Oh snap, Kojey's back!

Matt Sharp
1 day ago
2 min read

Those with taste will be delighted to hear that Kojey Radical has dropped his first new music since 2022. Welcome back Kojey... it's been too long!

'Rule One' is the title. It immediately provides a swaggering groove atop Kojey sits, expounding some rules you'd do well not to forget. He's got something hasn't he? Some kind of flow or energy that belongs to him alone. It's been shown to us for years, but he reached new heights with his debut album, Reason To Smile, back in 2022. Classic cuts include 'Payback' with Knucks, and 'War Outside' with Lex Amor. Now he's back for more. This new era is due to be extra special, and we can't wait.

It's Bawo that joins alongside Kojey's return, and what a pair they make. Bawo's deep, calm tones merge with the hitting drums to great effect. Those drums come courtesy of a high-powered producing trio - Swindle (Ghetts, Celeste), Owen Cutts (Stormzy, Greentea Peng) and Ashton Sellars (Burna Boy).

Speaking on the release, Kojey states,“Rule one is definitely one of my favourite songs on the project. After being gone for so long this record felt important. setting the rules early. I’ve always been inspired by what came before me, trying to find ways to honour the genre that afforded me a life. I fell in love with Southern hip-hop as my original introduction to rap, along side NY hip hop and I’ve always wanted to pay homage in my own way. Linking up with Bawo felt necessary, he’s quickly become one of my favourite artists of the past 5 years because of his uniqueness. Bawo is 100% and thats needed in music.”

Excitingly, this is the first taste from a HIGHLY anticipated new album. Kojey is set to release details soon, and we will be waiting patiently!

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Having first arrived on the scene in 2022, South-London native Saiming has been romancing with the genres that raised him amongst a community of like minded individuals looking to reimagine the sounds of grime. Splicing and fusing the genre’s dextrous flows with soulful neo-jazz production, Saiming is the poster-child for how community and collaboration are driving the UK underground scene, which he showcases through his sophomore project, ‘what’s the alternative?’

When I first got off my call with Saiming, a warm and gentle presence at the other end of the zoom, there was one phrase that had begun running laps around my mind; it was that Saiming has made ‘a house a home’ with his music and most recent project what’s the alternative?. While this phrase is more likely to muster images of a wooden pyrocraft sign from TK Maxx or kitschy ‘Gin O’Clock’ memorabilia, than it is a rapper who’s creating music inspired by the sounds of grime, drill and neo-jazz; it fits. Through music, community, and collaboration Saiming is an artist reshaping the architecture of his corner of the scene. Not just building a name for himself, but building something others can step into. He tells me candidly, “there's so much more that you can make when people are putting their minds together”.

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Amassing over 65 million streams across two EP’s, JERUB has gained major support and recognition from BBC Radio 1’s Greg James, Madonna, Tom Grennan and a plethora of magazines and radio stations across the globe. Beyond his social presence, JERUB has proved his musical craft and experience through jaw-dropping performances, supporting respected artists including JP Cooper, Gavin James, and Victory Ray whilst also selling out countless headline shows.

His new single Deeper gives us an authentic and raw insight into JERUB’s emotional world, an undeniably powerful song about “Showing up for someone, not just when things are good, but when they’re at their lowest. Loving without conditions—through the mess, the doubt, the days when they don’t even feel worthy of it”. Produced by the industry-renowned Edd Holloway (Tom Grennan, Lewis Capaldi) the two found a spark of passion and interest from a voice note on JERUB’s phone, leading to the song’s creation.

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