UK Hip-Hop fans might be familiar with Mai Khalil as a feature vocalist -- she's appeared on tracks with the likes of Rewd Adams, Islam Jawed and H20, and was heavily featured on Lowkey’s most recent album -- but the west London singer has now dropped a long-awaited solo offering. Citing Arabic music as an influence, Mai also fuses old-school R&B sounds with a mix of dynamic beats on her 8-track debut, In Between.
After months of speculating an official release date and two revised tracklistings we finally have the sophomore album from London rapper and political activist Lowkey, crafted 100% independently with no aid from a record label. The end result of the long awaited Soundtrack To The Struggle... is a 26-track LP including six album skits. Since his debut offering Dear Listener released in 2009, Lowkey’s career has incorporated politics, speaking candidly on his opinions about injustice and inequality across the Middle East and at home on various platforms, speaking against government cuts and at anti war and racism meetings and rallies. With little mainstream support of his recent material, 10 tracks already in the consciousness of Lowkey fans and followers and two controversial videos banned from TV, how will this highly anticipated album stand up?
Nigerian poet and writer Yomi Sode grew up on a council estate in a deprived area of south London "where gangs, knives and guns were a fact of life", but instead chose a life of art and expression. Performing under the moniker G.R.E.E.D.S ['Generating Rhymes to...