Hardy Caprio and Not3s have joined forces for ‘Together’, with Not3s bringing a heavy, catchy hook. The track, produced by N2theA, allows Hardy to flow effortlessly over the rap beat talking about money and street life. The video – shot in an estate – shows how it hasn’t exactly gone to plan, as they had to shoot without Not3s. The guys made it lighthearted with a script running through it that definitely makes you chuckle and includes some fun dance moves too! The track is taken from Hardy Caprio’s recently released The Hollywood EP which you can buy now on iTunes.
Don Strapzy – Mustard
Lewisham rapper Don Strapzy returns to our screens with ‘Mustard’ – a track full of bars on bars. Intro’ing the track stating, “I never did it for the fame G, I can’t complain now I get loving from the ladies, but I never done it for that,” the OG rapper then goes on to talk about everything from rappers to trappers to the hood, South London, trust, women and much much more. He shows off his powerful, natural flow with strong delivery coupled with braggadocious lyrics, “It’s donny from the manor I’m the dogs bollocks.”
Pep ft. Big Sneakz – One Time
Pep takes the cinematic visuals for ‘One Time’ to the stunning location of the Dominican Republic. The stunning backdrop seamlessly flatters Pep’s individual flow alongside Big Sneakz’s catchy hook. Opening up with a meeting taking place between Pep and an associate then leads into the track that talks through Pep’s situations with women. Self-produced by Pep himself, he brings a summer vibe to the steelpan instrumental.
Dims x Tremz – Bang For My Bros
It’s a Northern link up next in ‘Bang For My Bro’s with two equally hard rappers: Dims from Manchester and Tremz from Liverpool. The video fits the ominous mood of the track, with men clad in balaclavas and masks setting the scene. The trap beat allows the two to apply their inimitable melodic style rap which Dims uses on the hook as well as in his verse and Tremz uses in his verse too. Dims has a strong, aggressive delivery, where he talks about street life. Tremz comes in second rapping, “Way back I been a rowdy yout, cause I never knew the other way, so don’t ask me what the f**k I do.” This is Northern talent at its finest.
Potter Payper x Luey Locs – Last 32
Potter Payper is one of the best UK rappers; his wordplay, lyrics and flow are just impeccable. At the moment he’s gearing up to release a brand new project titled ‘Real Back In Style’ which we are hugely looking forward to. His new banger ‘Last 32’ with Luey Locs shows the two barring about their lifestyles, which include chasing paper, expensive tastes in watches and cars, smoking and more which the video portrays perfectly showing off some flashy cars, nice creps, women and icey watches. Watch out for more from Potter Payper in the forthcoming months.
Dice Recording artist Izzie Gibbs gives us another straight-fire riddim ‘Chillin’ produced by Maniac which features Donae’o on the hook. The track and visuals show how they like to Netflix and Chill with Izzie’s flow fast and manic and his lyrics a bit naughty. Izzie told SBTV, “Maniac blessed me with the fire riddim I knew it was SICK but when I sent it to Donae’O and he sent the chorus back in like 20 mins, that fully gassed me and I banged it out straight away.”
Tizzy Gang – Old School Roadman Jacket
Tizzy Gang’s Tre Mission and Merky Ace release the first visual off of their forthcoming mixtape, ‘Opps Next Door’. The record represents the transatlantic spread of grime with Tre Mission also being hailed as the first international grime emcee. Both emcees lay down greezy lyrics over a sinister beat that is sure to get a wheel up in every grime rave.
Lethal Bizzle ft. Skepta – I Win
Although there has been a delay with Lethal Bizzle’s album ‘Lennox Rd,’ Bizzle is hitting us with an EP, ‘You’ll Never Make A Million From Grime,’ a title aimed at the haters. He gives us the first visual from the EP that features another grime king, Skepta who also produced the track along with adding a verse and hook. The two heavyweights of course have made a winning track and the video comes complete with some sick cars and bikes.
Reeko Squeeze ft. Donae’o – Beginning
A cold, cold tune track from Reeko Squeeze which features Donae’o who comes in first on the track with the hook which is a rather inspiring one talking about how he’s in it to win it! Reeko then comes in with some his inspirational bars and also mischievous lyrics about women. The visuals show both of them at night with views of London in the background.
Yellows – Cure Remix
North London rapper Yellows takes Fish Go Deep ‘The Cure & The Cause’ track remixing it for his track ‘Cure Remix.’ He talks about road life, stacking money and the video shows him and his girl arguing and her being at home trying to get hold of him and him locking calls off. This is a hard track with a very good remix of a house track that Yellows has absolutely killed. Props.
Devlin is one of the UK’s best lyricists in grime, and not just according to us but also Wiley – the Godfather of Grime – and many other emcees. His new album The Devil In and new Fire In The Booth showcase why he is up there with the best, and once you listen, you can’t deny his lyrical prowess.
Shireen Fenner snagged some of Devlin’s time to speak about the old-school days of grime, staying grounded, taking time away from music and his new album…
Devlin, tell us first of all about what life musically was like for you growing up?
Grime music was always big in Dagenham, but before that I liked the sound of Garage. It was the OT Crew that were the boys I fell in with in the end, they had a big show on Rinse which was a massive platform, and they used to work with Roll Deep and do shows with them. So when I met them I started getting a little audience listening every week and things started building from there.
Where does your music influence stem from? You’ve mentioned So Solid and Roll Deep and Sharky Major – what was it about them that made you want to start writing?
I thought they were good and they captured me. Their lyrics were more complex than the garage stuff I had heard. They were thought out, they were talking about stuff that was going on and that I was seeing as I was growing up. I just wanted to have a go at it myself, and I loved it, stuck at it, and then it started coming through.
I liked the tempo of Garage, but when I heard Grime, the sounds of the beats and the lyrics, I could relate to it a bit more. I liked that dirtier sound.
Back then it was a very pirate mentality and the goals for Grime MC’s was to get on pirate radio…now Grime has gone mainstream, MC’s can think a lot bigger. What’s the difference between your goals back then and now?
Your right, when I landed on Rinse I thought I’d struck gold, I’d listened to people growing up and tape tapes and tape set for years so it was a blessing that I’d made it there. From that where the listeners were growing, we started doing raves, all the older people had been doing raves, but I started doing a few and noticing the fan base growing.
Nowadays it’s been pushed through into the mainstream and there is a lot more opportunity now, back in the day we only had pirate radio. The internet is massive now, you can utilize that to get your videos across and social media is also a massive thing which we never had which helps people network.
As weird as it sounds I never had a massive major plan or goal in my head, I just loved doing what I was doing. I just wanted to be the best that I could be at what I was doing because I enjoyed it, I loved it and that took me on a journey I suppose that I never saw myself doing. I never pictured it like that. My goals are still to just keep making sure my music’s good and people are happy and my fans.
Wiley has dubbed you the ‘greatest Grime MC’ and a lot of other artists also rate you highly – what do you think it is about you that sets you apart and made Wiley give you this title?
I’m blessed that people think that and I take that as a massive compliment, but I can say whatever I’ve done I don’t expect everyone to love it or hate it. I always put my heart and soul into it and I’m my own worst critic when it comes to my lyrics. Maybe that’s something to do with it, I’m very critical about what I do. Passion and wanting to be the best, but if I fall short I fall short, but I’ll come up somewhere half decent.
Working with The Movement crew must have trained you and them lyrically to be the best you can be, was there a lot of competition?
Yea definitely, that firm was all about lyrics. We all had love for each other and a mutual respect. It definitely helped push my lyrics. I always wanted to be the best, everyone was hungry, on the day you had to come fucking good. It was good times back in the day.
From ‘Bud Sweat & Beers’ your debut album to your recent album ‘The Devil In’ talk us through the evolution as Devlin as an artist and as a person…
It all seems like a whirlwind to me. I’ve spent my life writing music and it all seems to have gone so fast. It’s hard to remember half of it. I’ve just grown naturally as I’m getting older. I grew up I suppose in front of everyone’s eyes; I was only very young when I started, so naturally I’ve grown as a human being. I’m just normal, I’m just me, there’s not too much science behind it. I just love music, I try to do my best, and I’m lucky enough that people have gone and brought my albums for some reason, I’m not too sure why.
‘The Devil In’ shows all different sides to you as a person and is a more mature, unapologetic Devlin – can you tell the readers what different sides to you there are and why it’s important to reflect these in the album?
I think there is a little snippet of every side of my personality on there. There’s happy, there’s sad, there’s twisted, there’s angry, there’s loving, there’s caring. That’s what I tried to do with the album. Whenever you’re making songs your trying to capture an emotion and trying to relate to people.
I’d say it’s a mixture of me and my own thoughts and what I feel and other things I’ve seen I put myself in different people’s shoes mentally. I try and be creative.
What are your favourite tracks on the album and why?
‘Blow Your Mind’ I’ve always liked the music on this track, the oldy, feel, it’s got pace in it still, and I like the music and the beats, it’s uptempo.
You seem like a very grounded, down-to earth person still, not really stricken by the fame element, how do you stay like this, it must be hard?
Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but without those people I’d have nothing really so it doesn’t bother me, I take a picture with anyone. On the flipside it could be worse, I wouldn’t have job if it wasn’t for these people, but yeah sometimes it gets overwhelming. I stay grounded, I don’t care for much, I love my family I love my friends, I love making music and I’m lucky enough to do it. I don’t let nothing else bother me.
It’s been 4 years since your last album release and you took a year out of music – why the decision to take a break?
I’ve just made music since I was so young, I was stressed, and I was trying hard to write. My second album didn’t go as well as my first one, that probably pissed me off a little bit. I suppose I’ve got my own life, I’ve got my own stuff going on in my own life I needed to sort out. I came back with a fresh head. I had to go and be a young man for a couple of years. When you’ve made music from a young age with a camera always in your face, I just needed to go and be a young man and get that out my system and come back with a fresher head and a bit more grown up.
Explain what is The Devil In Devlin is?
There’s every different side to me on the album and that’s what makes me; love, joy, hate, it’s almost like conflicted emotions. That’s the man behind the music.
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