Across the Pond: Rap Albums Of The Year

Rap is one of the biggest music genres in the world and of all time. However, a lot of the time albums and artists go unnoticed in the American market, especially English rappers. Apart from Skepta and Stormzy, there have been very few artists from across the pond who have done well in England alone, and because they are not a big name there, they fail to make it onto American airwaves. You may be getting bored of the usual mainstream hip-hop or rap, why not dip into the music from across the pond? If you are now feeling you need a new favorite artist or just need a music refresh, here is the article for you. A few albums have blown up in the UK but have failed to reach any major recognition in the United States and give them each a rating out of ten. It is time for a new wave of music from abroad to enter the U.S.The question is, will you be part of the new British wave, or will you be left behind? 

All Over The Place - KSI

I won’t completely throw you into the unknown-artist-deep-end just yet; instead, I’ll introduce someone you may actually know: YouTuber turned rapper, KSI. After releasing his first solo album in 2020, Dissimulation, which turned out to be the highest-selling debut album of a British artist and the fourth highest in British rap for 2020. He has then followed this up with his latest album All Over The Place.  KSI hits the ground running with his track “The Moment,” a great intro song into an album that is, in fact, literally all over the place. From hardcore rap on songs such as “Madness,” “Number 2 ft. Future & 21 Savage,” and “Silly ft. Bugzy Malone” to vocally stronger tracks like “You,” “Holiday,” and the surprise track of the album “Lose ft. Lil Wayne,” that showcased not only his but also Lil Wayne’s singing voice. 

KSI shows massive progress with this album. After coming from dissing fellow YouTubers online to creating his first number one album, he has grown into a fantastic artist. I love this album; however, I feel it’s more of a collection of singles than an actual album, even though they are very good songs. 

I would give this album a solid 8.5/10. If you want less hardcore rap from across the pond, this is the album for you. 

Green With Envy - Tion Wayne

Moving onto our next album, we head across London to the small area of Edmonton that houses our next artist, Tion Wayne. Tion Wayne has made a steady rise over the last year or so with the remix of his song “Body” with the likes of Russ Millions, Arrdee, Fivio Foreign featuring on the song which would reach the global number one spot, the first time a drill song had ever reached that number. He has continued to impress with his latest album, Green With Envy, featuring Polo G, DaVido, D-Block Europe, RAYE, and 6LACK. Tion Wayne creates a very clever album, starting off with the track “Where Were They” about how he grew up with not many people believing in him but continued to express his life through rap. There is a great mix of fun songs such as, “Wid It ft. Arrdee,” and “Wow,” however, he hasn’t forgotten the story behind each and every song. The tracks “Who’s True,” and “Realest One,” are songs about personal heartbreak for Wayne, while tracks “Homecoming,” and “Loyal ft. NSG,” are about growing up in dangerous areas inside his hometown. I absolutely love this album, because of its brilliant mixture of fun and strong emotion which has created a brilliant album. 

I would give this album a 9/10 and would recommend it to anyone who loves hardcore rap or a nice afro-beat. 

We're All Alone In This Together - Dave

Dave has been on a steady rise ever since his first album, Game Over, was released in 2017.  He released his third album, We’re All Alone In This Together, in July of this year. Known for his lyrical genius and serious topics, Dave really goes in-depth on this album bringing up things not only from his past but his family’s and friends as well. Even in the album’s first song, “We’re All Alone,” he goes from talking about his difficult upbringing to a kid messaging and calling about him possibly killing themself. Some  songs are a bit light-hearted with one song, “Verdansk,” named after a fictional city in the video game “Call of Duty.” The album goes back to more serious topics, and Dave shows why he is one of the only rappers who can move someone to tears. His lyrical genius shines in  “Three Rivers,” where he talks about immigration and the problems it poses, and “Twenty To One,” in which he talks about the difficulties growing up as a young black man. Dave then saves the best for last with one of the best rap songs of the year, “Heart Attack.” In the song, Dave doesn’t sugar coat anything, rapping for nearly ten minutes straight on top of the beat of a heart as well as news reports and recordings of his mother to encapsulate the entire album. Even when the beat stops, he continues to rap, and you can still hear the passion behind every word. This is what everyone who wants to make an emotional album should look to. It is simply unbelievable. 

An easy 10/10 for the lyrical genius that is Santan Dave. 

As you can see, there are so many fantastic songs from across the pond and all of them in this article are from just three albums. Depending on which album you choose you can either be partying forever or be moved to tears by these musicians who have somehow fallen under the radar. I hope you try at least one album or even just a song to expand your playlist and music taste. Just because the music comes from a different country doesn’t mean it can’t be as good if not better than the music everyone else is listening to. Just ask yourself this question: would you rather listen to the same basic hits as everyone else or find the next big hit before anyone else?