LITTLE SIMZ- GREY AREA REVIEW

'Little Simz... She might be the illest doin' it right now' 

Compton superstar Kendrick Lamar said this in an 1Xtra interview in 2015 and I 100% agree with that statement to this day *Deontay Wilder voice* TO THIS DAY!

I've been a fan of King Simbi since her Marilyn Monroe days and since then (then being 2013) her accomplishments in the music business have been nothing short of great. Critically acclaimed mixtapes, EPs and albums; touring with legends Nas, Lauryn Hill and Gorillaz; Earning co-signs from the likes of Kung Fu Kenny; Touring worldwide; Organised 2 successful festivals in 2017 and 2018 (I attended both); and also making the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016... 

The baffling thing about the North Londoner though is that despite all of these amazing achievements, she's still under-rated by many and even unknown to some... When someone answers the 'favourite rapper from the UK?' question... The average fan will name off the J Hus's, the Skepta's, the Stormzy's, perhaps even the Stefflon Don's if you ask a woman... I've told numerous people that Little Simz is currently my favourite rapper and the regular reply I recieve is 'Who's that?'. All I can say to this is that the real ones know and if you class yourself as a real one then get involved.

One of Little Simz's standout characteristics as an artist is her tireless work rate. From 2013 to 2016, she released at least one project annually whether it be a mixtape, an EP or an album. So the fact that Grey Area is her first release in roughly 3 years leads me to think that she put a lot of thought into this project.

'I said it with my chest and I don't care who I offend'  Offence

The quote above is the chorus to the opening track and alerts the listener what to expect for the duration of this 35 minute ride... honesty. 

Despite being just over a half hour, this is more than enough for Little Simz to display her array of artistic attributes. Over the 10 tracks, she gives us a multitude of different flows; rhyme schemes; lyrical content as well as the thoughts and emotions she's withheld since Stillness In Wonderland. 

Sonically, Little Simz's music though primarily hip-hop has always been diverse. This is evident from the amount of artists from various genres she has worked with. This album is no exception. Produced almost entirely by Inflo, there's elements of rock music, jazz, soul and lots more. No feature on this album went to waste or felt like a coerced collaboration. Every artist be it Chronixx or Michael Kiwanuka brought their own flava to the tracks and enhanced songs that were already live.  

Covering topics such as gun crime on Wounds; her teenage years on 101 FM; her remembrance of slain legends on Flowers; lamenting over a broken relationship on Sherbet Sunset; as well as the boastful Boss which would of course be a given if you spit bars.

Little Simz unapologetically raps about life and life isn't always black and white... hence the title grey area.

3 albums in (maybe 4 if you count E.D.G.E), this could very well be Little Simz's best body of work and is definitely a shout for album of the year. I'll give this a 9. 

FAVES

Beat- Selfish

Verse- Sherbet Sunset Verse 1

Feature- Chronixx

Song- Wounds

AJ TRACEY- AJ TRACEY REVIEW

'Any riddim, any vibe, I'll adapt to.' AJ Tracey, Doing It

Originally viewed as a Grime MC, I initially became aware of the Ladbroke Grove spitter on his track with Dave titled Thiago Silva (which samples the legendary grime riddim Pied Piper. A tune that was on everyone's Nokia 7600 and 6230 back in the early 2000s). AJ Tracey did however state in a 2016 interview with Fader that he wanted to make all types of music. Fast forward three years, as shown in above quote, he has stuck true to his word.

Saying you can do something is one thing, actually 'doing it' is another. So how does the Trini from the lane fare in this endeavour? 

The first four tunes (starting with Plan B) of this 15-track album kicks off with a relatively laid-back vibe. In stark contrast to the last four songs (ending with Triple S) which has a way more aggressive, hi-octane feel to it. In between sees the West Londoner dabbling in different genres... And yes I believe AJ does a great job in adapting his artistry. In my view, this is one of the main selling points of his self-titled debut.

 Other than hip-hop (both UK and US sounding), he displays his verbal versatility on grime (Horror Flick), soca... sort of (Butterflies), garage (Ladbroke Grove, which the older generation will appreciate for sure) and the most interesting experiment being Country Star which sounds like a country/UK drill hybrid.

  Like a chameleon's ability to change colour to adapt, AJ uses a flurry of different flows throughout the 48 minute listen to adapt to different genres.

One thing I've noticed is that AJ's hooks as well as pre-choruses tend to be very lengthy and can often be longer than the verses. Lyrically, he definitely has technical ability but I think AJ was aspiring for commercial success with this offering hence the long choruses and the predominantly radio-friendly production. I also predict Horror Flick to be a single released in late October. This album did enter the charts at #3 so clearly he did something right.

Not sure if he was being serious or not but AJ Tracey said in his interview with Julie Adenuga that he had a goat on the album cover to symbolise that he's the G.O.A.T ...

... IMO to be a G.O.A.T. , you need at least one classic album... 

Is this is a classic? No...  For what it is... it's a decent album overall. You'll like it if you're into like... 'mainstream rap'... If you're looking for something gritty and raw... you won't really find it here... AJ Tracey's very versatile though as well as talented and I predict he'll be active for many years. Within that time he may fulfil his GOAT aspirations.

I'll give this a 7/10.

FAVES

Verse- Nothing But Net

Feature- Giggs (Nothing But Net)

Song- Ladbroke Grove

Beat- Triple S

DREEZY- BIG DREEZ REVIEW

In recent years, the notorious city of Chicago has been best known as the birthplace of the menacing sub-genre known as Drill music. In spite of this; Dreezy is another young, talented, non-drill spitter (along with Chance The Rapper, Mick Jenkins, Saba and fellow female rapper Noname) to represent The Windy City.

Out of all the ladies signed to a major label, I feel Dreezy has the potential to rival the likes of New Yorkers Nicki and Cardi on a commercial level and definitely surpass them on a musical level. Dreezy released her debut album No Hard Feelings in 2016 and she's collaborated with big names such as Gucci Mane, Wale and T-Pain. I however first became aware of the soon to be 25 year old on Smino's sophomore album NOIR where she impressed with her freaky verse on FENTY SEX (one of the standout tracks from the 2018 release). So when I found out that Dreezy dropped a new 10-track project, you know I had to check that out.  

With the likes of London On The Track and Southside supplying beats, the production is lively from start to finish and matches her energetic, entertaining flows. The Pi'erre Bourne-produced Chanel Slides in my opinion, is a strong contender for hardest beat of 2019. The chimes, the bass and the drip script from Big Dreez and Kash Doll had me playing this on repeat. Dreezy for sheezy has mic skeezys (sorry, I won't do that again) and I was particularly impressed with her use of internal and multi-syllabic rhyming on the opener Chicken Noodle Soup where she boasts 

Pull in Neiman Marcus right before I spark it
Let the valet park it then I hit Chanel
LA regardless, all my haters garbage
And they shop at Target or they findin' sales
I'm the new wave, fuck what you say
Got the cross on me like D'usse
I keep a nigga with the deuce-deuce
Every hundred on me got a blue face
Bring the AC with the AP
The type of bitch a nigga can't keep  

Dreezy showcases her versatility on songs such as the raunchy Showin Out and Ecstacy where she substitutes her bad-b bravado bars for some singing though the latter track probably could have done without the Jeremih feature. 

The album's content focusses mainly on superficial topics and Dreezy excels in that department but her track with the self-styled 'king of rnb' Jacquees titled Love Someone gives the listeners a sweet taster of her more vulnerable side-

Heartbreak might be the worst pain I ever felt

And I can't blame nobody but myself

I was tryna turn a jack to a king, 

had to play what I was dealt

I can already imagine the 'I felt that' tweets... 

*OK I just checked, there's actually a few LOOOL* 

...The 2nd verse is also a standout on the album.

Judging the album on what it is, I think it's a solid release and I look forward to hearing more. I predict a bright future for the Chi-town lady. I give it a 7/10.

FAVES

Verse- Chicken Noodle Soup

Beat- Chanel Slides

Feature- Kash Doll (Chanel Slides)

Song- Take a wild guess... Chanel Slides

FREDO- THIRD AVENUE REVIEW

*DISCLAIMER- WRITTEN IN FEBRUARY*



The West London trapper turned rapper has enjoyed a fair amount of success in his short career. He already has a number one hit under his Louis Vuitton belt after featuring on Dave's Funky Friday. His debut LP Third Avenue dropped at the beginning of February and landed at #5 in the national charts. He will also be touring major cities in Europe in a few months to promote his album. His progression has been more impressive taken into account his previous brushes with the law, a setback which could sidetrack many.

Hailing from the notorious Mozart Estate, the former Harrods enthusiast's lyrical content covers what most would expect. The opening bars to the very first track Survival Of The Fittest (a standout track) goes 

Survival of the Fittest

Man I'm coming from that jungle
So you can say I'm riding with gorillas
What I'm writing is the realist
This rapping really saved me
I was tired of the whipping
Balenciaga's cute, and so I buy them for the missus
If he's got the belly, Billy's tying up your nigga
And if he ain't be payin', you can find him in a river
I'm grinding in the winter
This coat costs me two stacks, so I ain't gonna shiver

This excerpt alone gives you a taste of the hood talk, the trapper talk, the playa talk, the gangsta talk as well as the baller talk and this is what the 13 track project primarily focusses on. So if you're into that, you'll be satisfied.

With this being said, Fredo shows his introspective side towards the end of the album. In my personal opinion, it's the songs like They Don't, Love You For That (a letter of appreciation to his mother) and Third Avenue (where he speaks about his younger years in Mozart Estate) that are among the standout tracks.

Lyrically, There's no denying Fredo's mic skills and he doesn't disappoint with his consistent displays of dope wordplay.

Production-wise?...I was feelin They Don't, Survival Of The Fittest and a few others but I wasn't a huge fan of the beats overall. Then again I've never been keen on 'UK Road Rap' beats anyway. I feel it's aimed more at the younger generation so if you're part of that demographic, you might like it.

To summarise, if you're into UK 'road rap' then check that out. Fredo was spittin' hard all the way through. I don't think fans of the artist or sub-genre will be disappointed.

I'll give it a 6 out of 10.  

FAVES

BEAT- They Don't

VERSE- Survival Of The Fittest

FEATURE- Dave (All I Ever Wanted)

TRACK-  Survival Of The Fittest