SLEW steps up with his own version of Playboi Carti's 'Evil Jordan'

Stood alongside kwes e, fakemink, Kibo; Jawnino and countless others, SLEW is yet another exciting voice contributing to the shared goal of new expressive potential. Punctuated by a sinister lead that would fit into the Witch House/EDM experiments of the early 2010s, and anchored by a cascading drum section that has mangled all the usual trap signifiers; SLEW ruminates on the circuitous nature of newfound fame in the music industry.

Referencing his British heritage, and dedication to the artform alongside his appreciation of designer goods; the confidence in his performance adds further weight to the matters of his heart. Hinting at the complexity of British nationality, that love and hate dynamic, SLEW portrays a monarchism I can get behind; "I’m on the drive and I can't look back/They move like they're driving drunk/English boy and I’m doing my thing/ I love the queen in lumps." With a flow that sounds vaguely familiar yet idiosyncratic, SLEW cuts through this gothic Playboi Carti instrumental with the ease of a Boy Better Know MC. But this isn't Ace Hood Flow. I felt for a long time that with the prominence of grime and other high-tempo genres, British MC's are blessed with a strong sensibility to flow on just about any beat that comes their way and SLEW showcases this with ease and poise, whilst also heralding something of a new British canon.

The parallels are front and centre on this track, as Carti’s latest project re-contextualised early Atlanta mixtape culture through a more foreboding lens. The grainy music video with a luminescent red sheen points back to the early rap and grime freestyles that were shared via infrared and Bluetooth, but something is different here. Quietly resonating away from the bright lights emitted by Skepta, Lil Simz, Dave and Central Cee; there's a blossoming of great musical voices. This new generation blends a distinctive collage of global influences whilst also revisiting early 2010s production staples. Seemingly unrelated but aware of one another, this isn't necessarily a genre, movement or even a subculture but disparate artists whose musical influences aren't confined to a genre, period or location but rather liberated by the internet. This is what philosophers have named the digital age. With the advent of technology and archiving, we've seemingly broken out of the chronology of time (analogue age), and can now exist in periods that feature time capsules from disparate eras all existing concurrently. Look at fashion, for instance, you can pair your mum’s band tee from the 80s with some crumbling Levis from the 70s all tied together with a pair of SS24 Roa Hiking boots. 

In this increasingly connected digital world, the significance of nationality and its cultural currency are both held in high regard yet also victim to erasure. This could be due to the age-old aspirations of the American crossover, yet I believe these new artists don't hold those old hopes in the same light. Due to this, it is always refreshing to hear a production that isn't distinctly reminiscent of Britain’s musical canon but still accented with an uncanny British accent.