It’s safe to say the dust has settled from the big “UK underground” boom that dominated online rap conversations last year. More than anything else to come from that scene, I’ve been drawn to the thunderous, claustrophobic work of dBee, a British collective of visual artists and producers who let their levelers peak like it’s nobody’s business. Their beats tend to hold this Black diasporic, clap-heavy rhythm they call “bongology” (best example: “mycareer” by ceesho), which is basically the byproduct of children with African parents whose lives changed when they found out about 808 Mafia and Young Chop. That trap/drill influence manifests in a big way on #FEDERAL by London rapper SINN6R, a ridiculous album from last December with dBee’s fingerprints (and tags) all over it.
It also manifests on “syllables,” a track where three of dBee’s most prominent beatmakers–Cppo, Wtfriko, and Zoja—pick up the mic and raise hell on a js31 beat. js31 might as well be an honorary member of the group, sharing their affinity for 808 static and dizzying, airtight loops. “syllables” rumbles with DMV bells, abrasive kicks, and a shrill synth line that’s burrowed itself in my brain. But it’s the way Zoja slurs through his bewilderment (“Pussy good like a Percocet!”) that really sets the tone; vocally, it’s all just brute force and screw-faced braggadocio. riko laughs at niggas mad at him while he’s on tour, Cppo finds money on the other side of ego death, and I’m refusing to let the beat fade out before pressing replay.
