Credit: VirginieV
Live
slowthai
York Hall, London
April 1 2019
Words: Izzy Butler
Tyron Frampton, better known simply as slowthai, came out fighting at York Hall as he stepped literally into the ring that was to act as his stage. While his name may consist only of small characters, the same cannot be said of the personality of this larger than life Northampton-bred wordsmith and rapper who brings a sense of drama and power to this final stop on his Brexit Bandit tour.
As with any true pugilist match, he brings a sense of occasion - plus a large number of family and friends - to this East London boxing hall, where he enters the ring to be announced as “The King of England; the grand master of disaster" as the 'God Save The Queen' national anthem echoes out of the speakers.
Credit: VirginieV
His forthcoming debut album 'Nothing Great About Britain' is a work that records his struggles growing up as the offspring off a teenage mother and the adversity the young MC has encountered in his still only 24 years. Yet for the hour tonight he spends being master of the ring and gathering the sold out show crowd to his literal and metaphorical (bare) chest.
He entertains like a musical Ali; floating like a butterfly around the ring, and stinging like a bee with his pithy lyrics that underpin grime-infused rap, and sparring with his DJ and balaclava-clad producer Kwes Darko. The coming-of-age tale 'Gorgeous', the PM-blasting'North Nights' (“Theresa May wanna be like Branson / making P from aeroplane traffic”), the spiky, punk grime of 'Drug Dealer', the self-deprecating 'Peace of Mind' and the hard-hitting 'T N Biscuits', come in with a punch that's as heavy as the “Fuck Theresa May” chant he instigates to sets the sweat-drenched hall alight with. 'Doorman' brings this set to a close; laced with kicking guitars, distorted vocals, and beefy drums that build to a shouted chorus - “Doorman, let me in the door / Spent all my money, you ain’t getting no more" - it was most definitely a points win after overcoming technical and sound issues. But despite this, slowthai left no doubt he is a champion in the making.
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