Having had my head buried in Welsh Hip-hop and Grime (and anything in-between) over the last few years with Larynx Entertainment, the rise in its prominence, its popularity and its recognition has been incredible to witness. I consider myself late to the party almost when it comes to knowing its ins and outs and its origins and do my best to brush up on my knowledge of the art form in Wales. For the most part though, the crop of artists, producers, platforms and organizations that currently operate across Wales have made right now the time to get invested in what is happening in the country!
The momentum from 2021 is most certainly being carried over, as the start of the year has already provided us with significant news and music. The latter comes in the form of several new projects, including ‘Southside Story’ from Swansea duo Marino and SnowFTS. A crowning moment for Welsh Drill, the pair ramped the anticipation up for this just before Christmas with videos for ‘Not My Fault’ and ‘100 Days’ and it hasn’t disappointed. A start to finish one this, with a personal highlight being ‘My Blood, My Genes’ because when isn’t spitting bilingual bars impressive?
Marino X Snow FTS – Not My Fault
At a whopping 27 tracks long, KJ’s second LP ‘27’ isn’t one that you are going to digest on your morning commute, however, it’s certainly worth taking time out of your day to check out. Some solid work conceptually and the Barry based rapper’s technical ability shines throughout this record’s duration.
Other projects that dropped include Bard Picasso’s Joe Blow and Mr Substance with ‘Born Leader’, a follow up to their first collaborative effort ‘Alpha Ego’ (As of writing they have also released the final part of their trilogy in the form of ‘Lone Survivor’). M.Yesekaon, a new face to me from Colwyn Bay, also released the EP ‘TAPE 3//Deja Vu’. He’s kicked off his year with multiple bits of content and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he accomplishes throughout 2022.
Kaptin talked highly about BOYO throughout his time writing these articles and I share his sentiments. His latest ‘Fuming’ is every bit as enjoyable as his previous tracks, with one of the most unique and distinctive voices in all of Hip-Hop in Wales, one I’m hoping we get to hear live at some point this year.
Continuing with the unique, Luke RV returned with a brand new video for ‘stop spoiling everything’. Whilst it hasn’t been too long since his previous outing ‘Travel Pack’ was released, this once again feels like an artist evolving and progressing into something new as Luke has done pretty much since he appeared. Conrad Stone is at the helm of production on this one providing an almost triumphant fanfare to Luke’s quotables. Expect another solid year from one of Wales’ most original and freshest acts.
Bringing an end to this recap, new singles from Deyah, Blue City, Danny Ed and more add to a stacked batch of releases from across the country, all of which you can find in our JANUARY 2022 Spotify playlist (always feel free to send me a message via social media if your track is missing). As of right now, it feels like hip-hop and grime in Wales is not only shedding the stigma that I believe surrounds it at times, but it is also cementing itself as a staple of welsh music itself. And that means that there are very exciting times ahead.
