Wretch 32 - Black & White

Although many people believe that UK Hip-Hop is a dying genre, with Grime taking over the scene, I have to disagree. Granted there aren't many UK Hip-Hop artists in the mainstream, but there never has been, and with artists such as Wretch, Tinie, Mystro, Ty, Jehst, Loudmouth Melvin & (even) Chipmunk all doing their thing, the genre is as strong as ever. Wretch in particular has brought a refreshing sound to the UK music scene, with an incredibly unique laid back flow, easily relatable lyrics, fresh beat selections and a real ear for catchy hooks/choruses. After the success of the first two singles there was a chance that his sophmore album could become Americanised in the way that Chip's music has over the past few years, but the Tottenham born MC has stayed true to his roots and provided an album that epitomises everything that is positive with music in this country right now. The sampler was sent to me two months ago and it was clear then that it was going to be one of those albums that you have to listen to from start to finish - I was right. Black And White is a life story, so a six track sampler with three singles on it was never going to do it justice...

The opening track is the title track and sets the tone for what you can come to expect from there on in, with a truly honest reflection of his journey thus far which is full of killer punch lines. 'Never Be Me' is up next, which features upcoming R&B singer Angel over a beat that is very reminiscent of Traktor, which makes sense as this leads onto the hit single that shot Wretch into the charts at the start of 2011. Although there a few big names scattered across the album, it's nice to see an MC like Wretch putting his faith in relatively unknown vocalists such as Angel, L and Josh Kumra to play such important roles within the album and on two of the singles that have gone on to achieve great success. Far too many artists get people on features because of their name and the guarantee that they will chart, but his thought process couldn't be more different, trusting raw talent to help create the most enjoyable and cohesive release possible. The uplifting and heartfelt 'Please Don't Let Me Go' follows, before we're onto the Example featuring 'Unorthodox' - a sign that you're listening to a great album is when the singles fit perfectly with the rest of the album and that they all sound as fresh as they did when you first heard them; Black & White ticks both of these boxes. Although the verses on 'I'm Not The Man' are big, the beat and chorus aren't my cup of tea, which means the song kind of passed me by, but the album gets straight back into the right lane with 'Anniversary (Fall In Love)', which features the ever brilliant Alex Mills (who I fell in love with back on Roll Deep's debut album) - this is a track that has been floating around the internet for some time now and is getting nothing but love from everyone.

'Sane's The New Mad' then switches up the whole vibe with a bass heavy monster of a beat courtesy of Ishi, a man that has been behind a lot of the best things to be coming out of the UK over the past 12 months - haven't seen this performed live yet, but can imagine it will go off. The tempo is then brought back down again with 'Forgiveness', which features another upcoming artist in Etta Bond - this is the most played song on the album for me so far; Wretch's verses are dark and intense, which works in perfect harmony with Etta's simply enchanting vocal tone. In a similar vein to 'Anniversary', another track that has been available for a while is 'Long Way Home', which features young Mancunian Soul singer Daley, but the mastered version sounds a lot purer and makes for a much more well-rounded song. Another dark track follows where Wretch speaks about a young girl who has let herself go - for me this is the best story on the album, and is something that is easy to relate to as we all know that one person close to us, whether it be boy or girl, who has gone off the rails and gone from being something to having absolutely nothing. Delilah, who most will know from her work with Chase & Status, features on 'Don't Be Afraid', which is a message to all of us that we shoudn't fear anything or anyone and aim for the top, no matter what obstacles are in your way. Man of the moment Ed Sheeran then makes an appearance on the chorus for the anthemic 'Hush Little Baby', which looks at a situation that many people will have been in at some point during their relationship - after Ed's cover of Traktor, the You Need Me remix and now this, it's clear that these two are on the same wavelength when it comes to making music, and this shines through making for one of the stand out tracks on the album. This leads onto the 'Don't Go' which is currently sitting pretty at number 1 in the Midweeks, before finishing with the reggae infused 'Breathe (Sha La La)', which is a fun track that has been on constant rotation since first hearing the sampler.

Overall, the album is a breath of fresh air and is without doubt one of the most enjoyable releases this year. Wretch has showcased his skills perfectly and brought along with him some of the most talented and vibrant artists this country has to offer. Traktor made me sit up in my seat, Unorthodox got me very excited and Don't Go made me realise that this guy has something special - the album has gone one step further in reassuring me that Wretch 32 is one of the most talented MCs this country has seen for a very long time, if not ever. Also, the fact that he is a very likeable guy who has time for everyone he meets goes a long way too, and this is another reason why I will be supporting him when Black & White drops on August 21st. Below are snippets of Forgiveness (Feat. Etta Bond) & Hush Little Baby (Feat. Ed Sheeran), which are just two of my favourite tracks from this spectacular album. Well done Mr. Scott, I needed this.

Don't Go is out NOW and you can pre-order your copy of Black & White HERE!

"Ahhh yeah!"