Previously known as G Mula, Yxng Bane hails from Custom House, East London. His mixtape Full Moon was a success, he can both sing and spit bars. This accompanied with the new penchant in the UK for afro-bashment or afro-swing as some publications are calling it (not feeling this afro-swing title but whatever), means he is rising in popularity.
If you haven’t heard Fine Wine, where the hell have you been? This guy is killing it.
Ed Sheeran’s shape of you is catchy af. What do we expect? He does the damn ting every single time. Yxng Bane’s remix is the only version I can listen to now though. Big ups. Here is my tune of the week.
Listen here and get ready to catch a pre valentines-wine.
The documentary below also discusses a bit of the story behind Yxng and his first mixtape/EP
I honestly cannot stop listening to this. The feel good tune by Runtown called Mad Over You is everything. Afrobeats make me feel so happy. Positivity and vibes for everyone.
If you weren’t mad over someone before, you will be now 😍
Jamila Jones voice is flawless on this track and Kojo shells it down proving he can be your black Romeo. Fire mix of dancehall and afrobeats. Nice sample from Sean Paul and Keshia Cole give it up to me. I love it.
Not everyday gang gang and trap sometimes whine and bubble.
One thing that is apparent with this album is the quality of the lyrical content. Wiley is not playing games. A pioneer of grime he sets the bar for his bars – literally.
For a sick review of Godfather by Jesse Bernard for Complex click here it’s pretty accurate.
And here is my homie Ian McQuaid in an exclusive interview with Wiley talking about the future of Grime, his legacy and being blocked on twitter by the legend himself.
In November I saw Wiley perform in Manchester at the Warehouse Project and I’ve copped tickets to see him at the Roundhouse on February 9th for the Godfather Show. If you haven’t done so already get on it. Go on then go on then. It will be blessings on blessings.
Here are some of my favourite bars from each track. Lyrics for lyrics calm.
Birds n Bars
“Most of my gyal dem are cool but some of them are divas”
“Man get weak off a gyal like Julius Caesar”
“I’m like Nike, I do it, I come through with a swoosh”
“You’re plain and I’m the loaded nachos
I played the game for long on my cash flows”
Bring Them All
“I’m nang and I know it
Pass me the mic, I’ll show it”
“If I wanna bring 25 MCs out
I’ll bring them all”
“Wanna talk grime? Then I’m still the one
All of the doubt, that’s gone
Why? Because I’m the lyrical don”
Bring Them All/Holy Grime feat Devlin
I posted about his track in October Ngl one of the hardest opening lines to a track
“Drink ‘nough beers before the game, what d’ya call that? Georgie Best MC, Listen, I don’t rest MC, You man sleep, that’s why you’re not the best MC, You man are part time, never had beef, Now you’re on the mic like a bulletproof vest MC, I’m a double, precious Tek MC”
“Come sailin’ along like a boss
With the flow I’m like rah, what the ras?”
Name Brand feat JME, Frisco & J2K
The features on this are mad. The instrumental is grimey af reminiscient of nokia days.
“That’s the gameplan The thug dem rate man The gyal dem rate man
Frisco’s a name brand
And where I come from, the police all hate man
Haters hate cuh they ain’t man”
“Is that cool? Well, that’s swell
Do you feel me? Well, that’s braille
I’m like a high street store to the gyal dem
Who can’t keep their hands off the name brand sales”
Speakerbox
Yo, hear me on the sets ’cause I grace ’em
Me and Dizzee made it an occupation
Came from a council estate, I know ’em all, you can name ’em
I was outside in the cold it was rainin’
Standin’ on stairs chattin’ shit about the pagans
Nuttin’ don’t phase us, nuttin’ don’t phase ’em
You got a top boy on your side? Nobody rates him
Skepta comes in on the outro:“There’s no point in sayin’ these numbers to us anymore because we’ve seen them, yeah. So now everyone’s head’s on puttin’ this thing on the map in a way that all the kids of today never have to go through what we went through”
Back With A Banger
“Backstage chillin’ in the dance with my dargs dem
None of them are fake, you can ask them
People who are lookin’ a hype, I walk past ’em
Dons could be richer or poor, I won’t class ’em
Dons could be ready for war, my bars spark ’em
My sound travels the seas, that’s why I part ’em”
Joe Bloggs feat Newham Generals & President T
“Oi, remember when Sharon Stone opened a leg, Man are old school like Bill and Ted” – D Double
“Man ah man are old school, two strap FILA” – Footsie
“When I was a kid, I went so many house raves
Somebody always came through with the leng”
Pattern Up Properly feat Flowdan & Jamakabi
“My darg, remember your manners
Cuh mi nuh tek tough talk, rise every cannon
Slap one out of the rooftop
We mek dem scatter when they say they wanna group up
Bumbahole dead, tell a man move up
Alright then, shut down, shop and then roll out” – Flowdan
“I’m a lyrical phenomenon
When I’m on the riddim, ain’t nobody badder than this
I’m honey, lemon and overproof rum
You’re just a likkle Lemsip”– Jamakabi
Can’t Go Wrong
“I used to go and get what I’m given, Now I go and get what I’m worth”
“What’s gwaning? What’s the motion? Fresh out the oven like a Sunday roast”
Bang feat Ghetts
“Culture vultures, they owe us, Oh, now they know us?” – Ghetts
“If I send for an MC, Then man better reply tonight, not a week late, If a man can’t move on from the war, Right after it, bro, that’s a weak trait”
U Were Always Pt 2 feat Skepta & Belly
“Told me that you were at home sleepin‘ (liar!)” – Skepta LOL
“All the fights and the hype got a G stressed out but I can’t lose sleep, But this time I know that’s it’s over, bare more tings in the sea” – Belly
On this
I’ve shown you already what a string of luck brings
Don’t matter about your upbringin’”
“Top grime dons are the livest
All the fans come through and decide this
History’s written, I ain’t gotta rewrite it
Man are the elite, bro, we ain’t gotta hide it”
“Got a way with the words, haters wanna rain on my turf
‘Til I take ’em away in a hearse” – Ice Kid
Bait Face feat Scratchy
“I walk in the place like, “Everybody’s better than me
Hmm, sike”, yeah, that’s hype”
My Direction feat Lethal Bizzle
“Yo, my name’s Wiley, I’m grimy
I’m too shiesty, you won’t get beside me”
Like It Or Not feat Breeze
“Like it or not, I was at the start
You was sayin’, “Stop dat”, we was in the dance”
“Man are on the street with MACs, knives and Glocks
And dons gettin’ ran down, chased round blocks
Dons gettin’ skied by multiple shots
Dons gettin’ kidnapped, dons gettin’ robbed
That’s why I tell a don, “Just go get a job”
Lucid
“All these days in a month
Tryna get everythin’ done
When I try do too much
I don’t get anythin’ done”
“I wanna see my genre where it belongs
It’s gettin’ bigger, are you hearin’ the songs”
Laptop
“Let me tell you how man got here, Started off with the cracked software,
All them plugins made man”
P Money feat P Money
“I tell a don it ain’t funny
That’s why I practice, so I stay on point like P Money”
“First ten years, G, I was on a block hype
Some MCs are alike but I’m not like”
“None of them, and I’ve had wars with a ton of ’em
Nobody’s ever gonna do what we done again”
If you were feeling Belly Squad – Banana then 2017 presents the remix featuring Abra Cadabra, Young T, Bugsey, Timbo and the late Showkey (RIP).
Apart from the fact Belly Squad are a madness bringing you straight wahala, anything with Abra is a jeez yes please. Expecting big things from these guys this year. I beg 2017 comes through with more of the Afro/UK Rap that is blessing my ears. The waviness is too much.
This is the first that I have heard of Shaun White but he has been around behind the scenes for a while now. He has worked with 50 Cent, Giggs, Skepta and more. He hails from South East London (yes yes). “Watch ya girl” is certy. Dancehall/reggae vibes. You will undoubtedly reload the ting several times. It’s super vibey and taken from his forthcoming album “Undiscovered”. I have a feeling he won’t remain undiscovered for long. The second track off his album “Like this” is soon to drop and features Giggs. I’ll be keeping an ear out for future releases in 2017. I’ll be jackin this tune over Christmas and New Year.
The hook is catchy af. “I gotta learn to forget, even when they burn through bridge, I’ve got a hell of a pride and one ego and demons I deal with – Donae’O
Donae’O second studio album Grey Area is due in March 2017. I expect bangers to accompany the gun fingers and skank.
“Black” sees a collab with Donae’O, JME and Dizzee. It’s a sick tune with a sick flow and everyone’s verses goes hard. The video is sick, JME looks too gully and of course all the manna wear black.
I’m a black male so you can’t blackmail me – JME
Always happy to see more of Dizzee. After seeing him perform Boy in da Corner live I am gassed to hear him spit dat new new grime. “I wear black cuz I’m lazy, I wear black cuz I’m shady. I wore black on the creep with your lady” – Dizzee takes it away for me on this tune.
Watch here.
Big ups to Annie Mac as always. If you missed this tune the first time around like me don’t worry. Donae’o bringing the Afrobeats vibe as always over a grimey af beat.
MANNA WEAR MANNA WEAR BLACK
Ghetts comes through on the final verse out of nowhere, unexpectedly. His verse is hard and flow on point. “I spend most of my days in deep thought mode cah a man try to dead me” Jheeez.
You are too fine. Tudo bem. Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Lisbon. The music was incredible. I had two nights that showcased the best of Lisbon. The Brazilian and African influenced sound mixed with electronic music blew my mind. Before I came to visit I happened across the Boiler Room Stay True series, which covered specifically Lisbon, Portugal.
My level of expectation for Portugese music had up until this point been Sango. Sango is the greatest so my expectations were pretty high. I came to Lisbon excited for the goodness that was inevitably about to happen.
If you want to know more about the music scene in Lisbon please check out the Boiler Room recommendations/documentary below.
I met some wonderful people from all over the world and this song is my highlight of the weekend. Enjoy. Gasso tell em fi gwarn.
O JEITA DELAAAA
For some context, Boiler room mentioned:
Branko and Batida: Sounds Of The City
Two names that are synonymous with the underground music scene in Portugal — Branko and Batida hooked up while Boiler Room were in town to collaborate for the first time ever. An ode to their home city, “Eletrico 15” builds on field recordings collected during a day spent in Lisbon together.
Listen here.
Also, check out below.
The Lisbon Takeover: Three-Part Documentary Series
Eager to capture both sides of Portugal’s musical culture, Boiler Room travelled to Lisbon’s bordering ghettos to meet the people behind the music.
Sit back and enjoy their three-part documentary series exploring the cultures, traditions and innovations that are bubbling up in the city’s suburbs. A treat for the eyes.
Pt. I — From Lisbon to the World
We celebrate Lisbon’s diversity with the people that know it best. Watch as we tell the story of how its former slums brought Africa and Europe together to create a sound that couldn’t have existed anywhere else.
Pt. II — Hard Ass Roots
In this second leg, we dig deeper into the roots of Lisbon’s street culture, and find out how those early footsteps provide foundations for the present and future.
Pt. III — Principe and the Lisbon Takeover
Principe — Lisbon’s latest musical poster boys — introduce us to their world of high-octane, limb-shaking electronica. Follow some of the family as they talk about their vision to disseminate the city’s sound to the globe.
This song is unbelievable. Jack Marzilla based in LA but NY born and raised makes a point to encourage “Vibes, Energy and Positivity.” This song encompasses all of that. His voice is smooth and the beat is incredibly vibey. I dare anyone to listen to this and not shake a leg.
His EP “Over You” released in May reflects how one can experience multiple emotions while dealing with someone who you think is best for you, but in reality is toxic to your overall happiness. This causes us to act, feel, think and do things that we normally wouldn’t. “Over You” is a cause and effect of those decisions.
If you have someone in your life that you are particularly feeling – this tune demonstrates the ting. I imagine this is already being played in every shisha place ouchea. It brings some tropical goodness into your life in these cold ass times. The production is lit and the ad libs are on point. Overall 10/10 I have played this song on repeat for the past 2 weeks and am not even a little bit tired of it.
Whatever “Ocean Motion” is – I am about it. I look forward to seeing what 2017 has in store for him.
