Northampton-raised, British rapper slowthai released his second studio album TYRON last week after heavy promotion, leading to a number one debut on the U.K. charts. Four singles preceded the LP, each accompanied by music videos that garnered at least one million views on YouTube apiece. The album is clearly split into two “discs,” the first more grime-influenced and stylized in all caps, and the last more soulful and honest, stylized in all lower-case (no cap). For a man who often speaks of his crime-ridden past and gritty upbringing, he shares intimate and emotional thoughts with the world, describing his struggle with ADHD and opening up conversation regarding the two sides he sees in all humans, our public persona versus our true selves. I have been a fan of slowthai since his debut was released, but was not too big on him until I watched his Apple Music interview with Julie Adenuga, in which he appeared very friendly, thoughtful, and mature. Slowthai may not be for everyone, an artist known for his rough instrumentals and raw, politically charged lyrics along with high-pitched vocal inflections, but his wonderful personality and thought-provoking material cannot be ignored. Slowthai has announced he is working on a deluxe version of TYRON, named after his given first name, containing unreleased tracks which his fans can look forward to.
“CANCELLED”
Will: After a drunk appearance in which slowthai made playful but questionable comments to a female reporter at an awards show (he ironically won “Hero of the Year”), slowthai fell into a deep depression. Fellow British grime rapper Skepta helped him to his feet, and the song “Cancelled” resulted from those conversations. Skepta occupies a majority of the song, which was accompanied by a horror-influenced music video. The video references Scary Movie’s classic “Wazzup,” Christian Bale’s iconic face peel from his eerie performance in American Pyscho, the striped sweater of Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman’s long coat and hook, Leatherface’s wild chainsaw swinging in Texas Chainsaw Massacre and finally the jumpsuits from Us. Slowthai’s verse comes across as rockstar-like, violently attacking all award shows while Skepta lists his many accolades while posing the question, “How you gonna cancel me?” I enjoyed the thoughtfulness gone into this track and video, and I wish more artists could do the same.
David: The music video that Will mentions fits beautifully with energy radiated from this track. It starts out nice and peaceful with a flute instrumental, then suddenly turns to a frightening, heavy bass instrumental. There are bells playing in this part of the song as well, but they sound distant and intentionally off-putting. This uncanny sound that the artists are attempting to create makes for a true hard-hitting banger with a great message. I had not known about the instance of slowthai getting canceled before Will mentioned it in his section, but I am glad that he and Skepta have made this their public statement regarding their thoughts on cancel culture. It may be a little aggressive considering Skepta continuously mentions killing the “cult” that is trying to cancel him on the chorus, but overall I think they portray a great message about not having to care what others think of them.
“MAZZA”
Will: Another track with a major rapper accompanied by an extremely well-produced music video, “MAZZA” channels the acid trip experiences of both artists as they appear in separate brightly-colored rooms. Slowthai makes up the majority of this record, but Harlem’s very own A$AP Rocky sends in quite possibly the best verse of the entire album as he seems to slide across tongue-twisting bars effortlessly, concluding his piece with a classic transition “slowthai, here your part go” as the hook comes back in. “MAZZA” refers to “Mazzalean” or “Mazzaleen”, British slang referring to something “mad” or “crazy” and a word slowthai has incorrectly attributed as his own invention. Slowthai’s somewhat squeaky sound and unique word choice makes him a love-or-hate type of artist, and “Mazza” does nothing to change this narrative. Fortunately, I love slowthai.
David: Wow, it is so nice to finally hear A$AP Rocky again. His confidence on the track is as prevalent as ever as he flows over the bouncy production. He has this one bar where he says “New York like I’m Pop Smoke” as if he is not from New York himself which I found funny, but also interesting. He may be referencing that people today are starting to think of Brooklyn drill music when they think of New York artists now instead of the class A$AP Mob that Rocky is a part of, or Joey Bada$$’ Pro Era. The chorus on this one is also insanely addicting as slowthai has such a fun tone. It is hard to describe, but the way he pronounces “Mazzalean” and “murder” specifically is just so pleasing to the ear.
“terms”
Will: On “terms,” slowthai leans on previous collaborators Kenny Beats, JD. Reid and Denzel Curry, along with Florida singer Dominic Fike. Dom’s catchy hook references the misunderstanding of his words as a public figure, alluding to the downsides of fame that slowthai spoke out against in “CANCELLED.” The only thing that could have made this song better was a bit more Denzel, whose part was only a small bridge and barely recognizable to listeners as him. Slowthai’s verses shine, relating to many people who feel as if they are stuck in a cycle of drug and alcohol abuse with no clear purpose. When you first listen to slowthai, it is difficult to grasp the concepts he alludes to, especially with his unique delivery, slang, and British accent. I loved this song as it contained both substance and general appeal to those who may have not understood that substance. Can slowthai miss?
David: In the music video for “CANCELLED”, the prelude to the actual songs entails slowthai talking to someone who appears totally disinterested. He is talking about TYRON and “CANCELLED” specifically when he says “I think his undisputed masterpiece is ‘CANCELLED’, it’s so catchy, but most people probably don’t listen to the lyrics.” That concept is something that rappers battle all the time as listeners today are far more concerned with a pleasing sound than they are with a genuine message. Slowthai is able to deliver both, but he hates that his meaningful lyrics go over the heads of his fans sometimes. I noticed that “terms” was one specific track on this record, along with “CANCELLED” of course, that had great lyrical substance. Dominic Fike certainly delivers on the chorus with his angelic voice on this beat that sort of reminds me of “What They Want” by Russ for some reason. I love slowthai’s verses on this cut because he takes about very relatable content. As Will mentioned, he talks about the repetitive nature of his life, which I would imagine is due in part to COVID. Instead of boasting about how he never received a formal education and is living an awesome life, he is letting everyone know that he is unwell and finds himself smoking his pain away daily. The message here is quite somber, which is a really cool juxtaposition from the first section of the album.
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