slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain

Slowthai knew the title of his album long before he wrote a single bar of it. He knew he wanted the record to speak candidly about his upbringing on the council estates of Northampton, and for it to advocate for community in a country increasingly mired in fear and insularity. Three years since the phrase first appeared in his breakout track "Jiggle," Tyron Frampton presents his incendiary debut, Nothing Great About Britain. "I knew what I wanted to say on the album," he explains. "It's basically my experience of growing up [in the UK]; of having a family that were immigrants originally, of the stories they've told me, of my childhood and how I've lived my life. Through it, I've gone on a journey of explaining how everything I was chasing to make me feel good only clouded my judgement. And it took me going through a ton of shit to realise that none of these things - no money, no drugs, no fake relationships - is gonna make me happy, or make me a good person."

On the title track he sets about systematically dismantling the stereotypes of British culture, bating the Royals and lampooning the jingoistic bluster that has ultimately led to Brexit and a surge in nationalism. Largely recorded in early 2018 in East London, with Kwes Darko producing, the album serves up a succession of candid snapshots of British life. Drugs, disaffection, depression and the threat of violence all loom in Ty's visceral verses, but so too does hope, love and defiance. Linking up with Skepta for the Tarantino-referencing "Inglorious," the pair warn haters, "Come up against us and you'll fail." "Dead Leaves" celebrates cutting off toxic relationships, the nostalgic "Toaster" explores the construct of UK society and the authorities misled impression of people like him, while on "Grow Up" - featuring Birmingham MC Jaykae - Ty preaches the importance of being present in the moment.

Those familiar with Ty's previous form badmouthing Brexit and trolling Theresa May might find Nothing Great About Britain less explicitly political than expected. This lack of specifics is born out of a desire not to date a record that he hopes will "resonate with people 40 years down the line." In actual fact, its Ty's decision to deal unflinchingly with painful personal experiences that make his debut such a deeply political record. The album's focal point is unquestionably the autobiographical closing track. A searing account of an upbringing informed by financial struggle and adversity, "Northampton's Child" finds Ty praising his mum's tenacious spirit and selfless dedication to her family. Having knocked the Royals off their pedestal on the album's opening track, here he crowns his mother as his "only Queen," before confessing "No way I can pay you back / I just hope I can make you proud."