was that project you play on the way to and from school!”
03. Rick Ross ‘Rich Forever’
Bonkaz: “Ross was on fire when this dropped, completely dominating the game. This mixtape is incredible, even better than a lot of albums. He had John Legend on the title track, and John Legend on a mixtape is a big deal!”
04. Nipsey Hussle ‘Mailbox Money’
Bonkaz: “This mixtape is full of super sick tracks! The release was super innovative also. He offered an option to download the tape for free, a pay what you like option and also a $1000 option. He sold all 100 of the $1000 options. Jay Z also bought a few as a way of commending his level of innovation.”
05. Lil Wayne ‘Drought 3’
Bonkaz: “Wayne was absolutely untouchable when this tape dropped. In terms of lyrics he couldn’t be beaten, this is around the time he started referring to himself as the best rapper alive (rightly so imo). He was also on just about every big R&B tune at the time.”
06. Drake ‘So Far Gone’
Bonkaz: “The first I ever heard from Drake. Super relatable and just completely genuine music. Every track felt so personal, very ambient music.”
07. Sza ‘Z’
Bonkaz: “Not sure if this was a mixtape or an EP but it was incredible. My first listen to Sza and she became the soundtrack of that summer. Such a great sound with thought provoking lyrics.”
08. PartyNextDoor ‘PartyNextDoor’
Bonkaz: “This was the soundtrack to the summer before I heard Sza. One of the originators of the sound that he brought. This mixtape changed a lot of things within the new R&B type stuff, great project.”
09. The Weeknd ‘House Of Balloons’
Bonkaz: “What a project! It was almost like a step by step guideline to anybody that was out getting drunk and being young at the time (as I was). Some of the most honest lyrics I’ve ever heard and a completely new and original sound. This along with ‘House Of Balloons’ and ‘Thursday’ were all combined to make Weeknds first album, ‘The Trilogy’.”
10. A2 ‘Once Too Many’
Bonkaz: “A2 was the first person I ever heard to bring that street R&B sound. Before I heard Bryson Tiller or PND. I personally believe he created it. A completely unskippable project, with great tracks from start to finish. Such an ambience, such relatable lyrics. This may be my pick of the bunch.”
Lay Z has gone all sentimental on us for Valentines Day proiving there is a softer side to him. Teaming up with The Heavytrackerz who have laid down a smooth beat, sampling Usher’s ‘Nice and Slow’ for Lay Z to lace his soulful and gripping vocals on allowing the vibrations of the slow bass to be heard. It’s something completely different from the Boy Better Know Grime MC, but we definitely approve! This is only available via Red Bull at the moment, but will be available tomorrow to share….listen by clicking here
Skepta ft. A$AP Nast & D Double E – Ladies Hit Squad
Another one for Valentines Day, this time from the tracksuit mafia. ‘Ladies Hit Squad’ premiered on the radio on OVO Sound and then the video dropped in full effect today. The dreamy production is produced by Skepta himself, and features a verse from Grime legend D Double E and the hook is courtesy of A$AP Nast. The Grime ladies and men will definitely be banging out this tune and it’s sure to be a hit.
Rax – Money Bee ft. Zino Brown, Dee Pee & Bonkaz
South London lyricist Rax premiered his brand new track ‘Money Bee’ on Pigeons & Planes this week after taking a short hiatus from music. His new one sees a strong return from him, and is taken from his forthcoming project ‘Just For You’ that will showcase Rax’s diversity musically and his lyrical ability. ‘Money Bee’ features Zino Brown, Dee Pee from Section Boyz and Rax who are some of the best MC’s around right now. It’s full of tough bars combined with an eerie beat.
President T & Jammer – Best In Britain
Wooooaaahhhh this is hard! President T has made a HUGE comeback with latest release ‘Greatest To Ever Touch Down’ and now has announced news of his album ‘Stranger Returns’ which should be dropping this year. ‘Best In Britain’ a hype track, samples Grime classic ‘Rhythm & Gash’ and is produced by one of the best Zeph Ellis. It has braggadocio bars from President T & Jammer who can do it because they some of the best…
P Money, Big Narstie & Example ft. Takura – Access Denied
Huge riddim from P Money, Big Narsite and Example who go back to back with some heavy duty bars with all three showcasing their different flows and lyrics. With a hook from Takura and the production from Darq E Freaker this is one of the best tracks I’ve heard from this year.
West London stand up! Or should I say Camden stand Up?
Kurupt FM the pirate radio station crew known for their comedy show on BBC Three People Just Do Nothing with its second series complete last year, took to Koko for their headline showChampagne Steamrooms. With shows up and down the country, they returned to their home of London on Thursday evening to a sold out show.
Foundation (Sticky & Scott Garcia) kicked off the night, warming up things nicely with a rotation of some of the most banging Garage tunes known to mankind and host DR. Psycho bringing the energy to the half full crowd who had turned up nice and early, getting their positions ready for the main act.
Big Narstie the bass controller was up next and got the crowd bubbling nicely with his hyped bars. He performed tracks such as ‘Gas The Pipe’ and new track ‘When The Bassline Drops’ ft. Craig David. The DJ also dropped classic tracks such as ‘Rhythm N Gash’ by Rebound X.
Chabuddy G appeared on the screen on stage, and then popped up on the balcony to the left looking dapper in an all-white suit and obviously a bottle of champagne in his hand. He announced that there was going to be a special guest, making everyone wonder who, then introducing himself as the special guest. Only Kurupt could get away with this! DJ Steves was another funny arrival as he swung down from the ceiling above the stage, quite comically on a broken harness. Steves took to his spot behind the decks and began dropping some heavy duty Garage tunes and the whole crowd started to rave.
The Dancehall set in the middle gave a nice, relaxed feeling after the Garage tunes and skanking out (yes by me too), and allowed our weary feet to rest a bit. Decoy did a good job of curating the set with Damian Marley’s ‘Welcome To Jamrock’ playing and the crowd chanting “Welcome To Camden” with what seemed like every single person in the crowd getting involved.
The highlights of the night were when the special guests started to arrive on the stage. Garage favourites DJ Luck & MC Neat appeared first performing classic tune ‘With A Little Bit Of Luck’. Grime Gods Newham Generals were next with timeless track ‘Hard’. After Grindah’s own attempt at performing ‘Shut Up’, Stormzy came to take the weight off his shoulders and bring the energy bouncing about on stage.
The boys ended the night with everyone from the night who performed joining them on stage for a crowded performance of ‘Get Out The Way’, packed full of energy and vibes.
Kurupt FM have proved again that even though they are every bit comical, they need to be taken seriously. They have risen through the ranks and portrayed a culture to places unseen before. They aren’t just doing it for themselves; they are doing it for everyone involved.
I’m here to bring you some of the latest tracks and news from the world of UK Rap from the past two weeks. January was the warm-up month and now we’re in February it’s time for artists to really bring the heat.
Don Strapzy
Don Strapzy, a seasoned UK rap artist hailing from South London begins the year in the best possible way with brand new track ‘Enigma’ after dropping 3 covers in the month of January. Presenting the track with a key lead, ghostly beat, he showcases his laid back flow allowing his bars to be evident and heard intensely. Filmed in his hometown in Blue Borough, the visuals focus solely on him, as he takes us on a walk around his local estate, showing us the realness behind his lyrics “100 wraps in my shoebox, man I’m living comfy. Fuck it that’s a lie, man I’m still out here in my rusty.”
Strapzy also released the news of his first headline show at Birthdays in Dalston on the 21st April where he and some special guests (Ms Banks & TE Dness) will perform. This could mean we will see his debut album drop before then?
Yungen signed to major label Sony Records last year after his success was evident, releasing banger after banger and a successful headline show at the 02 Islington. The work never stops for the 23-year-old artist who always shows his consistency, year after year.
‘Comfy’ is the latest cut from the South London spitter, who brings us braggadocious bars, addressing his haters and telling us he’s secure. The video shot at night shows him and his crew, where he pays homage to Section Boyz, Stormzy and Play Dirty. It seems to have upset Chip who thinks he was sending for him on the track, with Chip highlighting it on Twitter and Yungen replying, “If I was sending for you I would have done it a long time ago.”
Yungen also announced his headline show, which is on the 25th April at Village Underground. I’m sure he will be bringing some special guests down too for an unforgettable evening. Get your tickets here.
Geko
Geko the Manchester-based rapper continues to show his hunger and passion for the game, releasing a few tracks already this year. We love seeing a young artist with so much fire in his belly, and who can cater to the ladies and the men with different tracks. His new one ‘Middle Fingers’ is sticking one up to the haters. It seems Geko has a lot he has to get off of his chest on a laid-back beat. He tells us how he thinks some ‘fake’ friends are using him, but fake love is better than none.
Potter Payper
2015 saw Peter Rosenberg of Hot 97 in America bring out Potter Payper at music event Pitched Up, co-signing the rappers credibility. A one to watch for 2016, Potter Payper returns this year with news of his brand new EP ‘One Time dropping in March. He releases the first visuals from the EP Normal featuring the soulful vocals of Maverick Sabre on a New Machine produced beat. The Essex rapper talks us through some real-life issues he sees in the world around him and how it’s normal for people going through them. It’s a reality track and showcases Paypers’s lyrical prowess and how it normal to be different. We can’t wait for his EP and more visuals to drop from that!
Akala sat down with the presenters on Not For The Radio, the online interview series that began last year and was very much needed for the UK ‘urban scene’. Akala is a huge voice and authority on many topics, not just music, but politics and history too. His intellect is not one to be messed with and on this interview he discusses in-depth confronting the EDL, the relationship with his sister Ms Dynamite, class, self-hatred and the benefits of being vegan. It’s a very interesting watch and shows Akala’s realness
“Endz” is the latest cut to be heard from Kano’s forthcoming album Made In The Manor. The album is going to do some serious damage to the Grime scene when it drops with track “3 Wheels-Ups” already dropping and causing excitement. The lyrics match the nostalgic and reflective track perfectly with Kano talking about his career and the journey he’s been on. It shows a different side to the East London MC, who is pensive and analyses life in his hometown.
Cadell – The Death Of Me
Bow, East London is the home of Grime, and Cadell is one of Grime’s newest and freshest MCs to step up from the ends. He slows it down for “The Death Of Me”, getting deep and personal over a chiming, ghostly instrumental. He talks about his life and upbringing in Bow amongst other real life issues. Look out for more from this fiery artist.
Kane – Don’t Be Shy
Don’t Be Shy is the first single to be taken from 21-year old R&B singers Kane forthcoming album Designed For Me. It shows a mature and grown up Kane to previous material. After taking a hiatus to reflect on his music, he is back with a unique and fresh sound. “Don’t Be Shy” is sweet and soulful and showcases Kane’s stunning and striking vocals whilst allowing him to be raw in his authenticity.
Sticky Blood ft. Gaby Henshaw – Valium
Production duo Sticky Blood made their first appearance for 2016 with brand new track ‘Valium’ featuring the vocals of Gaby Henshaw. An energetic, anthemic, electronic cut is the sound behind it, and the cinematic visuals show Gaby in the hills searching for something, with it intensifying as the track builds up. Check it out below.
Bugzy Malone – Mosh Pit Gang
Manchester Grime MC Bugzy Malone returns in 2016 with “Mosh Pit Gang” to show he is not messing around. Produced by Rude Kid, Bugzy goes in with some braggadocious, intense and warning bars in this high energy packed track. This track is sure to be a hit at raves and festivals and you know it’s going to cause many moshpits when it drops, so be warned!
Potter Payper is kicking off the start of 2016 with some great new music and begins with the impressive video for “Normal” featuring the vocals of the soulful Maverick Sabre. The rapper delves into real life issues faced by many, the problems people go through and how it’s normal life for them. It’s a reality check which will relate to people in some way. You’ll be able to get this track on his forthcoming EP One Time, but you’ll have to wait until March!
Bonkaz – And Dat (Feat. Stormzy)
For some time now Bonkaz has been teasing fans with snippets for his new mixtape, Mixtape of the Year and the most popular was his and Stormzy’s collab on “And Dat”. This weekend we finally received the mixtape with the full version of “And Dat” that has the two MCs going back to back on their Croydon memories. Bonkaz’s new tape has the South London MC displaying His varying rhyming ability and confirming 2016 will be a landmark year for the MC.
Novelist – Break In Your House
Novelist is known for dropping tracks regularly on his Soundcloud and over the weekend we got another one. “Break In Your House” is a self-produced track from the young future star from Lewisham, who freestyles with defiance and boldness that solidifies the fact he is not an MC to be messed with. Word is out that Nov will be dropping his debut album this year too, so we have that to look forward too.
Mez – Hunt For The Pumps
Mez is putting Nottingham on the Grime map and is a serious one to watch this year. His flow, energy and bars bring a real freshness to his music, which is why he is rising fast and has the support of many in the game. “Hunt For The Pumps” showcases Mez’s humorous and witty side on a Kidda Beat production. It’s a catchy track that will get you bouncing.
Sneakbo and Stefflon Don – Work
Sneakbo and Stefflon Don wasted no time recording and releasing a remix to Drake & Rhianna’s new track “Work” the day after it was released. Sneakbo and Stefflon Don’s wavy bars fit the track perfectly like it was made for them, with the pair also sounding wicked together. We hope to see more collaborations with them soon.
Two of South London’s finest rappers joined forces for Fekky’s track ‘Racks’ taken from his recently released free mixtape Brandy & Coke, and now we get the visuals to match. A trappy beat is the setting for the two to present their hard bars. Watch out for Fekky’s El Classico album which should be dropping soon.
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