Louis Culture shares two new singles 'Grammar' and 'No Love'
South London's Louis Culture is back with two fresh singles, 'Grammar' and 'No Love'. These tracks showcase his versatility as he navigates between...
Rap
26 photos of Black British music tease upcoming V&A exhibition
The V&A East Museum has announced its maiden exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story, aiming to spotlight the influence of Black British music on both UK and global culture.
The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light review | The Streets return with brilliance
★★★★☆ After a 12-year hiatus, The Streets have returned with a welcome blend of old and new. The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light is comfortingly familiar and yet betrays subtle strands of maturity.
whynow is the time to listen to… TS Lagga
We speak to emerging rapper TS Lagga about education, how to define success and why he decided to open his GCSE results on stage at Reading and Leeds Festival.
whynow is the time to listen to… LEMFRECK
Newport rapper Lemfreck shares his second, and by far his most ambitious, project yet today. Divided into three parts, Blood, Sweat & Fears is a pensive, atmospheric project that pulls you into its orbit. Paying special homage to the rising rapper’s Welsh roots, the record also demonstrates there are plenty of sides to L E M F R E C K’s sonic craft.
El Londo: ‘No matter who you are, we all connect over the love of making music’
Following the recent release of his THANKSLONDO project – a showcase in the UK rap scene’s thriving underground talent – we speak to producer and singer-songwriter El Londo.
Pink Tape review | Lil Uzi Vert delivers a lengthy rap-rock rollercoaster that was worth the wait
★★★★☆
Pink Tape is as distinctive as it is extensive, running over 90 minutes and fusing genres under a peculiar umbrella that is Lil Uzi Vert’s and Lil Uzi Vert’s alone.
Golden Child review | Ash Olsen shows moments of flair on imitative debut album
★★★☆☆
Ash Olsen’s debut album Golden Child gives plenty of reasons to keep track of the rising Norwegian rapper – even if some if it sounds like its been heard all-too-often before.
Split Decision review | Dave and Central Cee spar with aplomb in heavyweight matchup
★★★★☆
Dave and Central Cee’s surprise collaborative EP Split Decision demonstrates the pair’s penmanship, with puns on cars, clothes, women and footballers seamlessly interspersed with an impressive blend of swagger and introspection.
Almost Healed review | Bloated, one-dimensional self-therapy from Lil Durk
★★☆☆☆
Lil Durk has a lot to say and a track record for possessing an ability to deliver it – but that’s not what we get on his latest album, Almost Healed.
Pistolz & Pearlz review | Almost drunk karaoke from Kodak Black
★☆☆☆☆
Kodak Black’s Pistolz & Pearlz is likely to be the Florida rapper’s final album with Atlantic Records, but he seems as uninterested making the album as I am listening to it.
Frozemode: ‘We really believe we can get to the top of this game’
Still recovering from The Great Escape festival? You’re not alone. London alt-hip-hop trio Frozemode played out five sets across the weekend – as well as enjoyed all the shenanigans the Brighton-held festival has to offer.
Real Back in Style review | Potter Payper’s debut delivers trademark fiery storytelling
★★★★☆ Potter Payper unleashes evocative, polished storytelling on his debut album, Real Back in Style, detailing exactly the sort of life experiences that sees him presently in jail.
Skala review | Songer provides fans with his most cohesive project yet
★★★★☆
Coming from a place of newfound stability and perspective, SONGER’s third studio album highlights why the 22-year-old is fast-becoming hugely admired by UK rap fans.
Glow review | Deeply soulful offerings from UK multi-hyphenate Wesley Joseph
★★★★☆
Walsall-raised, London-based Wesley Joseph lays down his marker as one of the UK’s brightest emerging talents on Glow, a project that’s more pensive than previous releases.
Master System review | Monster Florence’s cerebral rap explores our dystopian world
★★★★☆
Colchester alt-hip-hop group Monster Florence dissect the dystopian state of the world through lyrical tricks and commendable beats on their new album Master System; a record which ultimately demonstrates how underrated they are.
Mansion Musik review: A bloated Trippie Redd record that relies too heavily on features
★★☆☆☆
The result is a project that never really feels like it knows where it stands, as it jumps from feature to feature and ultimately isn’t worth the 80 minutes of time it takes to listen to.
Day1: ‘People want to be rappers but they’re not speaking truth to themselves’
South Brisbane, Australia, is a growing scene, buzzy with a new wave of artists. It contains a youthful spread of rap and drill, one with many inspirations taken from the wider world of rap in all its forms. Such an outlook on music gave birth to Day1, an artist who wants to champion this unique identity for the world of rap to take in.
AntsLive: ‘As long as you feel better after listening to my EP, my job’s done’
2022 was a big year for AntsLive. The London-based rapper dropped a slew of music and a host of inventive music videos, garnered support from i-D, DJ Semtex and Tiffany Calver, and also managed to fit in appearing in Nike’s World Cup campaign. Yet, as he told whynow before the release of his first EP, he’s just getting started.
Meek Mill apologises after filming music video in Ghana’s presidential office
US rapper Meek Mill has apologised after facing backlash for filming a music video inside Ghana’s Jubilee House, the official home and office of Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo.
Gunna released from jail after pleading guilty to RICO charge
Gunna is set to be released from prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Snoop Cube 40 $hort review | Sluggish and outdated work from Mount Westmore
★☆☆☆☆ The foursome of hip-hop icons fail to rekindle the magic of their heydays in an album that bores.
Iggy Azalea sells masters and publishing catalog in eight-figure deal
Rapper Iggy Azalea has revealed she’s sold her master recordings and publishing catalog to Domain Capital in an eight-figure deal.
Feed Tha Streets 3 review | Roddy Ricch is tediously poor on the third instalment of his mixtape series
Roddy Ricch has struggled to replicate the success of his debut Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, with recent efforts Live Life Fast and The Big 3 receiving lacklustre responses. With the third instalment to his Feed Tha Streets series, Roddy’s cold streak continues.
Down the Boozer with Isaiah Dreads
Isaiah Dreads is a rising British rapper that has amassed over five million streams. Hailing from Dorset, Isaiah is steadily making a name for himself amongst an often-cliquey scene. We sat down with Isaiah over a pint to mull over his journey into music, his future ambitions and his latest EP, Out The Box, in collaboration with West London producer Zdot.
Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1 review | Kodak sounds uninspired and out of ideas on his latest release
★★☆☆☆ Kodak returns for his second album of 2022, after February’s Back For Everything, with Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1, another lacklustre addition to his catalogue.
Dave, Stormzy and Little Simz among big winners at GRM Daily Rated Awards
Dave picked up four awards at this year’s GRM Daily Rated Awards, including Male Artist Of The Year and the prestigious Album Of The Year award for We’re All Alone In This Together.
Jungle review | An overly experimental watch that doesn’t probe deep enough
★★☆☆☆
Jungle – a new futuristic music drama from Amazon – tries a bit too hard to be groundbreaking that, despite some positives, it ends up leaving a lot to be desired, writes Jude Yawson.
$oul $old $eparately review | Freddie Gibbs cements his place among top tier rappers
★★★★☆
Freddie Gibbs returns after a three year wait with $oul $old $eparately, and whilst Gibbs’ assessment of it as “album of the year” seems far-fetched, there’s no doubt the Indiana rapper has picked up where he left off from his last full length project: 2020’s collaborative project with The Alchemist, Alfredo.
Coolio, rapper of Gangsta’s Paradise fame, dead at 59
US rapper Coolio, best known for the hit classic ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’, has been found dead at the age of 59, his longtime manager has confirmed.
