Posted by Repping pioneering crew 150, Brixton driller M24 is blessed with the combination of certified street credibility and crossover appeal which often points towards success in the UK rap scene. With Tion Wayne and Unknown T collaborations under his belt in 2020 already, and a forthcoming track with the late, great Brooklyn drill king Pop Smoke, M24’s debut EP ‘Drip N’ Drill’ arrival couldn’t be more timely.
Across 12 tracks, the project showcases his authoritative, attention grabbing flow and an impressive ear for beats. M24’s gravelly cadence is just as resonant over the textbook UK Drill keys of ominous ‘The Hood’ as it is over Lekaa Beats and Nyge’s warm, trap-leaning melody on ‘Passion’.
The world M24 invites us into is summarised by the hook of the project’s bouncy opener: “Get money, fuck bitches, fuck the opp boys and fuck snitches.” If you’re looking for nuance and sensitivity then go elsewhere, because the tape is as straight talking as it gets, full of undiluted truths. But there’s no exaggeration here either, as he reminds us, “I grew up in the ghetto, this is real life rap / They don’t know about the ghetto, it’s just real life cap.”
Personal standouts are the bass-heavy ‘Come Again’ and the horn-led closer ‘Drip N’ Drill’. On the former, M24 and Stickz trade icy, hard-hitting verses over a Rymez and Lekaa Beats produced UK Drill heater. On the titular track, Chris Rich’s production offers up the perfect platform for M24 to celebrate the success he’s having: “Back then it was Morley’s meals / Now I’m eating food that I can’t pronounce.” The riotous, horn-led hook will absolutely shut down any post-lockdown dance, and the message that music is allowing M24 to thrive is the perfect way to wrap up a strong debut.
8/10
Words: Robert Kazandjian
– – –
– – –