- Words Liam Cattermole
A weekly playlist sharing our pick of the best new music from the world's most exciting emerging musicians. You heard it here first.
‘Excuse Me’ by BXKS, Joe James
“I’ll be honest making this tape almost killed me,” wrote BXKS on the Instagram post to promote her new project, One Time. Across the eight tracks, you can hear why its creation may have taken its toll; the Luton hailing rapper spits venomously, firing verses at anyone and everyone she holds vendettas against. ‘Excuse Me’, a new release alongside long-time collaborator Joe James, sees the bar slingers going back-to-back over jazz laced 808s.
‘DennisRodman’ by BAD WITH PHONES
‘DennisRodman’ is the new single from Deptford raised artist BAD WITH PHONES, whose been on a short hiatus since dropping his debut project, Marinade. Compared to material of the past, the track has a dancier vibe, stretching his limitless sound around house and leftfield electronica.
‘Lost My Brain’ by Jawnino
Jawnino’s time is now. The masked rappers lurked in the shadows of UK music circles for some time, but with the announcement of his 15-track opus, 40, releasing later this month, he seems ready to step out from the darkness and into the spotlight. On his latest single, ‘Lost My Brain’, the wordsmith bodies a frantic jump up jungle instrumental, which adds an element of psychosis to his monotone drawl.
‘BERRYGRAPE’ by Deema
Crack open those KA cans, Deema’s first single of 2024 is filled with all the fizz and flavour of the drink that it’s named after. Setting the tone of what’s to come this year, ‘BERRYGRAPE’ is a zesty track that pairs the rapper’s spiky delivery with futuristic soundscapes; it’s a nebulous affair that reels off the south Londoner’s anecdotal thoughts formidably.
‘Mudroom’ by Tiny Habits
Boston three-piece Tiny Habits met at Berklee College but are beginning to cause a stir way beyond America’s borders. Appearing as the backing band for Noah Kahan’s Radio 1 Live Lounge feels like just the tip of the iceberg, now that they’ve returned with the infectious indie folk track, ‘Mudroom’. If you’re in your feels this weekend, hopefully this single can bring some fresh perspective.
‘TINTS’ by Ashbeck, Bawo, El Londo
Leaving little time to rest on their laurels, Ashbeck and El Londo’s ‘TINTS’ enlists the raw and introspective rap style of Bawo. Both emcees spit with a surprisingly vulnerable stance, trading the braggadocio for verses that feel a lot more profound. El Londo revamps the prickly melodies that defined grime’s heyday around a distinctively ‘20s UK rap style, which continues to win over fans inspired by the artist’s collaborative ethos.
‘Tell Me’ by Reek0, Brighter Days Family
Marking his return to Rinse FM’s record label, ‘Tell Me’ is a soulful house jam that unites all we’ve come to expect from the Brighter Dayes Family. Reek0 brings his danceable flows to a summerish beat, guiding the sweet melodies with his prosaic musings. The track provides a peek into his upcoming EP, which features production credits from Samtheman and Felixcw.
‘pray 4 me’ by oogie, BINA.
10 tracks created while sofa surfing around the country, oogie’s new mixtape, phew comes with all the restlessness one might expect from such varying places of creation. ‘pray 4 me’ is our pick of the bunch, as the multi-instrumentalist and artist brings on board BINA. For a typically sultry feature.
'Everything I Hate About You' by Kate Wild
Dropping her debut single today is Kate Wild, the London-based singer, songwriter and vocal producer whose name you might not know, but whose voice you’ve heard time and time again. Having been sampled by the likes of Cardi B, Bring Me The Horizon and more, Kate is stepping out with an 80s pop infused breakup anthem. “I wrote ‘Everything I Hate About You’ from a place of naivety”, she explains “naivety to dating, naivety to situationships and toxic behaviours. It’s an ode to all the bad decisions and giving ourselves the grace to make mistakes and grow from it. It’s like pointing fun at the bad haircut you had at school. You’ll live with the memory but you’re healed from it.”
‘healing’ by Reuben Aziz
It won’t be wasted on Notion followers that we’re big fans of Reuben Aziz, who’s undoubtedly an R&B star in waiting. On ‘healing’, he packages up his typically vulnerable songwriting, sending it out to anyone who needs reassurance of the ups and downs being in a relationship can bring.
'Counselling' by Chiedu Oraka
On ‘Counselling’, Hull-raised wordsmith Chiedu Oraka spits with such poignancy and prowess that it makes you wonder why his name isn’t alongside road rap’s elite. The likes of Skrapz, Nines and Bugzy Malone could learn a few lessons from his empowering bars, which break the silence on Black men's mental health and the taboo around voicing struggles. His conscious style has found itself on sounds as disparate as UK funky and dubstep, but it’s in his road rap bag where the artist is seemingly his most puissant.