QUICKSPINS: slowthai – TYRON

U.K. rapper slowthai’s sophomore album takes it a step further on TYRON, proving he is unquestionably talented.

slowthai is by far one of the most unique and recognizable voices in hip hop with his thick British accent and his eccentric and electrifying vocals. On TYRON, he even takes it a step further by experimenting with his voice.

Whether it be with the distorted and pitched down vocals on the choruses of “VEX” and “DEAD,” the baby voice on the end of the opener “45 SMOKE,” or the weird effect on the chorus of “nhs,” which sounds like something hip hop collective BROCKHAMPTON would do, slowthai is not afraid of trying new things vocally.

He also does not back down from trying new things when it comes to the production. As usual, he likes to hop on some grimey and slightly disturbing rap beats, and this record makes no exceptions of this. However, TYRON also sees slowthai rapping over some melodies that we are not used to seeing him rap over, especially in the second half of the record.

Instrumentals on songs like “push,” featuring a gorgeous performance by Deb Never, the boom bap beat on “i tried,” or even the repeated piano chords on “feel away,” really stand out among these aggressive and loud beats.

This album is separated into two sides, each of them containing seven songs. On the first side, slowthai sounds as aggressive as ever, dropping banger after banger on some abrasive and ominous beats. Songs like “WOT,” “MAZZA” and “CANCELLED” really pack a punch and put slowthai’s ability to kill a beat on display.

On the second side of the record, slowthai switches things up by going towards a more introspective route. The rapper is as hard hitting as on the first side but the focus is more on the impact of his words. He really raps from a heartfelt place. Whether it be by rapping about a broken relationship on “feel away,” featuring James Blake and Mount Kimbie, or on the powerful closer “adhd” where he raps about substance abuse and being at a low point, these songs help to establish slowthai as a gifted lyricist.

slowthai’s sophomore LP TYRON,  is a thoughtful concept album that sees the rapper improve on all fronts.

Score: 8/10

Trial track: feel away

 

 

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