Slowthai’s “Nothing Great About Britain” sizzles with punky rage

A raw, frenzied portrait of Britain in the colours of grime and punk

Hip hop and punk have been intertwined from the very beginning, both born nearly at the same time a few blocks from each other in New York. While Grime, the UK’s brand of hard hip hop, has always been influenced by the country’s punk culture, a new generation of rappers, spearheaded by Slowthai, are fusing the two even deeper.

Slowthai’s references to punk are all explicit: his hyperkinetic persona, with a permanent manic grin and naked torso, is part Johnny Rotten, part Iggy Pop. He one-ups the Sex Pistols in insulting the Queen, and delivers an electro-punk anthem with “Doorman” (a collaboration with producer Mura Masa).

In fact, Slowthai makes a point of namechecking or at least referencing a ton of Brit pop-culture, from Grime originator Dizzee Rascal, to Trainspotting to The Streets. Not to mention his native Northampton, clearly believing it is “the center of the Universe” as its most famous resident, god-amongst-comicbook-auteurs Alan Moore, once described it. It is definitely a change from the London-centric Grime culture that has ruled UK hip hop in the past few years (even though its prime star, Skepta, guests on one track here).

Slowthai disrupts even more codes. He raps with little regard to staying on the beat, changing his vocal register to display emotion and cynicism. You can imagine him frantically moving just by listening to him. The record sounds like the street, with crowds talking or singing the background, snippets of casual conversations and mock interviews between tracks.

Raw and direct, diverse and often funny, Slowthai’s first album is the promise of a fascinating talented artist who seems intent on shaking things up, and maybe a whole generation like him.