King Of The North- Bugzy Malone

My expectations for this album were pretty high and I wasn’t disappointed. Up until its release Bugzy has released various tracks like “Bruce Wayne”  to get his fans excited. This is probably my favourite grime album that has been released this year. The energy in this album is unreal and the amount of songs that Moshpits could form to is mental. I loved Stormzy’s album but theres something about Bugzy this time round that has made this seem better than “Gang signs and Prayers”

The first track “King Of The North” is such a great intro as the tension Bugzy builds sets up the whole album. The beat with the combination of the choir makes the song sound so medieval and helps build up this image of Bugzy being a warrior

“Aggy Wid It” plays next and it again carries this image of Bugzy being a badass. There may be some shots aimed at Stormzy in it but they aren’t enough to really hit him directly.

“Make or Break” is a perfect example of Bugzy Malone’s brilliant storytelling as it shows his relationships with his cousins growing up. I won’t spoil the story but its worth a listen as it left me with goosebumps.

“Through the night” is another good song to get hyped to as the beat is fast and the chorus is an electronic tune made by DJ Luck

“We Don’t play” is one of my favourites on the album as it has a real grit to it and the chorus is extremely catchy

“Memory Lane” is great tune and it successfully shows how old songs can be adapted into modern day grime. Tom Grennan provides brilliant vocals with break up the song really nicely.

“Bruce Wayne” uses my favourite part of Bugzy Malone and its his bark. I loved hearing it on gone clear and it just makes this song go harder. The tempo of it is just so intense and fast that its hard not to love it.

“Sniper” is probably my least favourite song on the album but I believe it is a great end to the album. The album throughout is fast paced and this song is good as it slows it down and leaves us with the idea that Bugzy Malone is a badass. The way it ends with the gunshot just ends everything perfectly. It shows that he’s came to prove how strong an artist he is and how he never misses his mark.

With the announcement of a King Of The North Tour I can see Bugzy only growing throughout the year. His tour didn’t sell out like Stormzy but I guarantee his shows will give Stormzy a run for his money.

 

Ride Of Your Life- Tinashe

Tinashe is an artist that can fit both in pop and hip hop. However for this song it fits more in the Hip ho category. The song is produced by Metro Boomin and the beat is awesome. Its just so fluent with Tinashe’s flow. Tinashe has an amazing voice and there is something about the way this song sounds that keeps drawing me back to it.

“Might change your life
I be doing shit that might change your life
Oh, yeah, no lie, no hype
I been doing shit these hoes don’t like
Oh yeah, we driving fast in the slow lane
I do them stunts like a movie
We be on jet’s, a Jacuzzi
We busting off like a UZI
Yeah, I be on the block with shawty
Going extra hard, yeah we just might OD
Need a re-up, we connect with a homie
Every time I call it; pull up on me”

The first verse just sounds so good. It flows seamlessly between each bar. The lines don’t have any hidden meanings. She is saying that she has the ability to change a persons life, and then she makes various references to taking and buying drugs. It just sounds badass, its nothing complex.

“Just drop the top, hot box the block
Gon’ have the time of your life
Just ride with me
We gon’ hit the streets
Take you on the ride of your life
I’ll take you on the ride of your life
Need you here, on the passenger side
Baby we could slide, have the ride of your life
You’re on the ride of your life”

The chorus is about hotboxing and what she would do with a person in a relationship with her. However there can be other connotations of this but I’ll let you decide.

The song is great because of the beat and Tinashe’s vocals. Sometimes its just good to hear a song like this and lose yourself in it. Its easy to play this song multiple times in a day because of how smooth it sounds.

Stormzy- Big for your boots

The hype for Stormzy’s new album begins as he releases “big for your boots”. As a person living in the UK it’s hard for me not to be filled with pride, its amazing to see songs like this sounding so good and reaching a wide audience. This song instantly reached the top 10 in the UK charts at number 8. This is quite an achievement as it has only been out a week. The song itself has a chorus that is so catchy I have caught my parents singing along.

Hook-

“You’re getting way too big for your boots
You’re never too big for the boot
I’ve got the big size twelves on my feet
Your face ain’t big for my boot”

This in itself is an achievement but it also shows it’s a song that people can’t help but sing along too. Stormzy’s message is that he will basically bring anyone who gets too big an ego back down to size. This makes sense as Stormzy is one of the biggest grime artists at the moment and he has the backing of most of the community. His UK tour (16 shows) sold out, this shows this huge popularity. Although this song seems threatening I see it more as Stormzy defending grime. He has worked hard to get to where he is and he wants to protect the art. Grime is finally becoming bigger than Hip-Hop and he is doing his part to help put Grime on the map. And for that I’m grateful

‘I Want It All’- Indy featuring Kevin Flume

One of my favourite songs at the moment is definitely ‘I want it all’.  It’s hard for me not to keep hitting replay. It’s a nice calm beat and it’s easy to just lose yourself. Both rappers have soothing voices. The song does not have any metaphors or hidden meanings behind words but this is good sometimes. This song is great to just relax too. If your wanting a smooth song to listen to this is it.

“Yeah, I Want It All

Want It All

Yeah, They used to hang up when I call
”

Childish Gambino- Me And Your Mama

Childish Gambino returns to music and it’s hard for me to contain my excitement for his long awaited album. He has been so generous by providing us with this single. I think with this track it’s definitely down to taste, a childish Gambino fan will like this because it’s an embodiment of exactly what childish Gambino, does it’s different. However it’s hard for me as a fan not to like it. It’s more an instrumental but it has a nice vibe to it. Gambino talks about his relationship with this girl and the weed is driving him deeper in love.

“I’m in love when we are smokin’ that la-la-la-la-la”

Overall the song has a original Gambino vibe and it is hard not to be intrigued.

A$AP Mob-Put that on my set

Hitting hard A$AP Mob want they’re money back on flows that transition seemlessly.

“Put that on my set, uhh, uhh
Put that on my set

I recollect, uhh, uhh

Time to count some checks they go collect, uhh”

It’s hard not to bob your head to Lil Awree’s awesome beat. It’s great to see that there are still groups of rappers that can produce a song that is this great. Skepta also spits some bars with the gang. The gang worked well with Skepta on ‘ladies hit squad’ and it’s just as good on this track. His lyrics show his brutality to rappers that disrespect him in such a brilliant way. He says that he will basically dispose of them through one diss track. He feels that he kills rappers careers metaphorically regularly that it’s as if he is possessed.

“Show respect

I’ma aim for the neck

I’ma make some ghosts, when it comes to the raps

Man I must be possessed”

This verse is one of the best on the track and Skepta was a great way to end this cold hearted track.

Big Sean- Bounce Back

Big Sean returns with a hard hitting song about everything in his life being able to bounce back. “I been broke as hell, cashed a check and bounced back” Young Metro provides the beat on this song, it’s perfect and it suits Big Sean’s verses and hooks very well. Sean makes references to Detroit “got the city fuckin’ with me cause I’m homegrown” Which he reps in a lot of his songs because it’s where he grew up. He also says “I never being switching sides” which could also be him saying that he plans to stay with G.O.O.D Music for the foreseeable future which many fans will be glad to hear. He also make reference to the pill from the film limitless “living like I’m on a limitless pill” The pill in the film gives the user access to 100% of their brain and Big Sean is saying that he is living his life to the fullest and he can conquer everything and bounce back. My favourite line by far is “The under dog just turned into the wolf and the hunger steady grows”which is him saying that he has been overlooked in the past but he’s turned into a powerful rapper that no one can ignore or put down. His hunger for success is steadily growing. This song is an explosive way to return to the scene.