Review: slowthai “TYRON” (2021)
The controversial grime star rises above his recent antics and delivers a diversely produced and skillfully rapped album
I’ve started to come to the conclusion that I enjoy British grime rappers a bit more than American trap music. That’s not to discredit all trap albums coming out because some are just a cut above the average lackadaisical trap album but British grime seems to tickle my fancy more. What I’ve heard is a lot more energized in both the rapping and the rhythms and I think the bombastic yet diverse production makes for an enjoyable and engaging listen. This brings me to Northampton’s slowthai and his new album TYRON, an album whose A and B sides sound like two different records.
Tyron “slowthai” Kaymone has made a name for himself in grime, and hip hop at large for his politically charged 2019 debut Nothing Great About Britain. Since then he’s found himself wrapped up in a bit of controversy for his comments about Katherine Ryan at the NME awards which were considered misogynistic. It seems on TYRON the rapper looks to bring the focus back to his talent and skill rather than his ignorant antics though he does focus on atoning for them. All these things hanging over his head make for an engaging lyrical experience which is only amplified by the albums production.
The A side of TYRON is a lot more fast paced and bass heavy, allowing slowthai to conquer the sound waves with his boastful rapping. On one of the albums standout cuts “CANCELLED” he and fellow grime rapper Skepta rap about cancel culture and the mob mentality of people clamoring to end someone’s career. Neither rapper really pays attention to the mob they just want to ensure they can rise above it which slowthai surprisingly does. Artists walk a tight line when they take on cancel culture as artists do need to be held accountable for their heinous actions, but some of those who atone for mistakes they make do deserve a second chance. I think that’s what made this track standout because it wasn’t your typical rage against the consequences, juts the mob mentality.
slowthai’s rapping energy never falters throughout this album either as it weaves in and out of fast and slow tempos. He fits well on slow paced songs just as well as he does on the more rapid bangers which creates such a diverse sound for the album. On “MAZZA” with A$AP Rocky the two rappers trade verses that work to make each rhymer stand out but never clash. This in my opinion was one of the standout features of the album and the mix between the two rappers was quite complimentary.
The first half of the album continues slowthai’s boastful MC skills rather than his debut albums politically charged rhetoric. He seems almost to be showing us what he can do with his rhymes and the beats that accompany him and some may see that as boring but to see a rapper want to elevate his skill and rely on his wordplay. His second verse on “PLAY WITH FIRE” is one that stands out for me as he raps:
“Full moon, put me in a corner
Have me swingin’ with a pool cue, I do this for them broke youts
No money in the lunchroom, my brothers in the magistrates
All they know is slangin’ weight and bangin’ ’til their knuckles break (Free ‘em)
Mothers say “For Pete’s sake,” we could only keep Pete safe
Pete’s up the street with the heat tryna bleed grapes
Some people can’t see straight, need to find direction
If I clock an interception, Cruyff turn, watch your knees break”
He just stacks rhymes on this bar and it’s impressive to hear in the landscape of rappers who just love repeating the same line and calling it hip hop. Sure there’s merit to a lot of those songs considering the energy they create, and sometimes rappers can be too technical and turn out boring. That’s never a problem with slowthai on side A, he gets technical but it never bores you to tears.
Side B of the album takes the mood from energetic and boastful to a more laidback and introspective and on my first listen the production choices were night and day. To listen to the side A and then segue into side B with “i tried” it sounded like I was listening to two different albums. I really enjoyed the production on the second half in fact, I think while the first half showed some of slowthai’s best lyricism the second half was the best production-wise. The lyrics were still strong on this side but the instrumentals took me to a whole different vibe all-together. From the peaceful piano flourishes on “i tried” and “focus” to the acoustic guitar employed on “push” which mixed so well with Deb Never’s beautiful vocals.
Side B for this album is a much more reflective and deeply personal point in the album and I have to applaud Tyron for displaying such a duality so well. A lot of albums try to switch up their sounds in the second half and the results can either fall flat or create a beautiful mixture of sounds, that’s what happen’s with TYRON, it takes you to two different destinations in the rappers psyche. I think that in some way helps redeem him in my eyes, he gave us a peak into who he really is and it shuns the person we saw at NME 2 years ago. That’s a real expression of maturity.
Overall, I’d say this album is a great inside look at the rapper slowthai, a hungry young man who is destined for greatness in the rap game but also has his sensitive and sensible side. The production and mixing is outstanding and he knows how to keep people’s attention on him even when some of the songs come and go without many of the memorable lines of others. One thing is for sure, slowthai is here to stay and if he keeps it up his name will be up there with some of the greats.
