#ukrapscene

[junior-london]

Will never finish nor will I probs release. But to whoever see’s this - hope u enjoy

[cyrusdavirus]

No behaviour and loads a flavour……. - - - - - - #itstheweekend #cyrusdavirus #blackandwhite #pencilart #ukrapscene #ukhiphop #boombaprap #hiphopquotes #youngadz #spotifywrapped #jhus (at London Underground) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXD0RrWoJbo/?utm_medium=tumblr

[cyrusdavirus]

Team virus 👑👑👑 - - - - - #cyrusdavirus #teamvirus #amara #kingkyro #ukrapscene (at London Underground) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWnzz3nIbQw/?utm_medium=tumblr

[cyrusdavirus]

The social misfit so bold and gifted…… - - - - #superdry @radissonred #breakfast #cyrusdavirus #ukrapscene #verzuztv (at London Underground) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWiegEOIIcp/?utm_medium=tumblr

[legioniv]

Legion IV

[legalvinyl]

Is Dave the Savior of Rap Music?

Let me start this off with a controversial and harsh conditional statement: if rap does not rethink its current direction and who it chooses to elect as leaders in the genre, it will eventually consume itself and die.  While rap began as an outlet for voicing the many narratives of the institutionalized and underrepresented in America, it would be tough to find any undertones of this in many of today’s most prominent songs.  I’ll keep this argument centered around the masculine side of the genre as I do believe the recent prominence of female artists is a good move by the industry that represents a long-fought battle that should really have been won years if not decades ago.  Regardless, I think that rap has started becoming so mainstream that it has lost touch with its roots and has positioned itself precariously close to pop music in so many ways that a significant number of listeners care only about the catchiness of the songs, the hype potential, and simply how vulgar or shocking it is to hear.  Lyrics and history have taken a back seat to marketability, and there are countless talented rappers who will never find the success they deserve because they do not possess the ideal balance of traits necessary for wide stream commercial success.

I’ve talked about this somewhat newcomer before, but I really think more people, especially more American listeners, ought to lend him an ear. David Orobosa Omoregie, who goes by the stage name Santan Dave or even more commonly as just Dave, has made himself a household figure in the British rap scene.  His background has a story, a touching story in fact that resembles some of the most historical artists in rap music’s history.  Born on the fifth of June in 1998 in South London to Nigerian parents, Dave unfortunately had to cope with a father who was deported before he could even walk.  Forced to turn to his two brothers for support and guidance in a rough, low-income neighborhood in London called Streatham, his mother worked diligently as a nurse, but the family still struggled to put food on the table and offer an optimistic future for her three sons.  Eventually, Dave’s brother Christopher got wrapped up in crime and was convicted to life imprisonment for the murder of a rival gang member.  Meanwhile, his other brother, Benjamin, was sentenced to four years for conspiracy to defraud.  This left David alone with his mother in a truly uncertain time with countless pressures toward the tempting but fateful influences of crime and gang life that seemed to hover around every street corner.  Dave found comfort in school, and took a special interest in philosophy and law, but his real passion and his true mode of expression would be found in London’s underground rap scene.  Here he chased his dream and ran away from his demons, and he would eventually find success after Drake noticed his talent and had him featured on a remix to one of Drake’s songs “Wanna Know,” which was released in 2016.

So, what does Dave talk about in his music and why should American audiences care?  Well, Dave addresses things deeply and sincerely; whether talking about his background, his battles with mental health, his reflection on the industry at large and the mistakes he sees his peers making, Dave always keeps things in the right perceptive.  He is not consumed by his newfound wealth, and he remains cognizant of those that were with him when he career had little promise and those that joined because his personal stock price was rising quickly.  But I think above all, Dave finds a balance between bravado and honesty and communicates this with a refreshing sense of vulnerability that so few artists in today’s age imbue convincingly.  

Take, for example, the opening track from an album he released this year, a song titled We’re All Alone.  It starts off with that aggressive hubris that we’re all so used to at this point, and Dave can really bring the heat when he wants to.  The rhymes are complex just like the rhythm and pace of his lyrics.  He is in total control of his wordplay and doesn’t just say things for the sake of the flow, there’s meaning behind his words that reflect the ways he sees the industry and what he should be doing for himself.  He questions “You see what happens when you got the fuckin’ game in a vice?” before changing the tone of the song entirely.  Here the song breaks down and simplifies.  We hear a stark piano melody and a sense of intense vulnerability as he recounts a message from a fan who is contemplating suicide.  In a span of just one minute, we go from a rapper expertly crafting lyrics about egotism and his luxury preferences to someone who is at the brink of suicide, and he aligns himself with that suicidal person in a way that demonstrates confidence on a scale far greater than any amount of bragging can accomplish “me and him got more in common than he thinks”.

You can trust me, all the shit that you been feelin', you're feelin' with me We all took the wrong turns in different streets We all cry the same tears on different cheeks I got a message from a kid on Monday mornin' Said he's grateful I responded and he's feelin' at peace with himself Me and him got more in common than he thinks But I tell him it's nothin' big so I can go on and live with myself I knew that God would cast me as the leader Somethin' special when he messaged me and told me that I saved his life In twenty-three years, I done so much wrong But in that moment, I just felt like I had made it right

I think this must be one of the best rap songs of the year.  It manages to blend the pride-fueled lives of the now rich and boldly extravagant with those at the lowest points in their life.  Where rap has taken more interest in the extremes of the world with rappers choosing more recently to focus on subject matter like mental health and their internal battles or, on the opposite side, being more ignorant and flagrant than ever before, Dave is able to blend these two worlds and show the real side of a rapper behind both images.  There’s more on this album that speaks volumes about Dave’s capacity as a lyricist and social advocate.  Another standout track comes at the end of the album, the song Heart Attack which wades through some of most sensitive subject matter like a great poem put to solemn but tasteful music.  Dave says more in this song than many rappers say in their entire discography.  Another fantastic song, Mercury, from a single released in the same year further proves Dave’s dedication to content in his music.  You can tell he’s experimenting with his flow, but he doesn’t just say things for the sake of his lyrical rhythm; he seems incapable of separating meaning from his music, and that’s one of the reasons I respect him so much.

The technical expertise of Dave’s music is not something that can be easily translated in a review of a track, and I deeply encourage any readers to listen to this music or to at least google the lyrics.  They are as much poems as they are rap songs, and they are some of the finest examples of music-as-art as I’ve ever heard within the genre.  Dave is rightfully getting recognition in the UK, but he needs more recognition in the United States.  He is exactly what rap should be in the modern age: a culmination of everything great from the past put into a modern perspective.  But, unfortunately, most of what we hear and most of the artists that dominate the popular charts in America make derivative music with little creativity.  But, most disparagingly, they make music that says nothing and represents nothing.  Dave has never and will never fall into that camp, and I can only imagine that it has something to do with American labels being hesitant to acknowledge such a talented figure to American audiences because they might start questioning why many rappers are so prolific while managing to put so little effort into their craft.  Dave might just start a revolution in listener demands, and I think that might be too much for the current crop of rap royalty to handle right now.

[cyrusdavirus]

No behaviour and loads a flavour….. - - - - - #cyrusdavirus #hiphophead #boombaprap #ukrappers #ukrapscene https://www.instagram.com/p/CVoV3jlouUR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[cyrusdavirus]

I send flames switch quick and change lanes…. - - - - - #cyrusdavirus #moneyclothing #ukrapscene #ukhiphopnews #hiphopquotes (at London Underground) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVjMejSok35/?utm_medium=tumblr