Alex Thompson review the latest mixtape from London MC Headie One and super-producer Fred Again.
With Music X Road, Headie One exploded onto the UK rap and drill scene. With Gang, he cements his presence as one of the most exciting and vibrant voices in the scene.
Teaming up with super-prouder Fred Again, this latest mixtape combines the drill stylings and more grime-influenced aesthetics of his previous projects with more electronic, jungle and rave influences as well as a more vulnerable side to the lyrics. There are still elements of grime and drill, that can be seen on tracks like ‘Charades’ but cuts like ‘Smoke’ show Headie to be pushing his boundaries further than ever and incorporating elements of jungle and techno.
Perhaps the best example of this high-speed collision of styles is the title track, ‘Gang’. With distant and minimal electronic beats working in tight unison with Headie’s slick flow and swirling, atmospheric backing vocals. It’s more stripped back, moody and mature than Music X Road and the artist also isn’t afraid to show his vulnerable side.
On tracks like ‘Judge Me’, the rapper opens up about his past and how it’s not something he’s proud of. On the powerful closing track ‘SOLDIER’, a moody and melancholy beat addresses the rapper’s experience with the police, gangs and prison. It’s the most lyrically dense track on the album. The media is constantly looking to blame drill music for the high levels of youth violence in London but Headie One is changing the perception of the genre, bringing a more mature and rational side to the genre. “We march on,” the backing vocals chant. It’s clear that Headie is not only looking to move onwards himself, but calling for the entire drill scene to do the same.
This is, unfortunately, somewhat undercut by the more derivative lyrics about blades and drugs on the album, Headie sometimes falling back on the stereotypes of the drill genre when he is trying so hard to move it forward. These moments are only fleeting, but make you question the authenticity of the rapper’s stance.
‘Smoke’ is perhaps the most unique track on the project, the clattering jungle influenced snares and kicks (courtesy of Jamie Xx) and climbing synth chords blending with Headie’s monosyllabic bars - “phones, bars, drugs, cuffs”. Elements of techno and rave culture find their way into this weirdly subdued banger. There’s hints of Jamie Xx’s ‘All Under One Roof Raving’, more subtle garage notes and even a little bit of Burial that find their way into the mix.
It seems pointless trying to put a label on it.
‘Told’ is an ambient drill banger, complete with moody piano melodies, throbbing synths and choppy vocals. Production is clean and crisp but never clinica or oppressive, giving Headie’s vocals enough headroom to thrive. ‘Charades’ brings in poppy drill hooks and clicking drum beats with some great flows and bars.
The features on this album are perfectly chosen. From the subdued and sultry vocals of FKA Twigs on ‘Judge Me (Interlude)’ to the ambient and atmospheric production of Jamie Xx on ‘Smoke’ and the beautifully delivered Sampha verse on ‘SOLDIERS’. Octavian and Slowthai also make appearances on the project, not receiving a full feature but their presence being an enjoyable cameo on their respective tracks.
Gang is a huge step forward for Headie One, an album that takes risks that always seem to pay off. From the experimental production and rave influenced beats to the vulnerability on show in the lyrics, Gang is a drill album for a more melancholy generation. While it would have been nice to see him take some ideas further and open up slightly more, it’s hard to deny the boundaries that this album is pushing and that Headie One is finally cemented as one of the most dynamic and vibrant presences in the new generation of London MCs.
7/10
Alex Thompson
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