It’s been three years since her debut, Speech Therapy, won the 29-year-old rapper the highly acclaimed Mercury Prize, beating off strong contenders like Florence + the Machine and Kasabian. Her new album is inspired by Tupac and has been produced by the same producer as Ghostpoet, Kwes. The happy go lucky tracks have gone and made way for political statements and earnest tales of lost love.
The record opens with ‘Studio Backpack Rap’ in which she samples Biggy, “it was all a dream, she used to read Smash Hits magazine”. Backpack Rap by definition means a person that dislikes mainstream rap, “a person who raps about real life shit that matters and has experienced, rarely about pimping hoes/having millions/selling immense amounts of drugs/murdering random people for no apparent reason or motive.” This is exactly what this album personifies, and what a great note to start with.
‘Blaze up a Fire’ was written just before the London riots, and serves as prediction of anarchy. It was released just after, Debelle could obviously feel the unrest bubbling underneath the surface of society and that is something, I think, is quite extraordinary. It has appearances from fellow rappers Roots Manuva and Realism.
‘Elephant in the Living Room’ makes way for strings, and talks about a relationship that needs to end, because she doesn't feel the same about him anymore. There is a secret between them, and the elephant signifies that. She then flips the script on ‘X Marks the Spot’ where she angrily raps about a guy always talking about his ex. It’s angsty and hip hoppy.
‘Angel Wings’ is a little too sentimental for me. “I know these writers and bloggers want to hate on me.” It is very obviously an autobiographical song about her struggle to make it in the music business. It doesn’t really match up with the strong sentiments that are conveyed by the other tracks, it doesn’t resonate. ‘I’m With It’ gives us a taste of soul disco, its a nice blast of happiness onto the record.
So, Nicky Minaj has been given all this praise for being such a good female rapper? Minaj doesn’t have a patch on Speech Debelle. There is no need for gimmicks and fancy videos and a dressing up box; her music speaks enough power not to need them, It’s just stripped back talent. Thinking back to ‘Better Days’ and ‘Spinnin’ , which were two great tracks from her debut, Debelle has changed it up but kept her power, this album is surprisingly good.
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