SLOWTHAI: PUNK GRIME
No figure in the current UK grime scene is more divisive than North-England born rapper Slowthai (stylized as slowthai). The Bajan-English artist’s sound straddles the boundary separating UK grime and punk, which has resulted in a playful synthesis of the two.
His lyrics reference serious topics such as class struggle and identity with the wit of an introspective passive observer, but the delivery of a disgruntled lower-class youth who’s fed up with feeling helpless in a society that has ignored the needs of its underclass.
Slowthai (real name Tyrone Kaymone Framptom) grew up in the town of Bush sixty miles north of London. The town was frowned upon for featuring blocks of housing projects and low-rise homes. Bush was situated within a more affluent area, and its residents often found themselves being treated differently by people outside their town.
It’s this clash of the classes that Slowdive references in his music.
Tyrone spent much of his youth observing and thinking about the world around him, which earned him the nickname Slow Ty from his peers.
His debut album Nothing Great About Britain debuted at #1 on the UK R&B charts in 2019. He has since been nominated for a MercuryPrize and has performed at Glastonbury festival twice.
Audiences are enamored with Slowthai’s youthful energy and carefree attitude. His music speaks to a generation that are fed up with being passive observers in a society whose ills and negligence they are subject to.
His crunchy scattered production and personal lyrics have made him a favourite among the British youth, who have begun to see him as a jester-like symbol of resistance in an age of absurdity.
Slowthai references Brexit frequently in his work. His debut album was set to be released the same day as Brexit. However, following the withdrawal’s perpetual state of delay, he chose to release the album on the original date for Brexit.
It’s his youthful optimism that sets Slowthai apart from other Grime rappers. On the song Gorgeous he ponders about his upbringing before proudly declaring “Your face, look at you, gorgeous, gorgeous”. His confident grin provides hope to the current generation who are desperately seeking steadfast figures in society to latch onto, so that they may too learn to laugh in the face of crushing adversity
Slowthai is likely going to continue being a heavyweight in the UK grime scene. The quick witted and charismatic rapper’s popularity appears to be skyrocketing with each passing year. He recently collaborated on a single with Damon Albarn’s alternative-pop project Gorillaz and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
When asked about how he feels to have his own space in the music scene, he responds “I want the whole section! In this, and in everything in life, you’re competing constantly without wanting to. Even if you don’t take part in this competition, you still in a race”
