The material that Manga Saint Hilare has been putting out over the past few years has been about achieving goals, staying true to yourself and reflecting on hard times in life, all with a healthy amount of greaze talk and general chest-puffing lyrics. It’s strengthened the bond with fans that knew him for his work as a member of Roll Deep and earned him new fans looking out for a grime sound made for the here and now.
On his new track ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ there are a few subjects at play. He asserts himself as a top-line MC, tying words around each other to create some clever wordplay with the bar “When I spit/it’s all sauce and tek/been hard from early like morning sex /I dead beats like boring sex/alive and kicking like morning breath.” Some jabs could be pointed at fake friends or even speak on the ills of the industry, as he tells us “You’re all pretend/telling lies/I won’t fall for them.”
The beat – produced by Trooh Hippi – features blunt force bass that gives the track its low-end drive; the modulated riff on top full of dark melodies. The delivery of the lyrics is clear, which together with the beat produce a feeling of sustained energy rather than a quick one-two punch of hype.
Stream
The Art of Grime 