Why Do We Ignore British Rap?
Sunday marked another year of the Grammy awards, and inevitably, controversy ensued. Tyler, the Creator was frustrated with his album IGOR being placed in the rap category. Lana Del Rey fans protested Billie Eilish’s sweep of all the major categories. 7 by Lil Nas X was nominated for album of the year (okay, this may have been a personal controversy).
Despite all that, this was a pretty good year for the Grammy’s, at least comparatively. Neither Bruno Mars nor Adele won Album of the Year. There was no Kendrick Lamar snub. No one working for the Grammys said anything outrageous about women (at least during the ceremony).
The rap categories have especially improved in the past few years. This is in part due to a review committee being assigned to the genre in 2017. Having a genre-based committee has fended off the Iggy Azalea and Wiz Khalifa nominations that plagued past years.
The nomination process is a bit odd, starting the calendar at the end of the summer instead of following the calendar year (this year’s entry period was only 11 months). This makes it hard to associate traditional album of the year picks with the committee’s choices. Even on the Grammy calendar, this past year was a weak one in terms of rap Grammy mainstays.
Besides IGOR, many of these albums, song-to-song, are very traditional hip-hop albums. I’m sure the committee patted themselves on the back for nominating Tyler’s weirdo work, but the job wasn’t done.
There was no Drake, Kendrick Lamar or Eminem release (yes, they still like him). J Cole dropped a label release of collaborations, but no solo project. This led to many fresh faces in the best rap album category. Tyler won of course, but we saw nominations for 21 Savage, YBN Cordae, Meek Mill (who is becoming a committee favorite), and J Cole’s Dreamville collaborative album. Many of these are good albums, IGOR was a genre-bending work that deserved its win, Lost Boy was a truly impressive debut that followed enough traditional rap conventions to work with this committee, and it was great to see 21 Savage be rewarded for what is definitely his best work to date. Despite the amount of quality on display, there’s a worrying trend here. Besides IGOR, many of these albums, song-to-song, are very traditional hip-hop albums. I’m sure the committee patted themselves on the back for nominating Tyler’s weirdo work, but the job wasn’t done.
In a year where big names surrendered the spotlight, a certain output repeatedly impressed, British rap. We’re a few years past hip hop’s British invasion, led by Skepta’s Konnichiwa and Stormzy’s debut Gang Signs & Prayer. Skepta might be the only artist who’s carved a spot in domestic rap culture, but American rap ears are more aware than ever of the UK’s grime style. It’s an abrasive genre, and many listeners will have already made their decision one way or another on it.
Unfortunately, those decisions can hover over all of Britain’s rap offerings. UK rappers are, by influence, very technically sound. Grime helped shape the skill set of many of the rappers that are appearing in England today, cultivating the ability to rap over high-intensity instrumentals and sharpening rappers’ fast-paced flow to fit those beats. This past year marked a notable success for the post-grime era, and some of the best albums this year brought those honed skills to new soundscapes.
Slowthai — Nothing Great About Britain
The mid-20s Northampton rapper released his debut studio album in May 2019. The album was one of the most political offerings from Britain yet. While it wasn’t evident in all the big releases this year, Brexit and a November election loomed over British rap in a way that the 2020 U.S. election is sure to influence the next few years of American music. 21 Savage has become a figurehead for an immigration issue has and will continue to play a huge factor in American elections. We didn’t even know that 21 Savage was an illegal immigrant for two months after the release of I Am > I Was. Nothing Great About Britain implies political motivations simply in its title.
Throughout the album, Slowthai paints a picture of growing up in a working-class British town. From skits depicting a factory worker’s addiction to sniffing glue, to Doorman, a song that’s hook paints a drunken Slowthai lashing out at a bouncer stopping him from getting into the club. Sonically, the flow brings a punk energy that differs from grime but maintains a similar aggression. For much of the album, Slowthai rejects the neighborhood that he’s from and his angst bursts through his lyrics. He has the energy of any teenager that has higher ambitions than the factory lifers they grew up around. Not everyone gets to be Slowthai, however, and many youths with those ambitions end up as the factory-working, Boris-voting locals they grew up scoffing at.
Little Simz — Grey Area
Little Simz is the most veteran artist on this list, but her new release made waves in ways that nine years of previous releases haven’t. Almost a decade of experience helps Simz exude a calm confidence that betrays her 25 years. Simz is perhaps the best example of an artist who was built on grime mechanics, only to shift away from the genre.
Grey Area is Simz’ first album that implements live instruments in the recording, and it adds an energetic sound that blends surprisingly well with her cool flow. The project is short and sweet (10 songs, 35 minutes), but full of intention. Boss is a record about the respect that Simz is convinced she deserves but struggles to get as a female MC. It’s lyrics often lineup with classic rap braggadocio but insists on zooming out to show the glass ceiling her bars are trapped under. Venom satisfying because it’s another lyrically biting cut and it’s way better than Eminem’s song of the same name. Like her title-sharing counterpart, this song is a display of technical mastery, unlike Em, it leaves behind the #WhiteMaleRage that is found in many Call of Duty rap playlists.
The album also includes more emotional cuts, popping up primarily on the second half of the album. Therapy is a revealing insight into the skepticism that many people of her background enter therapy with. As the song continues, she starts to reveal cracks under the confidence her monologues exude. The hook is a purposefully repetitive piece that shows Simz convincing herself that her sessions are a waste of time. By the end of the song, we get some real insights into Simz’ hopes and worries.
Flowers is a heartbreaking song that describes the trauma that comes up with growing up black. The structure is like Kendrick Lamar’s LUST, describing a male character, and female character and finishing with a verse of self-reflection. Michael Kiwanuka features, and his voice is as beautiful and painful as the song requires. His hooks and interlude give room to breath after another round of Simz’ incredibly tight and packed verses. Drugs become the path of release for the characters she paints, only to a tragic end, which marks the end of the project.
Dave — Psychodrama
Psychodrama is the debut album of 20-year old London rapper, Dave. The album was released in the first quarter of 2019, after he had been gaining buzz for a couple years through popular singles. This is probably the most complete work of the albums spotlighted here, and most worthy of a nomination. It’s also the longest work, at 11 songs and 51 minutes. Dave also seems the most likely to cross over to the States. He has what seems to be the key to any overseas rap success, a Drake cosign.
Psychodrama is a conceptual LP, revolving around a series of Dave’s (mandated?) therapy sessions. The first three songs set the tone powerfully and set the bar for a what truly is a masterwork. Psycho leads the album with a beat switching, deepest fear-revealing banger. It’s immediately followed by another highlight, Streatham, which describes where Dave grew up and the danger and distraction of growing up in a low-income neighborhood. The third track is bar-by-bar description of what it means to be Black. While consistently conceptual, none of the tracks are heavy-handed or galaxy brained. Black has a series of bars about the act of discovering your own history, and the anger that comes with the realization that the history has been hidden from you your whole life.
While still revolving around the therapy concept, songs like Location and Disaster stand out as potential hits. Multicultural artists Burna Boy and J Hus have features on their respective songs. Much like the combination of Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka, Dave connects with these artists in a way that seems surefire. Both are rare combinations that rise above their high floor and find a level that impresses even fans of both artists.
The centerpiece of the album is Lesley. The 11-minute, narrative based track is a story about Dave and his acquaintance with fellow tube-passenger Lesley. In fact, the story really is just about Lesley, her pregnancy and an abusive partner, with Dave’s narrative only bookending the track. It’s one of those songs that makes you stop in your tracks when you reach a certain point. Unlike many other story-telling tracks, it doesn’t lose its vigor after the first listen. It’s the most powerful track on one of the most emotionally affecting rap albums of the decade.
Dave also seems the most likely to cross over to the States. He has what seems to be the key to any overseas rap success, a Drake cosign.
All these albums take risks that seem destined to be celebrated in an awards setting. There are no avant-garde production techniques that may annoy a passing listener. These projects lack the corniness that many albums that tote “earnestness” are bogged down by. The international nature of these albums helps make the sounds fresh. The technique of every one of these rappers is more than competent and should stand out to a relatively older and traditional rap committee. I hope you give each of these albums a listen if you haven’t already, because the only thing that seems to be holding these rappers back from international success is word of mouth.
