M.I.C x Nammy Wams – Naoki Urasawa Could Have Written This Shit
M.I.C and Nammy Wams add to their growing collaborative back catalogue with ‘Naoki Urasawa Could Have Written This Shit’. M.I.C’s subject matter is wide-ranging – he references manga, fashion, world leaders and tech giants – but the line that cuts through the most is: ‘world events are just part of the carnival’. It homes in on the surrealism of living today, where massive world happenings roll into one, with seemingly little recourse after the fact. It’s all spat in a well-spaced delivery, with Nammy Wams’ downbeat synths providing the backdrop.
Roqy Tyraid x Silencer – Victor Sweet
‘Victor Sweet’ is an international grime collaboration between Phoenix’s Roqy Tyraid and London’s Silencer. Primarily a rapper, Tyraid has made his name spitting over hip-hop beats. As for Silencer, well, he needs no introduction if you’re a regular reader of this blog. What makes ‘Victor Sweet’ so good is Tyraid’s flow. He’s not just doing hip-hop delivery over a grime beat, instead flipping between engaging hooks and rapid-fire spraying throughout the track. 8-bit melodies make up the beat, meaning ‘Victor Sweet’ a home run from start to finish.
PK x Lolingo – After Work
Grime love songs are tricky to pull off. Too corny on the lyrics, and it all falls flat. PK and Lolingo’s ‘After Work’ bucks this trend because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The concept is simple: PK’s trying to pull a girl, he runs down the boyfriend, and then he’s got her number on the same day. He assumes multiple voices, and in what is now possibly my favourite media reference in grime, compares his pulling abilities to Art Attack’s Neil Buchanan. Lolingo’s bumpy instrumental serves as the launchpad, and all in all, ‘After Work’ is a light-hearted banger sure to go off in the dance.
Grove – Bloodsucka
Grove is a vocalist, producer, and DJ. Making their name with a string of releases, which you can find on their Bandcamp page, the multi-disciplined artist has teamed up with Noods Radio to deliver a performance of ‘Bloodsucka’, as part of the station’s GRIP collaboration with Audio Technica. ‘Bloodsucka’ is an industrial rap tour de force, as Grove spits rapid lyrics about Black, queer liberation over a speaker breaking instrumental. The video, captured with a 360-degree camera attached to the mic, presents an immersive visual made trippy with psychedelic aftereffects. Watch this and make sure to turn it up loud.
Crooked Sound – Rakija
Belgrade’s sample master Crooked Sound comes through with ‘Rakija’. It’s packed with sweet melodies, dreamy guitar lines and shuffling percussion. It sounds perfect as a stand-alone instrumental but could work as the backing for a talented emcee.
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