Bakar - Dracula
Back at it for a one off Halloween special, Bakar has treated us to one of his best tracks to date. ‘Dracula’ offers a sinister portrayal of a woman, where the Peckham born boy screams ‘she is a Dracula, oh but she’s immaculate’. Later on confirming this girl ‘murders men’, the obsession Bakar has for this individual creates a compelling narrative that slots effortlessly over the 2 minutes of glorious punk riffs and addictive drumming. The music video is definitely worth a watch too, where the model come musician hangs from the ceiling screeching into his mic, whilst fairly peculiar scenarios take place behind him.
Loyle Carner - Ottolenghi
Featuring the soothing vocals of Jordan Rakei, and the unbelievably blissful beat of Rebel Kleff, this instantaneously likeable concoction of rhythms and rhymes are becoming a trademark of Carner’s sound. Truthfully, a life without Loyle Carner would be a very depressing one, just his year absence from dropping new music had many of his fans on edge. ‘Ottolenghi’ possesses an introspective outlook on the world, an element that made his mercury nominated debut flourish. Named after the famous chef ‘Yotam Ottolenghi’, the tune stays true to Carner and his passions, he is well known in the music community for being a cracking chef.
Thundercat ft BADBADNOTGOOD & Flying Lotus - King of the hill
This collab has been a long time coming. The artists share a similar, jazzy creative vision that works so organically on this track, which is set to feature on the new ‘Brainfeeder’ compilation album, celebrating 10 years of Flylo’s record label. Thundercat has produced for the likes of The Black Keys, Flying Lotus for Kendrick Lamar and BADBADNOTGOOD for Ghost Face Killah; just the thought of them all coming together is a mouth watering prospect. Could a collaborative album be on the way?
Fin Foxell - One to Remember
Yet another banger from the Fox, ‘One to Remember’ sees the rapper tampering with auto tune and layers of samples to make a very complete trap belter. Barely reaching the two minute mark, this song has to slap instantly and, quite simply, it does so. He is a man who tends to make a feature on our lists, and this tune is as good of a case of any that he deserves it, he has one of the most interesting voices in UK Rap, and this tune should help him to embark on new heights.
Slowthai - Rainbows
Just when you thought the Northampton rapper would calm down on the releases, he drops one of his most complete and coercive singles to date. It is an anthem for a generation that are failing to be heard, and Annie Mac showed her support by making it the ‘hottest record of the week’. His angsty, on edge vocals are harrowing over the hook of pianos and violins, which add to the gothic vibe of the song. It is the first single on the lead up to his debut album ‘Nothing Great About Britain’, which follows the release of his second EP ‘RUNT’. To say he is prolific would be an understatement.
Skepta ft LD - Neighbourhood Watch
Skepta and LD spitting bars over a Carns Hill beat? This is every North London appreciators dream. Combining the grime governor with the drill general is a deadly prospect, and I can confirm speakers, raves and venues all over the uk will have a hard time preparing for the carnage this song will cause. If you are seeing Skeppie on his ‘SK Level’ tour this December, you can expect this tune to lock down Printworks or smash up Melkweg; the bars the two MCs spit are like a virus, forcing you to hit the replay button and listen deeply to the justifiably materialistic messages they say.
Lil Baby x Gunna - Drip too hard
If another sign that Atlanta’s trap scene is the most rife in the world was ever needed, then Lil Baby would be it. The lead single off his new LP ‘Drip Harder’, this track is as infectious to us, as making money is to him. His incredibly goofy flow makes his lyrics seem unusually insightful and actually tell quite an intimate story for a trap tune. Usually you associate the genre with misogyny, but ‘Drip Too Hard’ oddly highlights a willingness to put women at the forefront of a relationship between a rapper and their partner.
Kodak Black - ZeZe ft Travis Scott and Offset
Waisting no time to get back on everyone’s radar after his release from prison, Kodak’s latest song sees him delve into tropical territories, where steel drums slide slickly across the summery beat, and compliment the familiar flows of the three artists. If I’m honest, it fits the vocals of Travis and Offset more so than Kodak, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t kill it himself. It’s just a shame it wasn’t released a couple months ago as, in England anyway, the weather is getting pretty depressing.
Bilk - Next Weekend
After frequent support from Lauren Laverne and XFM radio, the Essex lads are starting to make a name for themselves through their contagious indie rap. ‘Next Weekend’ is by far their most accomplished song to date, utilising tongue and cheek lyrics, touching up on tales of regret, like ‘getting with ugly girls’. They are a bright voice amidst the very dry indie scene, and are truly ones to watch in these upcoming months. You can catch them supporting RAT BOY on his upcoming tour, the two Essex outfits will be hitting up some of London’s finest venues over the coming weeks.