If you were to put a variety of different music fans into one room and then mention the name Slowthai, the room would more than likely divide. It’s the quirkiness, peculiar fashion taste, and hip-hop and punk influence of the Northampton rapper that has caught his fan’s attention, but for Slowthai’s haters, it’s his NME Awards performance that caught theirs.
If you imagined someone receiving an award titled ‘Hero of the year’, you would picture them as someone humble and respectful. However, exactly one year ago today (Feb. 12) at the NME Awards in London, Slowthai received the award, but his behaviour didn’t make him a hero at all.
To Katherine Ryan, the presenter and comedian, Slowthai made suggestive comments, and the audience members screamed that Slowthai was a misogynist. The rapper was then seen throwing his cigarette and his microphone into the audience, and to get closer, Slowthai jumped off the stage and into the crowd. Ultimately, Slowthai’s appearance was cancelled, only for him to leave and find out that he was cancelled online too. Being a noisy character who is not afraid to speak his mind, Slowthai has always been in his own lane, but it was clear that his antics at the NME awards crossed the line. On Twitter the next day, Slowthai apologised and asked NME to give Ryan his award. The pandemic then struck, and Slowthai hid from the world.
Fast-forward to February 12th, 2021, Slowthai has dropped his sophomore album, TYRON, the follow-up to his UK top 10, Mercury-nominated debut album, ‘Nothing Great About Britain.‘ The 26-year-old artist has reflected on his past mistakes throughout the 14-track album with his head held high. The album is divided into two, enabling you to get to know the rapper from the more energetic, loud side that people know and love, to the more vulnerable and emotional side that people have yet to know.
So far, we’ve enjoyed several songs from TYRON, including ‘Feel Away‘ featuring James Blake and Mount Kimbie. The smooth single reflects on some rather mature subjects, as it discusses the doubts we all have. Whether it’s inside friendships, within relationships or families, and having to try to put yourself in the shoes of the other person. In a more laid-back manner, Slowthai offers his hard-hitting lyrics, as James Blake’s effortless vocals intertwine over the instrumental produced by Mount Kimbie.
During a time when the NHS has been our hero, the title of Slowthai’s raw single ‘nhs’ explains itself, and the single that dropped earlier this year gave fans an inkling into what they could expect from the forthcoming album. During the pandemic, many people’s mental health has been seriously affected, and lockdowns have made people feel like a completely different person. Slowthai sets aside his loud nature for a more heartwarming moment, and the message on ‘nhs’ is beautiful. It’s to express the gratitude for what we have in life, while we have it, and to not take anything for granted. On ‘nhs’, Slowthai shows us that he too is battling with the person he once was and the person he is now.
Joining Slowthai to enhance his more chaotic, rap persona is Grime legend Skepta, on the fiery single ‘CANCELED’. At many points of his career, Skepta has proven himself a pioneer, and Slowthai manages to match his energy perfectly. ‘CANCELED’ features some thought-provoking and powerful lyrics from both artists. The accompanying visuals refer to iconic horror movies such as American Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, Candyman, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It will be scary how much you will enjoy the high-end music video, it even features a hilarious tribute to the “Whassup?” Budweiser ads from years ago. The video finds Slowthai and Skepta addressing the process of tearing people apart, and the fiery single also touches on the moment when Slowthai was almost cancelled at last year’s NME Awards event. However, Slowthai leaves it to Skepta, despite his confidence, to tell us how he really felt about the incident: “How you gonna cancel me?/ 20 awards on the mantelpiece.”
‘I tried‘ has a nostalgic R&B vibe to it, making it sound like Slowthai is wiser beyond his years. On the other side of the spectrum is ‘VEX‘, the fast-paced single where Slowthai brings his introspective lyricism to the forefront.
As it was mainly written in lockdown, TYRON was clearly an outlet for the rapper. Overall, Slowthai has let us get to know him on a deeper level throughout his brand-new album, admitting to his mistakes and flaws, proving that he has not only grown as an artist but as a person too. Listening through the whole of TYRON may even possibly make you change your opinion on the rapper, but either way, there’s no denying his talent.