rap/hip-hop
News: New permanent mural in Brixton pays homage to lost rapper Ty
Here at Backseat Mafia we were upset when we heard that London rapper Ty had died, a man we had written about quite a bit on the site, and interviewed as well. So we were delighted to receive the news that there is a new permanent Brixton mural pay homage to himafter he passed away …
Track: John Dole – Collective Thoughts
Mixing up hip-hop and smooth R&B beats, John Dole is becoming a real player in the North East hip-hop scene and beyond. The Newcastle MC describes his sound as ‘alternative rap’, and there’s certainly a sense of that in his new single ‘Collective Thoughts’. Wonky synths and and warm R&B descending lines open the show …
Track: Boardgame James – Daydream EP
Boardgame James has announced the release of his debut, ‘Daydream’, a four-track EP of string-led instrumental grime released via 1000Doors on May 1. Part of grime’s great radio resurgence in 2015 as one half of Handsome Boys with Moleskin, Boardgame James offers up four tracks from the vault, developed and reworked to form his debut EP. …
Track: Thundercat – Fair Chance
Thundercat has released a new track, ‘Fair Chance’, taken from his forthcoming album ‘It is what it is’, out on Brainfeeder on April 3rd. It’s produced by Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar / TDE) and features Ty Dolla $ign and Lil B. “This song is about Mac… when he passed it shook the ground for the artist …
See: Apollo Brown releases new video for 365
Taken from Apollo Brown’s ‘Sincerely, Dertroit’ album, which brought together over 50 artists from the area to make a true celebration of motor city, ‘365’, featuring Ro Spit, NameTag & Ty Farris is this warm, laid back cut, dripping in old soul, as all the participants trade rhymes and verses, focusing on their roles/lives within …
Track: TTY – Buttercream
TTY are our sort of band. Ahead of the release of their EP this coming Friday on the ever brilliant Young Turks label, they’ve shared a track, Buttercream. But it goes way beyond that. As the label say: They definitely slept in the Young Turks studio for about 18 months. They would emerge from the …
See: Pauli the PSM reveals new video for Buss Case
Sometime Sampha drummer and rapper/producer has released a new video for the track Buss Case. It’s accompanied by a new video that sees Pauli as an astronaut out in space – something of a dream come true for the space head who says “I believe the artist and the astronaut aren’t too dissimilar – we both …
See: Taze releases video for Head Shoulders
Even if I met him, I wouldn’t mess with Taze. The drill rapper has released a new video to go with recent single ‘Head Shoulders’, and ticks the boxes to make some big waves, with moody production (Prynce Mini on those duties), the odd gunshot sound to keep the listener straight along with some sprawling …
Video: Siimba Selassiie releases new visuals for Bes’Mam
Following on from his acclaimed videos for Hooked and Bad for the Soul, Eithiopian-American rapper Siimba Selassiie (formerly known as Siimba Liives Long) has released a new Nick Von Gremp directed video for his track Bes’Mam. The track features this repeating pattern, full of bass, piano and these warm vocal harmonies. Over the top Siimba …
Album Review: Loyle Carner – Not Waving, But Drowning
We saw with London rapper Benjamin Coyle-Larner, aka Loyle Carner’s first album Yesterday’s Gone that he was something different. Rejecting, or at least choosing to ignore the usual spoutings of bravado and boasting expected in a rappers armoury. Instead introduced us to his heart, firmly on his sleeve, his mother reading out poems extolling the …