We could not call ourselves YOUR FAVORITE RAP PLUG without paying attention to the British scene. We are sure that the first things that come up when we mention rap from the UK are genres like grime, jungle, or UK garage, which are typical for the UK scene, but we will not talk about either of these. Let’s talk about minimalistic UK boom-bap, its artists, and the album Lighthouse Tape, which is like a lighthouse in the middle of the UK’s alternative sound.
Ocean
Which type of music were we thinking about when we said minimalistic, alternative UK boom-bap? The main ingredient is atmosphere. Dark minimalistic ‘lazy’ productions and rappers that instead of storytelling prefer abstract lyrics. Let’s set sail on the ocean of talented artists and discover mapped areas of the inhospitable waters. Labels Blah Records and Bad Taste are the two most significant British publishers for the significant sub-genre we will introduce you today.
Blah Records was founded in 2006 and is owned by rappers Lee Scott and Salar Saajedi. The label is respected, especially for its unique marketing strategy and stylization into a pseudo-cult. Label can be found under the names The Cult of Blah, The Blah Family Gang, and Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate. The sound of the majority of the artists that are working with the label can be described as minimalist boom-bap with electronic elements and an almost psychedelic aura. The music of the artists themselves is the one to keep an eye on; all the artists are releasing amazing music that turns hip hop’s cliches on their heads and goes its own way. Artists recording under this label we would like to mention are Lee Scott, Black Josh, Jam Baxter, and Sly Moon. Sink yourself into the music of these artists, and you will surely agree with us that you will not be looking for a way out of these waters.
Label Bad Taste was founded by Lean Low and Trellion in 2008. The name of the label Bad Taste came from the 1987 movie by Peter Jackson, which is about the invasion of the aliens. The movie is a low-budget classic, and the label shares one huge quality with it: it is not for everybody, but if it is for you, you are going to absolutely love it. You can read about the very interesting history of a label here. A few artists are collaborating with the label: Obijuan, YUNGMORPHEUS, Rahiem Supreme, dylantheinfamous, and of course Trellion, about which we will talk for the rest of the article.
Island
A couple weeks ago, in the ocean of the British alternative scene, we discovered an artist, and he caught our attention so much that we did not have any other choice but to anchor in the harbor and leave the safety of our ship. Trellion is a rapper and producer whose every step is covered in a mystical fog, unknown and supernatural. According to the tales, the founder of the Bad Taste label lives in the inland lighthouse because he is worried that a huge land-eating flood might come (the amount of swag this man has shown has been an insult to the gods).
Trellion, AKA Lil Heart Attack, released several solo projects (Dive by Night, The Judas Clock, and Lighthouse Tape) and a few joint projects with Sniff (Die Squirrel Die or North Luna). His signature slow, calm rap will grab you and not let go until the album is over. The rapper is also a member of Cult Mountain (with Lee Scotta, Milkavelli, and Sumgii), and they released four joint EPs together. The last of them, called Cult Mountain 2,5 was released in 2020, and it was also the rapper’s last project to date. The artist unfortunately decided to leave the scene. We were not able to find any statement by the label or the artist himself, so we can only hope for him to return to the music one day. According to unverified resources, he is supposed to work at Rossi’s Italian Restaurant in Sheffield, so from now on, their pasta and pizza are an absolute necessity for every fan.
Trellion is, thanks to his very personal, unique style, respected by very well-known artists like Knxwledge, Da$h, or Retch, and even God in between the producers himself, The Alchemist, said that Trellion is his favorite British rapper. Both artists even met in the studio, but their joint work unfortunately never saw the light of day. Trellion is not just an amazing rapper but also a very talented producer. He produced tracks such as Eedeot Bwoy and Wap Konn Jòj from rapper Mach-Hommy’s album of the same name.
Lighthouse
We discovered a lighthouse in the middle of the mystical island we landed on. Lighthouse Tape (2015) is Trellion’s fourth album; he produced all the beats on the album. The sixth and fourteenth tracks of the album are featured by Sniff, and track number eight has Lee Scott. The album is an absolute gem of British rap; it perfectly combines eerie atmospheric production with the rapper’s carefree presentation. Trellion himself described the album as: “This aint an Album its a Dumbscape best played in one sitting.”
The cover art reminds us of a scene from the 1987 movie Prince of Darkness. You can tell from it that something is not right. The whole album is very chilling, and the rapper presents horrible things with absolute calm and grace. The lyrics of Aahh are a shining example of it.
„Missy have a nice life time paralysed?
Yes, is the answer if the question is “will you never walk again?”
Man, this is me, bored again
So I had to do it all again“
The album has a unique tempo; Trellion allows himself plenty of space; each verse has a real impact on the listener; there are plenty of skits; and certain tracks are completely vocal-less. Everything is subservient to a unified, inhospitable atmosphere that recalls underground horror films or the 1960s TV series The Twilight Zone. Listening to it, you feel as if Trellion really lived in an abandoned lighthouse in some post-apocalyptic world. There are lighter moments on the record, such as the track YUP with its absolutely euphoric chilled beat.
Artists from labels Blah Records and Bad Taste created unique UK rap about which more people should be aware. Atmospheric, personal music offers a remarkable experience to everybody who’s willing to listen. Our favorite is the legendary Trellion and his Lighthouse Tape. Listen to this masterpiece, and let’s all hope that one day Lil Heart Attack comes back to the studio and gives us more of his atmospheric rap.
Resources: Blahrecords, Badtasterecords, Trendjackers
Translated from Czech by Rado.
